What is a good meet chicken??

[teutschb]

Can someone please tell me the best meat chickens? I was looking at what they call a rainbow broiler. They can forage with your other chickens. I've heard meat broilers die quite easily. Any info would be greatly appriciated!! Are meat chickens all males or mixed?

I just didn't want to start with a chicken that would be a waste of time! I would like something that could forage with the rest of chickens with no problem. (My poor girls with a hole flock of rooster broilers!! UGG!

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Another meat breed is the JG, Jersey Giants roo's get up to about 13 pounds, hen gets up to 11 usually, they're dual purpose.

 

[Beekissed]

Can someone please tell me the best meat chickens? I was looking at what they call a rainbow broiler. They can forage with your other chickens. I've heard meat broilers die quite easily. Any info would be greatly appriciated!! Are meat chickens all males or mixed?

I just didn't want to start with a chicken that would be a waste of time! I would like something that could forage with the rest of chickens with no problem. (My poor girls with a hole flock of rooster broilers!! UGG!

The Cornish Cross can forage right along with your layer birds and they don't "die quite easily" if they are fed once or twice a day and only what they can clean up at one time. They really are quite good foragers because they are driven to do so by their enormous appetites.

It's usually cheapest to get mixed and you won't have to worry about the roosters breeding your hens as they will only be 8-10 wks old when you process them.

They definitely are not a waste of time if you manage them well. They have the most meat for your dollar than any other meat breed out there and they don't die easily...actually, I find them to be some really tough little birds! I've had three get accidentally injured~deep wounds~and they acted like it was nothing. Like it didn't even happen....recovered without much more than an application of NuStock and time.

Read up in the meat bird thread about how folks are managing these birds and you might find a few threads that will help you with your intentions. Here's one to start on about raising Cornish Cross with a layer flock on free range:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...have-a-rooster-raising-50-cx-chicks-new-batch