By Self Sufficient on Thursday, 03 August 2017
Category: Livestock

Chickens For The Table

Raising chickens for the table rather than just for egg laying is a little different than raising dual purpose chickens that are required to first lay eggs then maybe processed for the table once there egg laying days are over, the dual purpose birds will most likely not have the same texture or great taste of the meat birds.

When you are raising chickens from day olds brought at a chicken hatchery you will need a proper heat lamp setup to keep the birds warm, they take a bit of care until they can fend for them selves, this is usually around a few weeks, if you are breeding just for meat you may as well raise twenty or thirty birds at one time they can then be frozen for later use.

Chicken breeds like Cornish Rocks are ideal for meat birds they grow fast and are a good roasting size, like any other chicken breed meat chickens still need a roost for night time and for protection from preditors, they are best left as free rangers so they can forage on bugs and snails from the paddocks this will ensure a better taste later on.

When the time comes to slaughter the birds, yes do not get to attached to them they are for the table, you can do this yourself or if you have a large enough group of chickens you could get a processing factory to process the birds for you, if you do decide to raise them for meat you could sell them at farmers markets if your council allows this. 

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