Best chicken to eat...

[Chicken Man Craig]

I am looking to raise some chicks for meat birds. What type grow fast and are good to eat?

 

[Flockincrazy]

Definitely Cornish Cross that's what I raise for meat

 

[Isadora]

You won't find anything that grows faster than Cornish Cross.

 

[Flockincrazy]

Not that I know of but I'm not sure

 

[Molpet]

If you want big breasts and can harvest them on time CX.
If you want more meat in legs or want to harvest a couple a week, the color broilers like rangers.

 

[cassie]

I am looking to raise some chicks for meat birds. What type grow fast and are good to eat?

The best meat chicken by far is the Cornish X. Nothing else comes close. However, they do have their quirks and if you are unable or unwilling to accommodate them you are better off with something else. A lot of people have trouble with the Cornish because they try to make them into something they are not. They are not heat tolerant, they are not long lived and they eat and poop a LOT. They need a high powered feed to perform their best. I fed broiler feed when I could get it and turkey feed when I couldn't. If I was going to raise a batch of Cornish X again, I would butcher some young for Cornish game hens, butcher most of them for fryers, and grow out a few for roasters. Personally, I like the big roasters that dressed out about 12 pounds or so.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

As the others above have said, if you want meat birds, NOTHING matches the speed and feed efficiency of the CornishX - they essentially redefined what it is to be a meat bird, such that there is no longer any commercial competition for the crown - its a fight between strains of CX. The CX is also your "supermarket" bird, with that huge breast/thigh ratio you don't see in many other birds.

Cassie correctly notes that such a purpose bred bird has a number of quirks, you have to be prepared to deal with. They aren't heat tolerant. They aren't predator aware, and can't run effectively or truly fly when they are alerted to predators. They don't free range well (which also slows speed of weight gain, results in greater texture, and more "turkey-like" flavor, as with any other feree ranged bird), and their rapid weight gain contributes to a number of health problems, many affecting the joints. A middle ground can be achieved via limited tractoring.

Finally, CX are possibly the only breed that will stick its head in feed and eat essentially non stop, moving only for water before returning to the feed bin - enough that the breed is famed for "eating itself to death" via fatty liver or heart failure. Not every bird will do it, of course, but its frequent enough they have that reputation - much as Comets are famed for reproductive problems in year three.

If those traits are not for you, or you want to breed your own meat birds, or you can't process and store a bunch of birds at once, and would rather take one or two birds, fresh, each week, you should look to rangers, slow growth broilers, "red" broilers, and the like. Maybe find one of those better suited to your needs.

 

[cassie]

As the others above have said, if you want meat birds, NOTHING matches the speed and feed efficiency of the CornishX - they essentially redefined what it is to be a meat bird, such that there is no longer any commercial competition for the crown - its a fight between strains of CX. The CX is also your "supermarket" bird, with that huge breast/thigh ratio you don't see in many other birds.

Cassie correctly notes that such a purpose bred bird has a number of quirks, you have to be prepared to deal with. They aren't heat tolerant. They aren't predator aware, and can't run effectively or truly fly when they are alerted to predators. They don't free range well (which also slows speed of weight gain, results in greater texture, and more "turkey-like" flavor, as with any other feree ranged bird), and their rapid weight gain contributes to a number of health problems, many affecting the joints. A middle ground can be achieved via limited tractoring.

Finally, CX are possibly the only breed that will stick its head in feed and eat essentially non stop, moving only for water before returning to the feed bin - enough that the breed is famed for "eating itself to death" via fatty liver or heart failure. Not every bird will do it, of course, but its frequent enough they have that reputation - much as Comets are famed for reproductive problems in year three.

If those traits are not for you, or you want to breed your own meat birds, or you can't process and store a bunch of birds at once, and would rather take one or two birds, fresh, each week, you should look to rangers, slow growth broilers, "red" broilers, and the like. Maybe find one of those better suited to your needs.

I managed to circumvent a lot of problems inherent with the Cornish X. My feeders and waterers were hung on chains so I could adjust the height as they grew. My chickens had to stand tall to eat and drink. They couldn't just plop. The feeders were on one side of the pen and the waterers were on the other so they had to walk a bit to get from one to the other. They had feed from seven in the morning until seven at night. I found that Broiler Booster, available from Murray McMurray, made a big difference in the health of my broilers. It is a vitamin mineral supplement formulated for meat birds. You just add a bit to the water. I used it from start to finish.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I managed to circumvent a lot of problems inherent with the Cornish X. My feeders and waterers were hung on chains so I could adjust the height as they grew. My chickens had to stand tall to eat and drink. They couldn't just plop. The feeders were on one side of the pen and the waterers were on the other so they had to walk a bit to get from one to the other. They had feed from seven in the morning until seven at night. I found that Broiler Booster, available from Murray McMurray, made a big difference in the health of my broilers. It is a vitamin mineral supplement formulated for meat birds. You just add a bit to the water. I used it from start to finish.

Yes, and I managed to get them to move by separating the feeders from the waterers, and going to a restricted feed offering schedule which "encouraged" them to free range with the rest of the flock on my acres during much of the day. Was even able to breed one of my CX hens. But my weight gain, tenderness, and fat distribution were all way below expectations for a CX, while my risks were much magnified.

 

[cassie]

Yes, and I managed to get them to move by separating the feeders from the waterers, and going to a restricted feed offering schedule which "encouraged" them to free range with the rest of the flock on my acres during much of the day. Was even able to breed one of my CX hens. But my weight gain, tenderness, and fat distribution were all way below expectations for a CX, while my risks were much magnified.

Just my opinion, and it is worth every penny you are paying for it, but I think maybe getting the Cornish X to free range may come under the heading of trying to make them into something they are not. However some people do seem to be successful at it. Personally, I think if you want a chicken to free range you would be better off with another variety of meat chicken. For what is it worth, I raised mine in a 12' X 12' box stall that had excellent ventilation but was free of drafts. I bedded them on shavings and I added shavings as needed. Used a LOT of shavings. I cleaned the stall only after the chickens were gone. My chickens ate a lot, pooped even more, but grew very very fast. I kept mine longer than most people because I liked big eleven and twelve pound roasters, but that is me. Had one dress out at over 16 pounds but I don't suggest anyone do that. I cooked him like a turkey and he was the best turkey I ever ate. My chickens were plump, meaty, tender, and the best chicken I ever had. The way I raised them was probably not the most economical way to do it, but it was almost labor free. Chores took about ten minutes morning and night.