The Best Breeds of Chickens for Meat

We want to raise meat chickens on our small farm. What breeds are best and what advantages do the various breeds offer?

Any healthy chicken may be raised for meat. But some breeds, known as broilers, are specifically developed for meat and offer qualities such as rapid growth, larger size and broader breasts. Below are popular meat chicken breeds, with some also laying eggs.

Cornish Cross

These chickens are often used for commercial operations and grow rapidly, reaching approximately 8.5 pounds in 8 weeks. This breed features delicious meat, with large breasts, thighs and legs. The birds also produce a decent fat cap that makes the meat ideal for roasting. 

Jersey Giant

Jersey Giants live up to their name and reach 11 to 13 pounds in 16 to 21 weeks. Although they grow less rapidly than other breeds, Jersey Giants lay extra-large brown eggs. Hens, therefore, are often used as layers while they reach their ideal processing weight.

Bresse

These chickens are large, generally white birds with blue feet. While they are more expensive than other breeds, many culinary experts consider Bresse the most flavorful chicken in the world, offering excellent texture. 

Producers sometimes hatch the eggs and sell the chicks to help recoup their expenses.

Freedom Rangers (or Red Rangers)

Weighing in at 6 pounds, these chickens are ready to process at 9 to 11 weeks. Organic farms, in particular, prefer these birds because they were developed for the pesticide-free meat market and are bred to be pasture-raised. 

These birds produce great-tasting meat but have a smaller growth pattern and less meat.

Brown Leghorn

This breed provides decent meat and grows to six pounds in 16-21 weeks. Brown Leghorns are foragers that thrive in hot climates. They produce up to 280 eggs annually, making them a great choice as dual-purpose meat and egg-laying chickens.

More backyard and hobby farmers are raising chickens as a low-fat, low-calorie source of high quality protein. Chickens cost little to grow and many municipalities allow residents to keep a limited number of birds within the city limits.

Contact your vet or Cooperative Extension Service for more information.