Broiler

A broiler is a meat chicken type rather than a single traditional breed. The term usually refers to commercial hybrid strains selected for rapid growth, broad breast muscle, feed efficiency, and a light feather color that dresses cleanly. Cornish Cross, Ross, Cobb, and similar lines dominate large-scale poultry production, while some farms use slower-growing broiler or pasture strains for a longer finishing period. Broilers are domestic chickens, Gallus gallus domesticus, but their body shape and growth pattern differ strongly from heritage dual-purpose breeds.

Management is built around growth, welfare, and processing age. Broiler chicks need steady warmth, dry bedding, and feed formulated for meat birds; they can outgrow weak legs or suffer heat stress if pushed too hard or kept in crowded, poorly ventilated housing. Small farms often control feed access, move pasture pens frequently, and plan processing before the birds become too heavy for easy movement. Broilers do not breed true as hybrids and are usually not kept for long-term laying flocks, so buyers should match the strain to their intended system.

Colors: Barred, Birchen, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Columbian, Crele, Cuckoo, Duckwing, Gold, Gold Laced, Laced, Lavender, Mille Fleur, Mottled, Partridge, Penciled, Porcelain, Red, Silver, Silver Laced, Spangled, Splash, Wheaten, White