{"id":54446,"date":"2018-11-07T08:00:52","date_gmt":"2018-11-07T13:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/?p=54446"},"modified":"2020-11-03T03:24:48","modified_gmt":"2020-11-03T08:24:48","slug":"broilers-female-chickens-raise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/broilers-female-chickens-raise\/","title":{"rendered":"Lady Birds: How to Raise Female Chickens as Broilers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Raising broilers in a small-farm setting brings many options, including the type of housing and feed source as well as choosing breeds and a processing outlet. Another option is the sex of the birds you raise. The differences aren\u2019t great between raising male and female broilers\u2014you raise them for only a couple of months, after all\u2014but the distinctions might be enough that you prefer one over the other.<\/p>\n

Large-scale, commercial production includes male as well as female chickens. (In industrial egg production, this is not the case, of course, because only the females are useful.) Not all hatcheries will even sex broilers at birth, selling straight-run chicks instead of providing a choice between male and female. When a hatchery does offer a choice, the cost difference between female broiler chicks and male broiler chicks might be only $0.35, which is not a lot, even if you\u2019re raising 100 at a time.<\/p>\n

The real male-versus-female difference is how quickly\u2014or slowly\u2014female broilers develop.<\/p>\n

\u201cFemales actually do better in a backyard system than males because females grow slower,\u201d says Phillip Clauer, a senior instructor in the Animal Science Department at Penn State University.<\/p>\n

By \u201cgrow slower,\u201d Clauer doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ll raise miniature broilers. Rather, he means female chickens\u2019 development starts lagging behind males by 0.3 pound or more at about 4 weeks of age, and it takes females a week or two longer to reach market weight, depending on your weight target. This small change makes a difference.<\/p>\n

\"female
Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Healthier Bodies<\/h2>\n

With the bigger-better-faster production mindset of our food system, you\u2019d think slower growth is a bad thing. But when dealing with the fast-growing chicken breeds most common in broiler production\u2014Cornish Cross, in particular\u2014it\u2019s good to slow a meat chicken\u2019s muscle-production a bit.<\/p>\n

Cornish Crosses are genetically selected to put on muscle so quickly that they commonly experience leg deformities and heart failure. Their bodies grow faster than their structural and cardiovascular systems can develop to support them.<\/p>\n

Female chickens\u2019 bone structure develops differently than males\u2019 of the same age. According to a French study, female chickens\u2019 leg bones are thinner but less porous and more mineralized than that of males, particularly earlier in their growth. Paired with a lesser body weight, this trait might contribute to fewer leg deformities.<\/p>\n

The Maritime Certified Organic Growers Cooperative terms the fast-growing-broilers\u2019 rather common heart attacks as \u201cflip overs\u201d because the chickens are usually found flipped on their backs after experiencing heart failure. Males of the faster-growing breeds have a higher incidence of this ailment, particularly when they reach 3 pounds and heavier, which generally happens by 5 weeks of age.<\/p>\n

Because female broilers\u2019 growth is more regulated, they experience fewer incidences of these leg and heart issues that are detrimental to a pastured-poultry production setup.<\/p>\n

Nutrition Considerations<\/h2>\n

The downside of female broilers\u2019 slower growth is the need to feed them more grain over a longer period. It takes only a few days or a week longer to finish female broilers versus males, so it\u2019s not as if you feed them double their ration, but it\u2019s worth noting that a female broiler will eat almost 1 1\/2 pounds of feed more than a male in the same flock.<\/p>\n

According to the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, at 6 weeks of age, a fast-growing male broiler has eaten 8.19 pounds of feed and will weigh 4.6 pounds. It takes a fast-growing female broiler a week longer to reach comparable weight (4.7 pounds), and by the same time, she will have eaten 9.5 pounds of feed to reach this weight.<\/p>\n

1. Phase Feeding<\/h4>\n

Clauer encourages phase feeding for proper growth and development of all chickens. It\u2019s important to note the difference between feeding young laying hens and feeding young female broilers, as you can\u2019t lump all of your female chickens into one category of nutritional needs. Laying hens require a lot of calcium and phosphorus in their diets, whereas broilers\u2014even the females\u2014need more energy and protein. Feeding broilers a ration designed for layers will result in health and production issues, low weight and poor muscle development.<\/p>\n

Two or three distinct feed rations exist: starter, grower and finisher. Sometimes grower and finisher are lumped together into one feed ration. A broiler-starter ration has the smallest particle size. It\u2019s the highest in protein and should be fed until 3 weeks of age. A broiler-grower ration is fed at 4 to 6 weeks of age. A broiler-finisher ration is the highest in fat, fed to broilers 6 weeks and older. This selection of feeds accommodates for changing nutritional needs over a chicken\u2019s lifespan.<\/p>\n

2. Foraging<\/h4>\n
\"female
Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Because female broilers need feed for a longer period, you might seek ways to stretch your grain dollar. You can do this somewhat in a pasture setting, when done properly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn pasture-poultry systems, the birds still need 80 to 90 percent of their diet from a grain-based ration,\u201d says Adam Hady, University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension agriculture agent for Richland County.<\/p>\n

While chickens kept on pasture don\u2019t get much nutrition from foraging, you can help that along by planting the right forage for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere isn\u2019t a lot of nutrient content in grass,\u201d says Clauer, who compares chickens eating grass to humans eating iceberg lettuce. Chickens might get more nutritional benefits from the insects, grubs, weed seeds and forbs in the field. Clauer encourages planting alfalfa and clover, which are shown to increase nutrients in the meat. According to the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, meat from pasture-raised chickens contains elevated levels of omega-3 and vitamin E.<\/p>\n

Foraging lets chickens eat what they need to balance their own diets, to a certain extent. The NSAIS reports broilers fed a diet deficient in protein will even forage more to make up the difference, with as much as 7 percent of their protein needs being met in this way.<\/p>\n

Taste Considerations<\/h2>\n

With some meats, the longer it takes to develop the muscle, the richer the flavor. Clauer says that isn\u2019t necessarily the case with female broiler meat, probably because the difference in meat development takes place over a matter of days.<\/p>\n

Instead, the difference in meat quality comes from a pasture-raised broiler versus a confinement-raised broiler.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not taste but fibers of muscles. During that time, their leg and thigh muscles are more active, so they tend to have a harder, more fibrous muscle. Some people translate that to taste,\u201d he says, although research hasn\u2019t shown any actual taste difference.<\/p>\n

Body Structure<\/h2>\n

\u201cYour bird weights and your carcass conformation will be more uniform across the flock,\u201d Clauer says. The female chicken carcass will have more evenly distributed breast meat and look neater in a package than the male. They\u2019ll grow more steadily and less \u201ccoarse,\u201d as Clauer describes it.<\/p>\n

Management Considerations<\/h2>\n

Slower growth and a longer production time brings increased risk of loss. You\u2019re responsible for keeping up with these birds\u2019 care for a longer period, including protecting them from predators, keeping them healthy, and spending the time and effort for management.<\/p>\n

1. Processing Time<\/h4>\n

There is no reason to raise your male and female broilers separately. You will end up feeding them an average of the males\u2019 greater nutritional needs and the females\u2019 lesser nutritional needs. They\u2019ll each eat to meet their needs and grow at their own rates.<\/p>\n

Regarding the goal of appropriate processing weights, Clauer says you might cull your broiler flock twice. By keeping an eye on everyone\u2019s growth and development, processing your male broilers a week or two before your female broilers could make sense. You will give the female broilers more time and more space to grow without competition from their faster-growing counterparts.<\/p>\n

\"female
Katie Abrams\/Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Production Efficiency<\/h4>\n

You don\u2019t need to keep your females too much longer, though. The faster-growing breeds are developed to be processed early in their lives\u2014even the females. This is for the chickens\u2019 health as well as your system\u2019s production efficiency.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeyond 6 to 8 pounds, your feed efficiency goes down terribly,\u201d Clauer says.<\/p>\n

When broilers exceed this 6-pound range, it takes about 2 pounds of feed to put on 1 pound of weight. Chickens gain mostly fat at this point, rather than muscle, which helps no one.<\/p>\n

Also, the leg and heart issues mentioned earlier are compounded when chickens are raised past this point.<\/p>\n

3. Broody Behavior<\/h4>\n

If you have a flock of laying hens, you know female chickens are naturally inclined to roost. When managing female broilers, this is not a concern. Female broilers are too young to show their roosting tendencies. Likewise, egg-laying and brooding instincts don\u2019t start until at least 20 weeks of age\u2014well past the viable age of a broiler chicken.<\/p>\n

Raising male and female broilers with ample floor or pasture space is important, but you needn\u2019t factor roost space and nest boxes into your housing plan.<\/p>\n

In a small-scale setup, males as well as females can do well, but Clauer prefers female broilers when the option is offered: \u201cThey do hold their legs,\u201d he says. \u201cThey do grow more uniform. They do seem to do a little better in [a pastured] setting, in my experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, when your chicks arrive from the hatchery, if some grow slower, eat less and fill out differently than others, you needn\u2019t worry. These are probably the females, and they\u2019ll produce very well when given the chance.<\/p>\n

This story originally appeared in the March\/April 2018 issue of<\/em> Hobby Farms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Female broilers grow slower than males, yet they have their own benefits and considerations for your meat production.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":54448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[424,427,10456],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animals","category-farm-management","category-poultry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLady Birds: How to Raise Female Chickens as Broilers - Hobby Farms<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Female broilers grow slower than males, yet they have their own benefits and considerations for your meat production.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/broilers-female-chickens-raise\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lady Birds: How to Raise Female Chickens as Broilers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Female broilers grow slower than males, yet they have their own benefits and considerations for your meat production.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/broilers-female-chickens-raise\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Hobby Farms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hobbyfarms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-11-07T13:00:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-11-03T08:24:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/img.hobbyfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/24203216\/female-broilers-featured-20481494.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"462\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lisa Munniksma\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@hobbyfarms\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@hobbyfarms\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lisa Munniksma\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/broilers-female-chickens-raise\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/broilers-female-chickens-raise\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lisa Munniksma\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4dfc8781a0e53d60a97d1137955a52c2\"},\"headline\":\"Lady Birds: How to Raise Female Chickens as Broilers\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-11-07T13:00:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-11-03T08:24:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/broilers-female-chickens-raise\/\"},\"wordCount\":1604,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/broilers-female-chickens-raise\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/img.hobbyfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/24203216\/female-broilers-featured-20481494.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Animals\",\"Farm Management\",\"Poultry\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/broilers-female-chickens-raise\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/broilers-female-chickens-raise\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/broilers-female-chickens-raise\/\",\"name\":\"Lady Birds: How to Raise Female Chickens as Broilers - 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