Can you breed broiler chickens?
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Weighs in at just about 3 lbs whole. Almost NO under-skin fat; cooks up crispy and delicious. Raised by my friend Brenda Dillingham of Dillingham Family Farms. Considered a "broiler", it roasts nicely, as you see here.
Question by kenjrothwell2005: Can you breed broiler chickens?
I was wanting to get broiler hens and a cock and breed them what breed should i get and if i bought chicks would they lay eggs
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One Response to Can you breed broiler chickens?
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The term broiler refers to the system of how the chicken is raised for the table. Yes if you buy chicks of a breed of chicken that is specifically reared to put on weight quickly (for eating purposes) when they mature the pullets will lay eggs and the eggs will be fertile if you have a cockerel. The hens won’t lay as many eggs as a breed specifically reared for egg production (Rhode Island Red for example).
Ross Cobb are a fairly common commercial breed in Ireland. Given the right conditions ie a heated shed, constant light and copious amounts of food any large breed will fatten up quite well. They are called “dual purpose” meaning they lay quite well and also get quite big so they are ideal for the table. Jersey Giants and Plymouth Rocks would be popular large breeds.
Some breeds are preferred for meat alone, though the commercial broiler market is currently monopolised by the Cornish-Rock (a hybrid of the Cornish and Plymouth Rock). Many smaller farms and homesteads use dual-purpose breeds for meat production.
Chicken food costs a fortune generally that is the only drawback. You have to feed them a lot to get them big and keep them warm, birds let to run outside free range never put the weight on that birds kept at 20C in a huge shed with the lights on all day do.
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December 22, 2011 at 10:58 pm