How to Farm With Broilers

Broilers (also called roasters or meat birds) are chickens raised for meat production. Among the easiest farm animals to raise profitably, broilers are fast growers and typically reach slaughter weight between 10 to 12 weeks, depending on the breed raised. They require little investment of time and money. Purdue University reports that the most common broiler breed in the United States is the Cornish Cross (White Cornish crossed with White Plymouth Rock). The farming encyclopedia Storey's Basic Country Skills says that most broilers will weigh roughly 3 1/2 to 5 lbs at slaughter.

Things You'll Need

  • Poultry grit
  • Chick waterers and feeders
  • Chicken waterers and feeders
  • Chick starter (feed)
  • Chicken grower (feed)
  • Heat lamp
  • Straw or shavings
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Instructions

  1. Build Your Chicken Coop

    • 1
      Broiler farmers often use moveable outdoor pens to pasture their birds.

      Design your chicken coop to allow for a minimum of 1 to 2 square feet of space for each broiler you will raise. Find a location that in a cleared area and open to sunlight. Place a fence in an outdoor area if your birds will be permitted outdoors. Use netting over the top of the fenced in area to keep the broilers in and predators out.

    • 2

      Build the roof for your coop out of sheet metal or wood to offer protection from the elements. Build the bottom of the coop with a dirt, gravel floor or concrete floor covered in bedding. This will facilitate cleaning.

    • 3

      Construct a door large enough for you to enter comfortably. Provide for at least one window in the design of your coop to allow for proper air circulation. Ensure that the door and window latches securely keep out predators. Window openings can be covered with chicken wire as an alternative to glass.

    • 4

      Spread straw or shavings on the ground of the coop and be prepared to change bedding regularly.

    • 5

      Install enough feeders and waterers in the coop to allow each bird to eat comfortably without crowding. Hang the feeders and waterers or keep them elevated off the ground to maintain cleanliness.

    • 6

      Section off a portion of your coop to isolate chicks and young birds. In this space, provide a chick feeder and waterer, both of which must be kept off the ground, and a heat lamp (brood light) to keep young birds warm.

    Caring for Broilers

    • 7

      Place your chicks in the area allotted for chicks and young birds and provide them with a constant supply of high quality chick starter (chick food) and fresh, clean water.

    • 8
      A heat lamp (or brooder lamp) is a red light that provide a lot of heat.

      Keep the chick warm with a heat lamp. They should not be clustered together, but should wander freely about the area. If they are clustered, lower your heat lamp or add another one. A chilled chick will die quickly, so warmth is crucial.

    • 9
      If you allow your birds access to the outdoors they will often not need chicken grit as they will be picking up small stones and dirt.

      Throw some chick grit into the pen to allow them to scratch at it on demand.

    • 10

      Move your chicks to the larger pen when they are two weeks old. Place the heat lamp in the larger area so they can use it for warmth when necessary and scatter more grit in the new pen.

    • 11

      Change the feed for the chicks to chicken grower and continue feeding on demand for the next six weeks.

    • 12

      Change the bedding or layer new bedding on top of the old when it becomes overly soiled. This will prevent the spread of disease.

    Finishing Broilers

    • 13

      Begin feeding your birds chicken finisher during their final two weeks of growth.

    • 14

      Remove all food and water 12 hours before the date that you are going to take the chickens to be slaughtered.

    • 15

      Take your broilers to the slaughterhouse before they exceed 12 weeks of age.