Egg layers coop vs meat chicken coop.

I don't know if it truly makes a difference in the end product, but I prefer my meat birds to be able to free-range as much as possible. That doesn't necessarily mean I let them roam without fences or enclosures, but that their enclosure is large enough that they can never out-consume the rate of growth of the grass in it.

Growing up, we kept up to 50 meat birds in about 10,000sf (not including the coop) and they always had TONS of grass to eat and bugs to chase. This was in the Adirondacks of NY, and climate does play a factor in how much room is needed...

I desperately want to raise meat birds at my current location, but.... I am doubting my ability to butcher them as I did in my younger years, and I am not finding anywhere local that will process them for me.

 

I use Hoop coops made out of cattle panels for my meat chickens. No roosts, no nest boxes, just the basic necessities like water containers and feeders. They poop a lot so the hoop coops are light weight and easy to drag a couple feet for fresh grass. Heavy enough to stay put in 60 mph wind too.