How to Breed Chickens for Food

Raising your own chickens for meat is the only way to have total control over the production and slaughter of your food. For those accustomed to raising chickens to lay eggs, raising poultry for meat requires a slightly different approach. Many of the breeds that make good layers are not good for meat. For meat birds, it is crucial to choose a fast-growing broiler variety that has been bred for fast weight gain. You should also plan on a much shorter lifespan for your broilers, which will reach their adult weight in only eight weeks.

Things You'll Need

  • Day old broiler chicks
  • Chicken pen and coop
  • Chicken starter food
  • Incubator
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Instructions

    • 1

      Pick out your chicks, making sure to buy a specially bred broiler variety. Unlike layers, which are usually sold by the breed, broiler chickens are genetically-optimized hybrids. These birds are made to grow to their adult weight in only eight weeks and are the best choice if you are looking for a meat bird.

    • 2

      Raise the chicks to adulthood, feeding them basic starter feed. You can also feed them any fruit and vegetable scraps that you have left over from cooking. Separate out the roosters as soon as you can sex them and keep them in a separate pen and coop. This way, you can ensure that all of your hens are laying at the same time.

    • 3

      Introduce the roosters into the hen's coop once the hens have reached the pullet stage. This should take about four weeks. Leave the roosters in the pen for a few days, then remove them.

    • 4

      Watch your hens closely. If they seem reluctant to move, leaving their nests only to eat and drink, and have puffy feathers, they are broody and are likely sitting on at least one fertilized egg. Collect all of the fertilized eggs and keep them indoors in an incubator for 21 days, following the incubator's specifications. Normally, you could leave the eggs with the hens until they hatch, but since broilers are ready for slaughter at eight weeks, so it is preferable to remove the eggs and tend to them yourself, then slaughter your flock when the time comes.

    • 5

      Wait for your eggs to hatch. Once the chicks are born, repeat steps 1 through 4.