Raising chickens for meat is relatively easy and can be done in a limited amount of space. If you are looking to source a high-quality product for yourself and your family, look no further than your own backyard.
While chickens can also be raised to produce eggs, this article will focus on the process of raising chickens for meat.
Step by Step Guide to Raising Chicken For Meat
Step 1) Know your Regulations
Check your local laws and regulations around the raising and producing poultry. There may be essential quota regulations in your area to abide by. Your local poultry governing body will be able to guide you to get started. Familiarize yourself with the laws in your municipality around land use to ensure your operation stays in compliance.
Step 2) Factoring Your Cost
Most times, a small flock will only produce a small amount, enough for a single household. If you consider selling the meat you produce to others, evaluate its market pricing before getting started. Also, avoid competing on price alone – a backyard produced bird is of significantly higher quality than the product available at retail and can reflect that in pricing. You will attract customers who prefer heavier weight, fryer-type chickens over what is available at retail.
Other costs that make up overall production:
Flock Requirements: Consider your output needed and work out how many chicks you will need to start raising. Expect a yield per bird to be approximately 70 to 75 percent of the live bird weight. Build in a buffer for a small percentage of deaths.
Also, consider how long you will have each bird in the cycle. Chickens grow to maturity in 8 weeks. The maturity time for a chicken, 100 years ago, used to be 16 weeks. Nowadays, with modernized techniques with crossbreeding, hormones & soy feeding, chickens that time has been shortened.
Housing & Equipment: Your overall investment for setup will be around housing and feeding equipment. Remember that your costs here will depreciate over time.
Feed: It takes five pounds of feed until the age of six weeks for each bird and then nine pounds of feed for the remainder of its life.
Labour: Consider the labor required for daily care, production, and delivery if you sell to the public.
Step 3) Choosing Suitable Breed
Choosing quality breeds are of utmost importance to your operation. Each species will have different characteristics and will influence your choice on how to build your flock. Some breeds will be better suited to colder climates than others, and some birds will have a more favorable temperament than others. If you plan to have a smaller operation and may have children around, this is a factor.
The most common commercial breed is the Cornish Rocks breed. Other popular breeds are Jersey Giants, Buckeye, and Freedom Rangers.
Some types of chickens are bred for meat only, and others are, for specifically egg production. A third possibility is to source chickens that can be used for both. Choosing the right bird for meat production will ensure a quality finished product.
Some hybrid breed examples are Orpington, Sussex, Ixworth, Dorking, and the Transylvanian Naked Neck.
When researching the breeds for your flock, consider how large your flock will be, what size of birds you are looking for and how the birds will socialize with each other if you choose more than one breed.
Specialty breeds can include either free-range or heritage types of chickens. Delaware, Holland, and Plymouth Rock are great heritage breeds, while the Indian Game and Sasso breeds lend themselves well to a free-range application.
Step 4) Sourcing Your Flock
Most rural and some urban areas are within range of a poultry supplier who can provide what you need. Most suppliers specialize in a handful of breeds, and you may need to contact several of them to source the breed you want.
Aside from breeds, chicken types are essential. You can opt for an heirloom breed, who will take longer to mature but will produce a more “natural” product. These chickens come from GMO-free parents.
Step 4) Raising Chicks
Raising chicks is a vitally important part of the meat chicken rearing journey. Before bringing them home, it is recommended to ensure their living space is entirely setup.
The following steps are what’s needed to get you started with rearing chickens. Here is what to expect to set up your operation and what ongoing maintenance entails.
a) Chicken Housing
Housing must protect your flock from predators, provide space to move around, adequate airflow, and room for food and water. Generally, a square foot of space in the coop per bird is the standard. In addition to the coup, a run of ten square feet per birdis required. It is recommended to build slightly larger than your initial flock, to make space for future expansion.
Chicken bedding increases the flock’s overall comfort and can include straw, sawdust, or untreated pine shavings.
b) Feeding & Watering
It is necessary that your feeding hoppers and water dispensers are sized appropriately and setup prior to getting the chicks so they can eat and drink immediately. Each chick will need their beak dunked in the water trough when they arrive to learn where the water is and understand its location.
The sizing of the feed hoppers needs to increase as they grow. Using hanging tube feeders that are adjustable in height will minimize food waste. Automatic water dispenser fountains are a great way to save labor while ensuring the flock stays well hydrated.
Water ratios are about one gallon per fifty chicks for the first two weeks. Increasing the available water during the subsequent weeks is necessary until the birds reach forty weeks. The ratio of water to bird at that age is one gallon per ten birds or one inch of trough space.
c) Feed
Throughout the different stages of their lives, chicks require a variety of different types of feed. A starter feed will be a balanced ration between 22 to 24 percent protein for up to four weeks. You will transition your flock to a finisher feed containing at least 18 percent for the remainder of their lives.
While some growers allow broiler chicks feed at will, we recommend a thrice-daily schedule to encourage strong skeletal growth with feeders kept full to promote rapid growth. Specific meals are the preferred method over constant feeding.
Your local feed store will help you select the right mix of feed for your breed. Table scraps can be fed as a treat, but should not make up a large part of their diet.
For initial setup, prior to installing feeders, place chick feed on a flat surface, using a tray to make the feed accessible. Chicks have feeding requirements of one lineal inch of space for the first couple of weeks. Once the feeders are installed, the flock requires two lineal inches for up to six weeks and three lineal inches beyond that. To keep waste down, fill hoppers only half full.
Use a chick starter feeding program with lower protein and energy requirements to inhibit weight gain, and it is recommended to follow the feeding mentioned above program. Adding grit to the feeding program is an option, at a frequency of twice a week.
When structuring a feeding plan for birds who are intended for larger sizing, use a feed that is lower in protein and calories to moderate fat earlier buildup. This will avoid leg problems and breast blisters. Provide this type of feed for most of their lives, until the last two weeks, where you can transition to a high-calorie feed that encourages growth.
Calcium is the most critical form of supplementation for your flock. You can crush up egg-shells for this or source this from a local feed store for a commercial version.
It is critically important to keep your feed dry. Make checking your feed a part of your routine to ensure against dampness as moisture can cause toxic mold.
d) Cleaning
A robust cleaning schedule is key to the health of your flock. White vinegar and water are a great all-natural option. Replace the chicken bedding after each clean.
e) Vaccinations
It is crucial to implement a robust vaccination plan to protect the health of your flock. You will ensure that your chickens are happy and healthy while providing a quality final product. Marek disease is the most common ailment amongst the chicken population and is easy and inexpensive to vaccinate against.
f) Exercise
It is important to provide exercise for your flock. This will ensure the health and wellbeing of your flock and will ensure you have a final quality product. To balance the need for safety with that of activity, it is recommended that your flock gets their exercise in a covered area.
g) Heat Lamp
The use of a heat lamp is critical to keep the area warm and comfortable. Adjustments to the temperature might need to be made based on their behavior. If they scatter away from the lamp, they are too hot; if they huddle together under the light, it isn’t warm enough. Generally, you can use the following temperature guidelines: the temperature should be 95°F. For the first week and every week after that, reduce the temperature by 5°F until it’s down to 70°F.
Step 5) Move To Bigger Coop
Around three weeks of age, the flock should be moved to a bigger coop to accommodate two square feet of space per bird. The feeding program needs to change from starter/grower to grower/finisher and put their food into a feeder. They can continue to be kept in an enclosed space, provided it is kept clean, and the litter is changed every day. Alternatively, a chicken tractor allows the flock to move to a different pasture area each day and reduces the overall maintenance work.
Step 6) Processing Chickens on the Farm
When the chicken has grown to full size, normally around 5–7 pounds, they are ready to proceed to the phrase of meat processing.
It’s time to process them into chickens for the freezer. Processing is done on-site or brought to a poultry processor. For a processor, the birds must be transported to the site to be slaughtered and processed. According to the regulations, if the birds are going to be sold at a store or farmers market, they must be transported to the USDA-approved facility for slaughtering. Some states have mobile facilities, making the location more flexible and convenient.
There you have it! Whether you want to keep your operation small or interested in selling chicken to the broader community, setting up a viable chicken business is at your fingertips.
