difference between meat birds and egg layer

Most breeds and strains are dual purpose, in that folks have both used them for eggs and also eaten them for a century or more.
But some specific strains have been purposefully and carefully bred for egg production, with little concern over the muscles tone and overall bulkiness of the bird.  In fact, it is not desired in the true egg layer.

Some "meat" birds are bred purposefully for slaughter at a very, very young age.  This is the chicken you are used to seeing under plastic at the super market.  These birds are so muscled up, meaning MEAT bound, that they literally could live or live well if they were not processed at 16-19 weeks of age.

Meat birds are specialty birds bred just for meat.  The ones you see in the store were slaughtered at about 5 weeks old unless it's a Sunday broiler. The ones you buy and raise yourself taste better than anything in the store. If you slaughter an egg layer they have a puny breast even when they get older. There's plenty of info in the meat layer section discussing the different types.

Fred's Hens :

Most breeds and strains are dual purpose, in that folks have both used them for eggs and also eaten them for a century or more.
But some specific strains have been purposefully and carefully bred for egg production, with little concern over the muscles tone and overall bulkiness of the bird.  In fact, it is not desired in the true egg layer.

Some "meat" birds are bred purposefully for slaughter at a very, very young age.  This is the chicken you are used to seeing under plastic at the super market.  These birds are so muscled up, meaning MEAT bound, that they literally could live or live well if they were not processed at 16-19 weeks of age.

umm dont you mean 8-10 weeks?

Yes, of course, I stand corrected, the Cornish X can ready in 8-10 weeks, but there are others that take quite a bit longer.  For example, the Red meat birds are much slower growing, but are increasing in popularity. 
A lot of folks around here still raise out cockerels such a Dels and White Rocks, which is what I was mind tripping over. Apologies.

and I think they meant to say "....could not live...."

We are thinking of starting with a few meat chickens (4-6) this spring. We have 24 layers right now. Can they be kept together or should I build another pen for just the meaties?

Thanks for the food for thought on this thread...pun intended

nope, the ones in the stores are butchered right at 5 or 6 weeks, Most home raised CX are butchered around 8 weeks.

I do not keep my meat birds together with my day old chicks. They require more protein in there food and in two weeks they can be double the size of laying chicks. I feed my meat birds gamebird starter then grower at 3-4 weeks old. They are fun to see how fast they grow!

-Nate