How do I raise meat chickens?

Raising chickens for meat is a little different than raising them for eggs or show.

The first thing you should consider is whether you are going to butcher them yourself or take them to someone. Ask around to find a local processor. They should be ready to butcher when they are six to eight weeks old, so it’s wise to make your appointment when you get your chicks. The breed we like best is the Cornish Cross for meat chickens because they grow quickly. They are ready to butcher when they are the size you want (broilers, roasters, etc.)

The Cornish Cross use a different feed than the regular chickens. Most hatcheries recommend a 23% starter feed. I have found that a 26% to 28% medicated turkey starter works very well. At four to five weeks you should switch to a 20% to 21% grower pellet. Use up all the starter, just make sure you check the withdrawal time. Since some starter is medicated, you may have to stop feeding starter for a certain window of time before butchering. Check the tag on your starter feed for details. 

Some people say to take the grower feed away at night so they don’t overeat, but as long as you don’t have a light on them the dark will prevent overeating. You may lose some meat chickens. If you find them dead on their back that’s a heart attack. Larger birds are sometimes more likely to have heart attacks. If you find them dead on their breast it could be many other things. 

Meat chickens do not need a different sized pen than other chickens. Meat chickens might roost when they are two or three weeks old, but otherwise they are too heavy to fly.    

As always, ask further questions in the comments,
Dale, aka Turkeyman