How to Breed Chickens for Meat

Chickens are popular birds on commercial and home farms. They provide pest control, eggs and sometimes companionship. Some people in home and commercial situations also raise them for meat. To raise chickens for meat, you need a group of chickens that breed and reproduce. Breeding chickens is simple as long as you keep them healthy and happy.

Things You'll Need

  • Barn/shed
  • Fenced area
  • Nesting boxes
  • Straw/hay/shavings
  • Dishes
  • Water
  • Chicken feed
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Instructions

    • 1

      Plan the space for your chicken flock. They need shelter in the form of a barn or shed, and a fenced area where they can safely wander. Measure the coop and only buy as many chickens as you can hold; each chicken should get 2 to 3 square feet of floor space within the coop.

    • 2

      Put nesting boxes in the coop for the hens. They will need to nest and lay eggs if they're breeding. Plan to provide one box for each hen. Line the boxes with nesting material, such as hay, straw or shavings.

    • 3

      Put a heater in your shed or coop and make sure there are working doors and windows. The coop needs to stay at 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, but should also have circulation and fresh air for healthy chickens. This also will help reduce the smell inside the shed.

    • 4

      Place water dishes for the chickens in the shed and out in the yard. Keep them full of fresh clean water.

    • 5

      Purchase chickens that provide good meat. Cornish, Plymouth Rock and New Hampshire strains are all bred as meat producers. Purchase one rooster to every 10 hens. For small farming situations, one rooster should suffice for the entire flock.

    • 6

      Put all the chickens into the yard. Feed them daily with high-quality chicken feed thrown on the ground in the yard. Allow the chickens into the lawn and garden areas to eat insects and snails. Clean the chicken coop of waste and dirty straw or shavings once a week. Chickens will breed on their own.