Ever found yourself staring at the poultry section of your local feed store, completely overwhelmed by all the chicken breed options? If you’re looking to raise chickens specifically for meat, you’re not alone in your confusion. With so many breeds out there, each with their own pros and cons, finding the perfect meat chicken can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack!
I’ve been raising meat chickens since 2016, and let me tell you – not all chickens are created equal when it comes to putting meat on your table. Some grow super fast but have health issues, while others grow slower but taste way better. Your specific goals, space, and budget will all play a role in determining which breed is best for your situation.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll break down everything you need to know about the top meat chicken breeds helping you make an informed decision that’ll keep your freezer full and your taste buds happy!
Hybrid Broilers vs. Dual-Purpose Breeds: Understanding the Difference
Before diving into specific breeds, it’s important to understand the two main categories of meat chickens:
Hybrid Broilers
These are the speed demons of the chicken world – specifically bred for fast growth and efficient meat production Think of them as the “mutts” of the chicken world, created by combining multiple breeds
Pros
- Super efficient feed conversion (1 lb of weight gain for every 2-3 lbs of feed)
- Finish fast (6-16 weeks depending on breed and sex)
- Meaty carcass with uniform growth
- Lower overall feed costs
Cons:
- Cannot be bred at home (dependent on hatcheries)
- Some have health issues due to rapid growth
- Generally don’t live long enough to breed
Dual-Purpose Breeds
These are the traditional chickens that humans have been eating for centuries – large-sized purebred chickens used for both eggs and meat.
Pros:
- Can be used for eggs AND meat
- Can be bred at home for sustainability
- Generally hardier and more natural
- Better foragers
Cons:
- Less efficient feed conversion (typically 1 lb gain per 4 lbs of feed)
- Take longer to mature (16-24 weeks)
- More expensive to raise overall
- Not as “meaty” as specialized broiler breeds
Top 7 Best Meat Chicken Breeds
Let’s dive into the specific breeds that have proven themselves worthy of consideration for your homestead or backyard!
1. Rangers (Hybrid Broiler)
Also known as Red Rangers, Rudd Rangers, Freedom Rangers, and similar names, these are my personal favorites that I’ve been raising since 2016.
Ready for processing: 10-16 weeks
Size: 6-8 lbs (live weight)
Skin color: Yellow
Why I love them:
- More economical than dual-purpose breeds
- More flavorful meat than Cornish Cross
- Decent foragers that can handle free-ranging
- Moderate amount of edible meat (about 70% of live weight)
- More dark meat than Cornish Cross (which I prefer!)
- Fairly docile and easy to work with
- Less prone to health issues than faster-growing breeds
Rangers are basically the happy medium between the super-fast Cornish Cross and slower dual-purpose breeds. They come in various colors including red, grey, and white.
2. Kosher King (Hybrid Broiler)
A newer player in the meat chicken world, with growth patterns similar to Rangers.
Ready for processing: 10-16 weeks
Size: 6-8 lbs (live weight)
Skin color: Yellow with barred coloring
These birds are created by crossing breeds like Barred Rock and Sussex, giving them their distinctive barred coloring. They’re robust birds and great foragers, making them excellent for pasture-raising. The dark feathers may result in a less pristine-looking bird after plucking, but they taste just as good!
3. Sasso (Hybrid Broiler)
Originally from France, these are relatively new to the US market.
Ready for processing: 10-16 weeks
Size: 6-8 lbs (live weight)
Skin color: Yellow
These chickens offer a longer keel bone compared to traditional broilers, giving them a more “natural” look. They’re red-colored with a barring pattern that makes them visually distinct. Their growth rate is similar to Rangers and Kosher Kings.
4. Cornish Cross (Hybrid Broiler)
The speed demon of the chicken world and the only breed you’ll find in grocery stores.
Ready for processing: 6-8 weeks (incredibly fast!)
Size: 6-8 lbs (can get much larger if allowed)
Skin color: Yellow
Pros:
- Insanely fast growth rate
- Minimal feathering (easier to pluck)
- Very docile (they barely move)
- Highest amount of edible meat (75% of live weight)
- Most economical (1 lb weight gain per 2 lbs feed)
Cons:
- Prone to leg and heart problems
- Need close monitoring to prevent health issues
- Not very hardy in outdoor elements
- White coloring attracts predators
- Less flavorful meat due to rapid growth
Joel Salatin calls these “race car chickens” because they grow freaky fast but crash hard if anything goes wrong. They’re often raised in confinement for this reason.
5. Bresse (Dual-Purpose)
Often considered the “Rolls Royce” of chicken breeds, originating from France.
Ready for processing: 16-20 weeks
Size: 4-7 lbs (live weight)
Skin color: White
Bresse chickens are known for having the best-tasting, most flavorful meat in the world. They have distinctive white feathers and bright blue legs. They’re smaller than broilers but finish faster than most dual-purpose breeds. They also provide 4-5 eggs per week once mature!
6. Barred Rock (Dual-Purpose)
An American classic that’s been a homestead favorite for generations.
Ready for processing: 20-22 weeks
Size: 7-9 lbs (live weight)
Skin color: Yellow
Barred Rocks are excellent all-around chickens – good egg layers (250 eggs/year) while also providing a decent-sized bird for butchering. They’re cold-weather tolerant and beautiful to watch foraging with their distinctive barred feathers.
7. Orpington (Dual-Purpose)
A plump, juicy bird that also lays well.
Ready for processing: 20-22 weeks
Size: 8-10 lbs (live weight)
Skin color: Pinkish-white
Orpingtons are decent meat birds that also lay well (220 brown eggs/year). They come in various colors like white, chocolate, silver, blue, buff, and lavender. They’re docile, cold-hardy, and the hens often go broody, which is great if you want to hatch your own chicks.
What to Consider When Choosing Your Meat Chicken Breed
When deciding which breed is right for you, consider these important factors:
1. Time to Market Weight
How quickly do you need meat in your freezer?
- Fast: Cornish Cross (6-8 weeks)
- Faster: Ranger broilers (10-16 weeks)
- Slowest: Dual-purpose breeds (16-24 weeks)
Remember that males typically reach market weight faster than females, so if you’re in a rush, order all males!
2. Feed Efficiency & Cost
This is a BIG factor in your overall costs:
- Cornish Cross: 1 lb gain per 2 lbs feed (most efficient)
- Rangers/Kosher King/Sasso: 1 lb gain per 3 lbs feed
- Dual-purpose breeds: 1 lb gain per 4 lbs feed (least efficient)
3. Your Setup & Space
- Limited space: Cornish Cross (they barely move)
- Some pasture: Rangers, Kosher King, Sasso
- Lots of pasture: Dual-purpose breeds (best foragers)
4. Meat Quality & Flavor
- Most tender: Cornish Cross (but least flavorful)
- Best flavor: Bresse (considered world’s best)
- Good balance: Rangers, Kosher King, Sasso
5. Self-Sustainability
- Can breed yourself: Dual-purpose breeds only
- Dependent on hatchery: All hybrid broilers
Where to Buy Meat Chickens
There are several options for purchasing meat chickens:
1. Hatcheries
Pros:
- Many breeds to choose from
- Can select gender in most cases
- Can schedule delivery date
- Buy in large quantities
- Usually inexpensive
Cons:
- Can sell out quickly
- Risk of chicks arriving weak/dead
- Minimum order requirements
TIP: Always order from the hatchery closest to you for shorter transit time!
2. Local Feed Stores
Pros:
- No shipping stress on chicks
- Can pick them out yourself
- No minimum orders
- Flexible pickup times
Cons:
- Limited breed selection
- Only available in peak seasons
- Can be picked over quickly
3. Local Breeders
Great for dual-purpose breeds (not hybrid broilers)!
Pros:
- Support local business
- Birds adapted to your climate
- Healthier birds (no shipping stress)
- More ethical option
Cons:
- More expensive
- May have limited availability
- No options for true hybrid broilers
4. Breed Your Own
Only possible with dual-purpose breeds!
Pros:
- Complete self-sufficiency
- Control over quality
- No dependency on outside sources
Cons:
- Must maintain breeding stock year-round
- Need incubator or broody hens
- Can’t produce hybrid meat birds
FAQ About Raising Meat Chickens
Can any chicken be used for meat?
Technically yes, you can eat any chicken. However, layer breeds are very lean and best used for soup, while broilers and dual-purpose breeds are meatier and better for roasting or grilling.
Is it worth raising chickens for meat?
Absolutely! Once you have your infrastructure set up, they’re quite easy to care for. We spend just 5 minutes a day topping off feed and water and moving our chicken tractor. It’s a great step toward self-sufficiency.
What chickens are best for both meat and eggs?
Dual-purpose breeds like Orpingtons and Barred Rocks are best if you want both. However, they don’t excel at either purpose. I personally prefer dedicated egg chickens and dedicated meat chickens.
What is the fastest-growing meat chicken?
The Cornish Cross, by far! They reach market weight in just 6-8 weeks, which is incredible. However, this comes with health concerns and less flavorful meat.
My Personal Experience & Recommendation
After raising meat chickens since 2016, I’ve settled on Rangers (specifically Red Rangers) as my preferred breed. They offer the perfect balance of:
- Reasonable growth rate (12-14 weeks)
- Good feed efficiency
- Excellent flavor
- Ability to forage
- Few health problems
- Docile temperament
For our family, the extra few weeks of growing time compared to Cornish Cross is worth it for the improved flavor and more natural growing process. The meat is more flavorful, and I don’t have to worry about them dying from heart attacks before processing day!
If you’re just getting started, I’d recommend trying a batch of both Cornish Cross and Rangers to see which you prefer. The difference in taste and raising experience is significant!
Remember, there’s no single “best” meat chicken – it depends entirely on your goals, space, budget, and personal preferences. The perfect breed for a commercial operation isn’t necessarily the best for a small backyard or homestead.
What meat chicken breeds have you tried? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
Top Hybrid Broiler Meat Birds
The Cornish Cross is the most popular and most common of the hybrid broilers raised for meat in the U.S.A. today. Other top broilers include the Cornish Roaster, Cornish Game Hen, Murray’s Big Red Broiler, Murray’s Ginger Broiler, and our new Delaware Enhanced Heritage Broiler — a McMurray Hatchery exclusive. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of each of these hybrid broilers.
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Our top-selling meat bird, the Cornish Cross is a multi-generation hybrid developed by crossing the commercial Cornish chicken with a White Plymouth Rock. These fast-growing broilers are the same large-breasted chickens as what you’d find in a grocery store. We recommend raising them on pasture or grass in chicken tractors for best results. Whether you are looking to raise these top-selling meat birds for your own pleasure, or are raising them to sell, you won’t find better. We love them so much that we fill our own family freezers with them each year.
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The Pros:
- Broad breasts, big thighs, white plumage, and yellow skin
- Remarkable, rapid growth
- Males dress out around 3-4 pounds in roughly 6-8 weeks
- Very easy to butcher and dress
- Excellent feed conversion rate
- Calm and easy-going demeanor
- Can be successfully raised on pasture
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The Cons:
- Should not be raised at altitudes above 5,000
- Extreme rate of growth means that they have difficulty reproducing naturally
- Females take about a week and a half longer than males to reach full butcher size
- Potential health issues if left to grow too long past ideal butchering time frame
- These are hybrids, meaning that any subsequent generations will not breed true
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Our Cornish Roasters are another great option for your table. We recommend processing pullets young to use as fryers, and males at maturity to use as a full roasting chicken. Though they take a bit longer to mature than our Cornish Cross, their benefits outweigh the extra grow out time. [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”4px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]
The Pros:
- Broad breasts, big thighs, white plumage, and yellow skin
- More active foragers than Cornish Cross
- Reaches maturity at 8-10 weeks
- Process females younger to dress at 3-4 pounds for use as a fryer
- Process males at maturity to dress at 8-9 pounds to use as a full roasting chicken
- Very easy to butcher and dress
- Excellent feed conversion
- Slower rate of growth helps to avoid potential leg issues sometimes found in Cornish Cross
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The Cons:
- Should not be raised at altitudes above 5,000
- Extreme rate of growth means they have difficulty reproducing naturally
- Take a bit longer to mature than Cornish Cross
- These are hybrids, meaning that any subsequent generations will not breed true
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Now you can raise the same petite Cornish Game Hens that you see in restaurants and stores while controlling your own food source and raising them humanely. Grow out these female chicks on grass to 2-2.5 pounds live weight for the most delicious chicken you have ever had.
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The Pros:
- Broad breasts, big thighs, white plumage, and yellow skin
- Finishes in half the time of a full-sized Cornish Cross
- Very easy to butcher and dress
- Excellent feed conversion
- Excellent marketability for local restaurants, farmers’ markets, and CSAs
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The Cons:
- Smaller portion size
- Should not be raised at altitudes above 5,000
- These are hybrids, meaning that any subsequent generations will not breed true
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This meat bird is our take on the infamous Red Ranger, also known as the Freedom Ranger. The Big Red Broiler is a favorite among homesteaders wanting to raise chickens for meat, but who are also wanting a more active bird than a Cornish Cross. These birds are excellent foragers and thrive on pasture. While they take a few weeks longer than a Cornish Cross to raise, they produce a good-sized carcass in just 12 weeks. Hens are also reliable layers of extra large brown eggs. We always suggest keeping a few hens back to add into your flock of layers.
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The Pros:
- Very active foragers that thrive on pasture
- More dark meat than a Cornish Cross
- Ready to butcher in just 12 weeks
- Hens are excellent layers
- None of the health issues associated with faster growing breeds
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The Cons:
- Less breast meat than a Cornish Cross
- These are hybrids, meaning that any subsequent generations will not breed true
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Ginger Broilers are a unique hybrid broiler and an exclusive of McMurray Hatchery. The Ginger Broiler is built like a Cornish Cross, but without some of the health issues. While the Cornish Cross reigns as the most popular hybrid broiler, they weren’t developed with high altitudes in mind. Ascites, also called water belly, is usually a result of pulmonary hypertension and meat birds with rapid growth have an increased demand for oxygen in their bodies. Ascites is more common in higher elevations where the oxygen supply is low. Developed high in the Rocky Mountains, the Ginger Broiler is ascites-resistant, making them ideal for thriving at higher altitudes. The Ginger Broiler also has a slower, more natural growth rate, so they can be kept longer and processed as needed. They are known for their overall incredible health and wonderful dispositions.
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The Pros:
- Built similarly to Cornish Cross
- Excellent natural foragers
- Thrive on pasture
- None of the health issues associated with other fast-growing meat breeds
- Can be raised at high altitudes
- By 12-13 weeks, males can reach 5-6 pounds, and females reach 3-4 pounds
- Much more longevity than other meat breeds
- Friendly disposition
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The Cons:
- These are hybrids, meaning that any subsequent generations will not breed true
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The Delaware Enhanced Heritage Broiler is another McMurray Hatchery exclusive breed. Our line produces a bird that is a meatier version of the classic dual-purpose breed, while retaining all of the Heritage traits such as slow and natural growth, flavorful meat, and a naturally long lifespan. Delaware Broiler hens are fantastic layers, making this a true dual-purpose breed. Raise and keep a flock for a sustainable flock that will breed true — just select for size to retain their meat quality.
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The Pros:
- Produces a meaty table bird
- Excellent natural foragers
- Thrives on pasture
- Natural vibrant health associated with Heritage breeds
- Friendly disposition
- Can be raised at high altitudes
- Dual-purpose breed
- Can reproduce successfully, making them an excellent choice for raising a sustainable flock
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The Cons:
- Slow growth broiler, meaning they will take quite a bit longer to reach maturity than other broiler breeds
Hybrid Broiler vs. Heritage Chickens
Let’s start by clarifying the definition of a hybrid broiler and a Heritage breed chicken. While both can be raised for meat production, it’s important to know the difference between the two.
In the simplest term, a hybrid broiler is a cross of two breeds of chickens in order to create an ideal meat bird. The Cornish Cross — one of the most common broiler chickens raised in the U.S. today — is a 5-7 generation hybrid of a Cornish and a Plymouth Rock. It’s important to note that these birds are not GMO, but they are highly selected, multi-generational crosses. A very important thing to know regarding hybrid birds is that the characteristics of the end product are a one generation trait, and these birds do not breed true (carry the same traits) in successive generations. Most hybrid broiler chickens have been developed for rapid growth and ideal meat production.
A Heritage breed of chicken, according to The Livestock Conservancy’s definition, is a breed that meets the following criteria: naturally mating, slow growth, long and productive lifespan, and a recognized American Poultry Association (APA) Standard breed. In layman’s terms, a Heritage breed is a standard breed of chicken that will breed naturally and retain its characteristics in successive generations. More and more often, homesteaders and hobby farmers alike are turning to these breeds in order to raise and keep a sustainable flock of meat birds. While it’s important to note that dual-purpose birds won’t grow as quickly as a hybrid, and don’t have the breast size of the Cornish Cross, they do have their share of benefits: richer meat flavor, no need to process them by a certain size or age, they reproduce naturally, and they are dual-purpose birds that can provide both meat and eggs.