Raising backyard chickens for meat will not be what most people typically commence raising chickens for. The standard person starts raising backyard chickens for eggs and pets. A buddy of mine never ever planned to consume any of her birds but she had also a lot of roosters one spring as a result of a hen hiding a clutch of eggs, as well as the rest is history. She keeps chickens for eggs but has expanded and now raises meat birds especially for her family.



Not everyone can raise, kill then eat the chickens they raised in their backyard. But, in the event you are able to alter your mind set and commence to think about your chickens as food sources, I feel it makes it easier to create the transition to raising backyard chickens for meat.



There are chickens that you raise for their egg production and chickens which you raise for their meat. Each and every type of chicken has distinct food needs and taking care of backyard chickens as food sources basically demands cautious planning on your part. As a result, your approach for raising your egg laying flock might not be applicable for any meat making group.



You will discover numerous factors that you should take into consideration in the event you considering raising backyard chickens for meat.



Picking a Breed:



When considering the chicken breeds offered you'll be able to pick egg layers, dual objective breeds, and / or meat birds. The egg layers are these that are able to lay good quality eggs, the meat birds are these which are in a position to become terrific sources of chicken meat, whilst the dual objective breeds are these that may do an adequate job of both getting a meat supply or an egg supply.



But, if you are raising backyard chickens for meat, it is best to get meat birds. Breeds that happen to be classified as meat birds usually develop incredibly swiftly and have frames that are significant and perfect for getting meat.

Some breeds that you may choose to take into consideration incorporate: Cornish, Orpingtons, or Giants.



Receiving A Rooster:



You can find diverse approaches to finding your meat birds. You are able to opt to purchase chicks from a hatchery which can be extra convenient however they usually treat chicks with antibiotics which I never like if I am going to consume a bird.

A less expensive strategy to get your chicks should be to have a rooster or two about to fertilize the eggs of one's chickens. Then you will know what your chicks have already been fed. As long as they're raised from healthy stock and are fed properly, there isn't any should feed your chicks antibiotics.



Prior to you run out and get roosters, you should check your local laws to determine if they essentially permit you to keep roosters as part of the backyard chicken flock. That is due to the fact some states don't allow this perhaps on account of the fact that roosters can generally make a great deal of noise as when compared with the hens. Roosters usually do not just crow inside the morning! They tend to crow at normal intervals throughout the day which I come across charming but your neighbors might not.



Equipment:



In the event you try to raise your own chicks, you will be likely going to seek out that most meat birds will not be really broody. This indicates that you may have to pull the eggs you would like to hatch and place them within a brooder to hatch them. The brooder is definitely an crucial piece of equipment to possess on hand to make sure that you can effectively raise your chicks.



Given that I've egg layers as well, I have had superior luck pulling eggs in the preferred hens and putting them beneath the broody hens that I have for egg production. I mark the meat bird eggs and then pull the undesirable eggs in the hen.



You will also will need a safe spot to house your young meat birds to prevent them from becoming taken by predators as well as to control what they consume. I have a separate chicken run that I use to house only my meat birds. That way I know exactly what they're getting fed and I can monitor them far more closely than their free variety counterparts.



Raising backyard chickens for meat isn't as difficult as several make it sound. The hardest part for me will be to not see them as pets due to the fact then I can't kill them and eat them. But, I know my birds are treated nicely and their meat is a lot fresher than anything that I can buy within a retailer.