How do i raise meat chickens???

[tylerhorseman]

i was wondering if i just throw meat chickens right in the coop or do you have to raise them the same was as the layer hens??

 

[card5640]

Maybe at first you could have them together but they are very messy and l would move them apart by 2 weeks, they can be aggressive around food. They do taste great!

 

[jaku]

Raise them seperately, for a number of reasons. First, they need different food than regular layers. Second, your layers won't get a chance to eat if they have to compete with meaties. Also, meaties poo so much that you just can't keep them in a regular coop. The best way to raise them is using a moveable tractor.

 

[bibliophile birds]

it really depends on what type of "meaties" you want. if you decide to go with "meat birds," you should separate them, as the others said. but if you instead go with good dual purpose birds you can keep them in with your layers. we process our extra roos for our meaties. this does mean that they usually get separated from the rest of the flock, but that's so they don't mate with the hens, not because they need special attention. dual purpose aren't going to give you huge birds like cornishX will, but they are generally a lot less work and feed for what you get.