The fastest are Broilers 6 – 8 Weeks of age Chickens are ready for Fried Chicken. When Raising Chickens for Meat. The age varies according to the Method of Farming you are doing. The earliest being 6 Weeks, the two biggest factors are Breed and Health of Chickens.
Chickens in more Natural settings can live up to 6 years of age, and 3 – 5 Years in farming operations.
| Type of Meat Chicken | Life Span | Age of Slaughter for Meat | Age begin Laying |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intensive Farming | 6 Weeks of Age | 18 weeks of age | |
| Free Range | 8 Weeks of Age | 24 weeks of age | |
| Organic | 12 Weeks of Age | 29 weeks of ages |
Here is the whole process from Raising Baby Chicks. Feeding and Growing them until they reach the freezer. Timeline for Meat Chickens
- Eggs in Incubator – 21 days
- Chicks arrive at Feed Stores at 24 – 48 Hours old
- Growing Quickly 4 – Weeks of Age
- Chicks have Feathers 5 Weeks of Age
- Killing Cones
- Chicken fryer – Scalder – 150 Degrees for 30 seconds
- Plucker – removes Feathers – 30 Seconds
- Butchering Table
- Remove Yellow Claw feet
- Remove Head
- Separate windpipe – esophagus
- Slice around anus
- Remove / Pull Organs, intestines from Chicken
- Separate Heart / Livers / Gizzards
- Washed, Soaked and Cleaned
- Pack in bags and Ice
Types of Chickens
There are three major types of chicken Breeds
- Meat Breeds
- Laying Breeds
- Dual Purpose Breeds
Types of Chicken Breeds
| Chicken Breeds | Origin | Meat/ Layers / Dual Purpose | Finished Weight | Eggs per Week | Weeks to Slaughter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broilers | Canada/US/Europe | Meat | 3.3 lbs | 5 | 14 Weeks |
| Cornish crosses | England | Meat | 6.5 - 8.5 lbs | 3 | 8 - 9 Weeks |
| Jersey Giants | USA | Meat ( Intended to replace Turkeys) | 13 lbs | 4 | 8 - 9 Months |
| Hertigage Breeds | 6 - 9 months | ||||
| Delaware | USA Delaware | Duo | 6.5 lbs | 4 - large | 8 Months |
| Dorking | United Kingdom | Duo | 10 - 14 lbs | 5 - med | 5 Months |
| Buckeye | USA Ohio | Duo | 6 - 9 lbs | 4 - med | 5 Months |
| Rhode Island Red | USA Rhode Island | Duo | 6 b- 8 lbs | 5-6 | 5 Months |
| Leghorn | Italy | Eggs | 4 -5 lbs | 4 | 8 Months |
| Plymouth Rock | USA - Massachusetts | Duo | 7.5 lbs | 4 | 5 Months |
| Sussex | United Kingdom | Duo | 7 lbs | 4 - 5 - large | 5 Months |
| Wyandotte | Canada | Duo | 7 - 9 lbs | 5 Months | |
| Welsummer | Netherlands | Duo | 7 lbs | 4 / Week | 5 Months |
| Hamburg | United Kingdom | Eggs | 7 lb | 4 - med | 9 weeks |
| Black Australorp | Australia | Duo | \3 - 5 lb | 5 - med | 5 months |
| Buff Orpington | England | Duo | 7 - 8 Lbs | 4 - 5 | 8 months |
| Brahma | Meat | 11 lbs | 3 - med | 5 monthss |
Origin
Meat Breeds
Laying Breeds
Dual Purpose Breeds
What is Used to Make Chickens Grow Faster
There are several methods chicken farmers use to speed up the Chickens growing. The most important factor is do some research on the fastest-growing Chicken Breeds that have been bred for fast weight and muscle gain.
- High Protein Diet
- Tailored Selective Breeding Programs to provide Fast big Bodied Chickens.
- Purchase Faster Growing Breeds
- Midnight Feeding Schedules
Breeding plays a very important role in the Speed of Chicken Growth. Some of the fastest Growing Breeds are
- Broilers
- Cornish crosses
- Jersey Giants
- Heritage Breeds
- Delaware
- Dorking
- Buckeye
How do Vitamins and Probiotics help Chickens Grow fast
The second most important consideration in growing Chickens as fast as you can. Is there Health. Many Chicken feeds contain some of the vitamins that they need to grow as fast as possible. If they are deficient in these Basic building blocks. This will translate into slower weight gain, poor bird development and also makes them prone to many more diseases
Healthy Chickens have strong immune systems that help them ward off Diseases and parisite. Keeping a close eye on your birds will help you spot any deficiencies that you might run into. Each type of Chicken farming System will have its own drawbacks so here is a summary of what to look for
Vitamin B 12
- Deficiency – Reduced Feed Intake
- Reduced weight Gain
- Poor Feathering
- Nervous Disorders
Vitamin A
- emancipated
- Weak
- Ruffled Feathers
- Egg production Drops
- Hatchability Decreases
- baby Chick mortality increased
- Hemorrhage
- White Discharge from Eyes
Vitamin D3
- osteoporosis
- Ricketts
- Poor Eggshell development
- Loss of egg production in two 3 weeks
- Retarded Growth
- leg weakness
- Soft Beaks and claws
- Struggle walking
- Hunches sit a lot
- Swaying side to side – may be the loss of equilibrium
- Skeletor Disorders
Vitamin E
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Encephalomalacia
- Exudative Diathesis
Vitamin K
- Bleeding – Blood does not Coagulate
- Internal Blood Bleeding Fatal
- Bad Cases chicks can die from Bruises
Probiotics
Baby Chicks inside the digestional systm are still developing. Many farmers use probiotic to their young flocks, in their first week of life. Its benefits are that it populates the chickes bacteria with good bacteria, and helps the digestive system to complet forming quickly. Baby chicks can easily get back bacteria from droppings. Some farmers feed their chicks some type of fermented feed to do the same thing.
Chickens can eat too much-fermented feed, but this usually does not happen because chicken regulates themselves the amount of feed they eat.
How Long Does it take to grow a Chicken with Growth Hormones
Growing chickens with growth hormones has been illegal in the United States since 1950’s. Today it is not used in commercial fsrming operations. Some labels list that they are hormone-free. But in reality, there are none that are using hormones that are selling in the United States. All Chickens are Hormone Free.
How Fast Does a Chicken Grow on Steroids
This is the same situation. There are no steroids in Chicken that is raised and sold in the United States today. Any Chicken you buy is Steroid Free.
Do They put Steroids in Chicken
No, No Chicken sold in the United States has Steriods, it is all Steroid Free
What are Chickens Injected with to make them Bigger
What is Chicken Plumping
Chicken producers have since the 1970s began enhancing or injection fresh chicken meat with saltwater solutions, sometimes chicken broth, they maintain that this process of Plumping is suppose to make the meat taste better.
Chicken meat is also sold by lb weight, so estimates up to 30 % of chicken weight is salt water.
When you add the saltwater, this happens with other meats also, but it helps the meat to keep its salt comntent which helps in preservation in shipping. This has been taking place in the United States since the 1970s.
It is injected into the meat in Chickens prior to shipment by multi Needle machines.
Are Chickens Fed Antibiotics
Yes, and No, Organic Chicken is Free from antibiotics. Chickens are given antibiotics for parasite control and if they are ill. They legally have to have antibiotics cleared from their systems before Slaughter.
Antibiotics are in alot of Animal Feeds. The antibiotics usually added are
- Chlortetracycline
- Procaine Penicillin
- Oxytetracycline
- Streptomycin
Benefits of Using Benefits
- Increasing Efficiencies
- Increasing Growth Rates
- Disease Prevention
- Increased Egg Production
- Increased hatchability
Disadvantages of Using Antibiotics
- retain the strains of bacteria – resistant to antibiotics
- Major Disadvantage is transmitting the bacteria Resistant to another host thru
- Feces
- Slaughtering
- Eating of meat
How Long Does it take a Chicken to Grow Naturally
Four Months ( 4 Mo ) to Fried Chicken. Chickens can be raised Naturally without supplements and chicken feeds. Chickens do grow slower because they are eating food as they find it. This is found in many backyard chicken raising.
Is eating chicken everyday healthy
Yes, It is very Healthy to eat organic Chicken. The price is usually higher because it is harder to raise, especially in larger operations some of the benefits are
- No -Pesticides
- No Anti – biotics
- Not Injected with Saltwater – Plumping
- This is subjective – some hold it taste Better
- No GMO’s
- No Syntheti=c Pesticides.
