There are many varieties of meat chickens. Among such a large number, it is easy to choose those breeds that grow quickly, gain large body weight, and even lay eggs. This way you can breed animals for yourself or for selling carcasses and eggs. Many producers are now considering adding a broiler unit to their farm operation as it is an easy way to earn extra money. However, raising broilers is relatively expensive, so beginning producers need to make the right choice of chicken breed.
Characteristics Of Meat Breeds
Meat breeds of chickens differ significantly from their egg-laying counterparts. They are larger and have massive bones, a strong build, and loose plumage compared to laying hens. Not only their external features are distinctive, but also their temperament. Meat chickens are not as aggressive, less timid, and better adapted to changes in their conditions.
- meat breeds are characterized by low egg production;
- at the age of 2 months, young animals gain weight up to 1.5 kg, and an adult at 5-6 months can weigh up to 4.5 kg;
- They develop most intensively and gain weight in the first two months of life;
- meat breeds are not resistant to low temperatures, and chicks need a stable temperature of 19-25 degrees for normal development.
Meat breeds of chickens need less light than laying hens. Due to stable temperature in the poultry house and proper diet, especially in the first two months of life, chickens can develop quickly. Otherwise, keeping meat chickens is practically no different from keeping laying hens.
In just one season, large chickens that grow quickly can bring breeders profit from the sale of healthy, juicy meat. In addition to the fact that chickens can provide meat, they are also valuable because they produce eggs. They grow quickly and are quite hardy.
Broiler chickens, known to many, are not a meat breed, as many novice poultry farmers believe. These are crosses – offspring from interbreeding pairs of birds of the Cornish and Plymouth rock breeds. Occasionally, other meat breeds also participate in the broiler production program, for example, Jubilee Kuchinsky, Brama, or Cochin. Such chickens are famous for their good meat production but are not able to pass on their qualities to their offspring, so they are kept until they reach marketable weight and sent for slaughter.
Popular Breeds
Ross
The breed is known for growing quickly and can reach a live weight of 2.9 kg in 35 days. This breed is known for building a lot of muscle mass, clear skin, and strong legs. The breast is large and white. The meat has excellent taste and is in great demand on the market. This breed is characterized by high survival rates and is well adapted to life both in a private chicken coop and in a poultry farm.
Arbor Acres
This breed of broiler has remained popular for over 80 years. It has been developed keeping in mind the current and future requirements of the industry. Hatcheries whose main activity is the sale of day-old chicks can benefit from the large number of marketable chicks produced by the parent stock, even under unfavorable environmental conditions. Broiler producers will benefit from Arbor Acres’ superior daily growth, feed conversion, and longevity. In markets where broilers are still sold primarily whole, the shape of the breast is sure to attract the consumer’s attention.
Cobb
Cobb broilers are considered the lowest-cost breed to produce, with superior production and average daily gain on lower feed rations. This also provides producers with the best possible uniformity in terms of broiler processing. The color of the carcass is usually more yellow, which makes it a very attractive option.
Maran
The breed from the city of Maran is called the chicken with the golden eggs. In Europe, they have become popular due to their high early maturity, beautiful plumage colors, bright, almost chocolate eggs, and decent-quality meat. The breed is famous for its unusually beautiful birds, which attract attention with their different colors of plumage. There are white, silver, black, and copper-colored birds. The chickens have black feathers with a gold necklace around their necks. Roosters have golden spots on their chest and reddish feathers on their back. Birds are attracted by their black tail with a blue tint. Adult birds are quite large. A rooster can reach up to 4 kg, and a chicken can reach up to 3 kg of live weight.
Cochin
This is a Chinese breed of chicken that has recently become popular in Russia. These birds are famous for their lush plumage and extremely large size. Representatives of this meat breed quickly and actively gain weight. Roosters can reach up to 6 kg, and chickens – about 4 kg. Moreover, the bird is capable of producing about 120 brown eggs with a bright yolk over a year. If previously chickens of this variety with blue or black color predominated, today white and beautiful fawn birds are found. Chickens of the meat or egg-meat breed are not picky, have a calm disposition, and are easy to get along with other birds. But poultry farmers need to make sure that Cochins do not overeat – this can lead to obesity.
Gate
This variety was obtained by breeding from Asian fighting chickens, Cochins, and other varieties. This bird is famous for its large size. Several varieties of Brahma chickens are grown in the world, differing in color, as well as unusual features that are inherent in this breed and determine its direction as an ornamental meat breed. Roosters of this breed can gain up to 5 kg of live weight, and chickens – about 4.5 kg. Females are excellent brood hens, which can produce about 120 brown eggs per year, weighing 60 g each. Brahma chickens can quickly adapt to any living conditions, moreover, they are not picky and withstand the winter. The bird does not need large areas for walking, does not fly, and gets along well with other breeds of chickens.
Kuchinskaya Yubileinaya
To breed this breed, breeders used the best breeds of egg and meat-egg production. As a result, it was possible to obtain a bird characterized by decent egg production and excellent meat productivity. Truly versatile chickens have become a good find for owners of small private farms and farmsteads. In a year, laying hens can produce up to 240 eggs, and adult chickens grow up to 3-4 kg of live weight. The quality of the meat of the Kuchin Jubilee chicken is much better than that of industrially bred broilers. The bird does not have a capricious character, can withstand both cold and heat, is not picky in terms of diet, and is precocious. A peculiarity of this breed is the difference in color of females and males, therefore it is possible to easily separate a herd even at the age of 24 hours.
Faverol
This variety has been common in France since the beginning of the twentieth century. The bird has become famous for its original appearance and amazing quality of meat. And today the excellent consumer qualities of poultry are valued. Chickens of the meat and egg breed grow quickly, reaching 3-4 kg of live weight. At the same time, laying hens bring up to 180 eggs, 60 g each. The eggshells are brown. With excellent meat production, unlike other meat-egg breeds, Faverolle chickens are distinguished by thin bones. They can quickly adapt to seasonal temperature fluctuations, and have a calm disposition, but are prone to obesity.
Pushkinsky
Pushkin chickens are distinguished by their black and motley color. Some poultry farmers call this meat-egg bird one of the best for breeding in small private farms. Chickens are hardy and quickly adapt to any, even the harshest conditions. They are unpretentious, able to find food on their own when walking, are early maturing, and lay a good number of eggs. A rooster can weigh up to 3 kg, and a chicken can weigh up to 2 kg. In a year, a laying hen can produce about 220 white eggs. Chickens of this breed are good because, despite their modest weight, they can have a plump, attractive carcass.
Adler
These are meat-egging beautiful birds, attractive with their silvery color. This breed was bred in the Russian south. Adler chickens begin laying eggs at the age of six months. Birds that are raised for the sale of meat, of course, are inferior to the original meat breeds of chickens, but they are also quite weighty. A rooster can weigh up to 4 kg, and a chicken can weigh up to 2.8 kg. The Adler breed of chickens is popular among laying hens for its decent egg production because they are capable of laying eggs for 3-4 years, so there is no need to change the flock every year and at the same time collect a fairly large number of eggs.
Cornish cross
The Cornish cross, or Cornish beef breed, is an old breed of chicken, bred in the first half of the 19th century. The bird is capable of producing excellent meat crosses. Today, white Cornish chickens are bred to produce high-quality meat on an industrial scale. If we talk about the use of birds in private farms, they are quite early in maturity, but, like all meat breeds, they produce few eggs. An adult chicken reaches up to 3.5 kg. The rooster weighs up to 4.5 kg. There are dwarf varieties of the Cornish breed. The weight of a chicken is 0.85-1.3 kg, a rooster is 1-1.6 kg. One white female produces about 100-130 large brown eggs per year. Colored birds produce eggs that have mostly brown or speckled shells.
Amrox
The Amrox variety of chickens has a cuckoo coloration when each feather ends in a dark stripe. Roosters of this breed look powerful, tall, and massive. They are quite large, they have a large head proportional to the body. The bird’s beak is short, strong, and slightly curved, yellow. Representatives of this breed, in addition to color, have large, expressive red-brown eyes. They have a red full face, oval oblong earrings, and lobes.
Meat-egg hens are excellent layers, producing up to 220 eggs throughout the year. At the same time, this breed is famous for its good weight. Roosters grow up to 4.5 kg, chickens – up to 3.5 kg. Amrox chickens have a calm disposition, can quickly adapt to new living conditions, and grow quickly.
Plymouth
The ancestors of modern meat chickens were representatives of the Langash, Brahma, Cochin, and other less popular varieties today. Chickens of this breed can have one of 8 colors. White chickens are often bred commercially, and private owners give preference to the brightest representatives of this meat breed. Plymouth Rock is a variety of chickens famous for its unpretentiousness, fast growth, and tasty and healthy meat. After just 2 months, this breed gains weight up to 1.8 kg. Adult roosters can weigh up to 4.5 kg, and hens – about 3.5 kg. During the year, laying hens produce more than 170 large light brown eggs.
Specifics Of Breeding Mini-chickens
This variety has some advantages that distinguish it significantly from other birds. These include:
- breeding versatility;
- fast growth;
- tasty and soft meat;
- lack of habit of breaking up the ground, which is important when walking;
- unpretentiousness in food;
- obtaining large eggs;
- possibility of keeping them in cages and enclosures.
But at the same time, the breed has some disadvantages:
- the need to keep chickens of different shades separately, since crossing is unacceptable;
- the impossibility of walking in rainy weather, since the bird has short legs, which causes dirt to collect on its stomach, and this is fraught with various diseases;
- Feeding chickens unbalanced feed can cause the chickens to experience leg problems, which is dangerous for the chickens.
These chickens grow well, but the chicks need warmth. This guarantees the survival of almost all individuals. With each subsequent week, you need to lower the temperature by a few degrees. The average weight of roosters is 3 kg, and chickens – 2.7 kg. Mini chickens are distinguished by the fact that their meat is very tasty, and because the fat is distributed between the muscles, it is also juicy. Chickens of these breeds produce up to 180 eggs per year. The weight of the eggs is 60 g.
Typically, breeders raise mini meat chickens of the Roy Island and Leghorn breeds. Chickens lay eggs well regardless of the time of year. Due to its compact size, the flock does not need a lot of space – about a dozen chickens can fit in 1 square meter. Roosters are calm and non-aggressive. Animals grow quite quickly and begin to lay eggs at 5-6 months.
Conditions Of Keeping And Feeding
For producers looking to add a broiler unit or build a poultry plant from the ground up, several aspects require close attention. In the poultry house, it is necessary to equip perches and nests, install equipment for food and water, and pour bedding from straw and sawdust. No more than 10-15 chicks 1 month old are allowed per square meter. Adults need free space.
There are several factors to consider when breeding broilers. First of all, this is providing proper nutrition, and water, and maintaining normal lighting, temperature, and ventilation.
