How To Raise Broiler Chickens

Feed Matters

What we feed them is one of the reasons why chickens raised at home have better flavor. Commercial producers are skilled at raising broiler chickens, but since they must maintain profit margins, they use the lowest components to make their feed. Using the cheapest ingredients does not guarantee delicious poultry. On the other hand, the formulation of grain that we purchase at a store is mostly predetermined. Retail buyers (those of us who purchase feed by the bag rather than the ton) have higher standards for quality and consistency than commercial growers do. As a result, the food we give our birds is usually of a higher caliber than that found on a normal commercial farm.

Stress

Whether it is poultry or other meat, the quality of the meat is significantly influenced by adrenaline and other stress-related elements. Birds are either gathered and crated by a group of farm workers or by machinery in a commercial operation. These cartons are mounted to pallets, forkedlifted, and fastened to tractor trailers. The processor is where these tractor trailers are unloaded and processed after traveling large distances. The path to your dinner plate is hectic.

When it's time to process one of my broilers, I gently take it up, move it 30 feet to the processing line, and before they know what hit them, they're gone. There were no forklifts, no protracted trips packed into containers, and very little adrenaline. The softness of birds after processing differs greatly. Your chicken should be perfectly cooked and fork-tender.

Breeds

Although traditional dual-purpose breeds like the Jersey Giant and Wyandotte can be bred for meat, there are better options if you desire a slower-growing bird. Red Rangers and other slow-growing broiler breeds are outstanding examples of specialty hybrids. These hybrids should be grown for 10 to 12 weeks.

Bedding

Meat birds don't forage as much and are significantly less mobile than layers. A deep litter floor in your coop is essential, as anyone who has experience with broiler chickens will attest. Otherwise, things will quickly become repulsive. When raising broilers, I like to keep a bedding pack of pine shavings that is at least 12 inches deep.

Pine shavings in a deep litter system enable the bedding to collect moisture and release it when the environment permits. Hay or straw cannot be used to rear broilers because bacteria will develop in the bedding, which will result in excessive ammonia levels. It's unhealthy and could possibly harm or kill your birds, as well as make you sick. Use a lot of pine shavings and avoid this.

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