Do you want to raise a few best meat chickens? Chickens for meat are best to make some extra profit in backyard farming.
Below is a list of some of the best meat chicken breeds. If you are searching for one, it will help you to choose one.
Furthermore, we have included a brief breed guide for each large meat chicken. It covers the average weight, egg-laying capacity, and growth period of these meat roosters and hens.
Here is another guide on best egg laying chicken breed.
Top 17 Best Meat Chickens (Breed Guide With Pictures)
Here is the list of the best 17 meat chickens with their information and pictures:
1. Cornish Cross Chicken
Approximate weight: Normally 6 lbs, but can reach12 pounds
Processing time: 6-8 weeks
Eggs: 160-180 eggs per year
The Cornish Cross is one of the popular meat chickens you can raise. People raise them for their excellent meat quality and quantity.
They mature rapidly, reaching approximately 12 pounds (5.44 kg) in six weeks. They have delicious meat, and their thighs, legs, and breasts are large. These chickens also develop a thick layer of fat for a beautiful roast.
Cornish Cross birds are known for having a lot of breast meat. They don’t carry many muscles, either; this is the chicken you may eat when you purchase meat at the grocery store.
However, Cornish Cross birds must eat a lot to keep up with their fast growth. An average-sized flock can consume up to 50 pounds (22.68 kg) daily.
Cornish Cross chickens also need to be killed precisely at maturity. Otherwise, they will grow to such an extent that they could develop health issues like broken legs or heart problems.
We cannot hatch Cornish Cross chicks by using an incubator, meaning you must purchase chicks yearly.
2. Jersey Giant Chicken
Estimated Weight: 13 lbs
Processing Time: 16-21 weeks
Eggs: 150-200 eggs per year
The Jersey Giant is a popular commercial meat chicken breed initially bred in the United States as an alternative to the turkey.
These chickens are purebred, which means they can produce offspring on your farm. While they grow slowly, they produce a lot of meat.
Jersey Giant isn’t raised as frequently in the marketable world as the Cornish Crosses, mainly because they have a slow meal conversion rate. However, these will grow more prominent; it will take them much more time to do so.
Also, Jersey Giants aren’t as prone to many health issues as the Cornish Cross chickens, and the best part is that they also lay eggs, which gives you the benefit to look forward to besides meat.
3. Freedom Ranger Chicken
Approximate Weight: 6 lbs
Processing Time: 9-11 weeks
Eggs: 100-150 eggs per year
The name is the coolest of all the chickens, Freedom Ranger. The best part of this meat chicken is that it is ready for butchery in as little as nine weeks.
They are also popularly known as the Red Ranger. Freedom Rangers have yellow fat and skin and lay brown eggs if you prepare to keep some of them around.
Freedom Rangers are for organic farmers, bred for the pesticide-free meat market, and designed to be raised on the meadow.
They can forage low-protein meals, and then also they are relatively better at feeding themselves. They can effortlessly survive on bugs and grass and produce great-tasting meat.
4. Bresse Chicken
Approximate Weight: 7 lbs
Processing Time: 16-20 weeks
Eggs: 250 eggs per year
Bresse chickens are beautiful white birds that are usually used for meat purposes. These birds have bright blue feet and run on the expensive side.
However, because you can successfully hatch the eggs of this chicken species, you can rapidly regain those expenses made on them over the years. It has a 250 egg-laying capacity. So, it is also a dual-purpose chicken.
Some chicken caretakers and culinary experts will differ in that the Bresse meat bird is one of the most delightful chickens globally, providing superior texture and flavor.
These birds are easy to raise and offer a calm, passive personality with a peaceful demeanor. We can find these chickens in shades of white, gray, and black.
5. Orpington Chicken
Approximate Weight: 10 lbs
Processing Time: 18-24 weeks
Eggs: 180-200 eggs per year
Orpington chickens are another wonderful chicken breed, best for meat purposes. This is quite a heavy breed; males of this breed can grow as large as 10 pounds (4.54 kg).
We can use Orpington chickens for both meat and egg production. While they grow at a slower rate, they are great layers (which produce eggs), producing up to 180- 200 eggs per year.
Orpingtons are docile meat birds and can be found in various shades like black, white, blue, or buff. Many people enjoy raising Orpingtons out of tradition alone.
These birds also do relatively well when allowed to explore, and they don’t need to be fed high-protein meals.
6. Buckeye Chicken
Approximate Weight: 9 lbs
Processing Time: 16-21 weeks
Eggs: 200 eggs per year
Buckeye chickens have a design for cold weather and can survive about any swing in temperature. It protects them from diseases, and that’s why they are ideal for people who live in northern climates.
This meat chicken has a consistent breeding pattern, and while they can be reasonably arrogant toward other animals, they are a great dual-purpose chicken breed. These birds lie around 200 eggs per year and are ready for slaughter at about 16 weeks of age.
Buckeye chickens show a beautiful mahogany body of feathers, and this breed is one you’ve got to consider If you’re in the market for an efficient dual-purpose chicken that produces lots of delicious meat.
7. Brown Leghorn Chicken
Approximate Weight: 6 lbs
Processing Time: 16-21 weeks
Eggs: 250 eggs per year
The Brown Leghorn is a variety of the White Leghorn, one of the limited egg-laying chickens you may have heard about. This breed can lie up to 250 eggs per year, and its eggs will be white and medium-sized. It also makes a reasonable meat bird.
These are bred particularly for growing in tropical climates; the Brown Leghorn likes to free-range and rarely shows aggressive behavior.
While it will not grow to enormous sizes, it can produce both meat and eggs. Surviving in harsh conditions makes Brown Leghorn a superb choice for a backyard meat bird flock.
8. Egyptian Fayoumi Chicken
Approximate Weight: 5 lbs
Processing Time: 14-18 weeks
Eggs: 150 eggs per year
For the ones who are looking for a more exotic breed of meat chicken, then you must consider raising the Egyptian Fayoumi. These are dual-purpose chickens that lay about 150 eggs per year and are also quickly grown meat birds.
However, it is on the minor side of things; with roosters attaining only about 5 pounds (2.27 kg), the bird matures quickly in laying. You’ll perhaps have eggs by the time your chickens are ready for slaughter!
The eggs and meat of this silver-colored chicken are delightful, but it can be flighty. Egyptian Fayoumis are rarely aggressive and are also safe from most diseases.
Also read: How to Clip Chicken Wings? — To Stop Their Flying
9. Turken (Naked Neck Chicken)
Approximate weight: 6.5-8.5 lbs
Processing time: 10-12 weeks
Eggs: 150-200 per year
We won’t whitewash things here–we can indeed say that the Turken is not the most attractive meat chicken you can raise. There’s a common misunderstanding that Turkens are half chicken and half turkey.
While this is not the issue, Turkens undoubtedly looks like the outcome of a failed experiment in breeding the two species.
These birds are also called Naked Neck Chickens, so as you might doubt, these birds have no feathers around their necks. They are considered backyard chickens and can be found in various colors like blue, white, black, gray, and buff.
This breed blends well in both cold and hot climates. You can raise them, no matter where you dwell, as they are adaptable to changes.
10. Chantecler Chicken
Approximate Weight: 9 lbs
Processing Time: 11-16 weeks
Eggs: 200 eggs per year
The Chantecler breed is next in the best meat chickens list, which is also a good cold hardy chicken. This chicken breed is a great dual-purpose bird.
This chicken lays eggs prematurely and also matures for butchering age rapidly. These birds are adequate free-ranging referring to forage to consume a high-protein feed supplement.
These chickens lay up to 200 eggs per year. Because they are a pure breed and are less expensive to raise in the long run. You can quickly breed many productions of this breed without detecting a loss in heritage.
11. Delaware Chicken
Approximate Weight: 8.5 lbs
Processing Time: 12 weeks
Eggs:200 per year
Delaware chickens are giant dual-purpose chicken breeds, which are raised mainly for producing a respectable amount of meat while also laying up to 200 eggs each year
The eggs of Delaware hens will be medium-sized and light brown in color. The breed grows reasonably rapidly, reaching nearly nine pounds in just 12 weeks.
It expanded this intercourse from the Barred Plymouth Rock and the New Hampshire Red, mainly to protect the egg-laying ability and improve the meat quality of the two particular breeds.
12. Croad Langshan Chicken
Approximate Weight: 9 lbs
Processing Time: 14-18 weeks
Eggs: 150 eggs per year
This unusual, bizarre-looking bird has a soft and unique green lining on its body. Croad Langshan originated in China and possessed feathered legs.
Also, it can lie up to 150 eggs per year, and it is just as commonly raised for its meat production abilities.
We can find this chicken in various colors like blue and black. The males grow up to 9 lbs, while females are slightly smaller. These chickens develop quickly and are considered one of the most intelligent and quiet chicken breeds one can raise.
13. Dorking Chicken
Approximate Weight: 9 lbs
Processing Time: 16 weeks
Eggs: 140 eggs per year
Dorking chickens are named after the English town of Dorking and are known for their tender, fine-textured white meat.
These birds are also often raised for their eggs, which can produce up to 140 white eggs annually. They are supposed to be quiet and adapt quickly to most environments, preferring to forage to find their food.
We do not find these chickens aggressive, but we do not keep them with aggressive chickens as they aren’t great at protecting themselves.
You cannot raise them if you live in northern climates, as they are prone to frostbite. Hens take more time to mature and rarely start laying eggs until 26 weeks.
14. Kosher King Chicken
Approximate Weight: 5 lbs
Processing Time: 12 weeks
Eggs: 280 eggs per year
Kosher Kings are healthy meat chickens with a beautiful appearance. These birds have black-and-white striped plumage and are quite identical in appearance to the famous Barred Rock.
Roosters of this breed grow quicker than the females, but the females are good layers if you keep them to maturity. This breed can lie up to 280 eggs per year.
These originate from heritage breeds. Therefore these birds can be a bit more challenging to seek at hatcheries, but they mature more quickly than most heritage breeds.
15. New Hampshire Red
Approximate Weight: 8.5 lbs
Processing Time: 8-10 weeks
Eggs: 200 eggs per year
This is a classic American dual-purpose breed, and the New Hampshire Red is another chicken that produces abundant quantities of eggs and tasty meat.
This bird matures quickly and is frequently used as a broiler species. New Hampshire has a decent egg layer of around 200 large light brown eggs per year.
There are both essential and bantam varieties of New Hampshire Red chickens, producing great products for backyard chicken farmers. These chickens can survive challenging weather and are known to be quiet.
The males of this breed can be aggressive, but the adaptability and productivity of this chicken breed can’t be ignored.
16. Silkie Chicken
Estimated weight: 3-4 pounds
Processing rate: 10-12 months
Eggs: 100-120 eggs per year
The Silkie chicken is small (a Bantam), and it’s a lovely chicken to raise for meat. We can also consider it a novelty meat chicken. These are small, tender, and have black color skin.
This might be a great niche market to sell. They taste like gamers, and their growth rate is slow approximately 10-12 months.
Before they developed the broiler, the only chickens people had pleasure eating were the heritage breeds. These produce 100 eggs per year.
17. Rhode Island Red
Estimated weight: 6-8 pounds
Processing rate: 5 months
Eggs: 250 eggs per year
These are usually valued for their egg production capacities, and this large breed is also often neglecting a great meat chicken. The Rhode Island Red can lie up to 250 eggs per year and will weigh around 4 lbs.
The Rhode Island Red is an athletic breed that does well in either a free-range or a captive environment. I consider the roosters to be aggressive, but all are not aggressive.
Conclusion
I’m sure there are more than 17 best meat chickens, so I don’t think it’s the end of the list. We have just provided you with some of the most preferred ones.
We hope that it has helped you consider some things to keep in mind when you decide which one of the best meat chickens for your backyard farm.
This was a great, informative but not overly wordy article. I really enjoyed the main points for each breed, thank you! I have some new facts and stats to consider 🙂
Thanks Misty!