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Meat Chicken Breeds for Pastured Production a Publication of ATTRA—National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service • 1-800-346-9140 •

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Meat Chicken Breeds for Pastured Production a Publication of ATTRA—National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service • 1-800-346-9140 • Meat Chicken Breeds for Pastured Production A Publication of ATTRA—National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service • 1-800-346-9140 • www.attra.ncat.org By Anne Fanatico While most pastured poultry producers in North America raise the same fast-growing Cornish-and- NCAT Agriculture White-Rock-cross broilers used in conventional confi ned production, many producers are interested in Specialist alternative genetic types that may be more suitable for outdoor production or for niche markets. This Updated by publication provides information on the Cornish-Rock crosses in outdoor production, discusses several Betsy Conner slower-growing breeds and provides information on hatcheries that offer these alternative breeds. NCAT Research Specialist © 2010 NCAT Contents Introduction ..................... 1 Genetics and commercial availability of Cornish and other meat breed birds ............2 Producer preferences ... 3 The importance of access to chicks ...............3 Other decision factors ................................. 4 Beyond Cornish crosses ................................ 4 Considerations ................ 6 References ........................ 7 Further resources ........... 7 Appendix I: Pastured Cornish cross chickens on pasture. Photo by Betsy Conner. poultry budget comparison ...................... 8 Introduction The Chicken of Tomorrow encouraged the development of meatier birds. Cornish crosses ost pastured poultry producers became the birds of choice at that time. Since in North America raise the same then, the conventional poultry industry has MCornish-and-White-Rock-cross genetically refi ned Cornish crosses for rapid broilers used in conventional poultry pro- growth, efficient feed conversion, broad- duction. Th ese are the standard meat birds breastedness, limited feathering (for ease of ATTRA—National Sustainable of the industry, and essentially all broilers plucking) and other traits considered desir- Agriculture Information Service (www.attra.ncat.org) is managed produced commercially in North America able for rearing very large numbers of birds in by the National Center for Appro- are Cornish crosses. confi nement. Because of their rapid growth, priate Technology (NCAT) and is funded under a grant from the Th is has been true since meat became a pri- they reach a market weight of 5 pounds (live United States Department of weight) in six to seven weeks. Agriculture’s Rural Business- mary focus for chicken genetics in the 1950s, Cooperative Service. Visit the and confi nement-rearing became the domi- NCAT Web site (www.ncat.org/ However, most pastured poultry produc- sarc_current.php) for nant form of production for the U.S. poul- ers today use the Cornish crosses because more information on our sustainable agri- try industry. A 1950s contest, sponsored by they are meaty and are readily available, culture projects. the Atlantic & Pacifi c Tea Company, called not because they are ideally suited to rearing on pasture. Many of the characteristics that formerly separate companies of Arbor-Acres, make the Cornish-cross broiler strains good Ross Breeders and Nicholas Turkeys), Cobb- for industrial confi nement production are not Vantress (which now includes Avian Farms well-suited for alternative production systems. and Hybro and is owned by Tyson Foods) and Many pastured poultry producers see the Hubbard. Most of these companies are mul- Cornish crosses as having weak legs, exces- tinational enterprises and dominate the world market for conventional broiler production. Related ATTRA sive rates of heart attacks, a high incidence of congestive heart failure (ascites), poor forag- Th ese companies work constantly to pro- Alternative Poultry ing ability, poor heat tolerance and other lia- duce genetic improvements in their breeding Production Systems bilities when raised on pasture. While most stock. Th ey typically use a system of four- and Outdoor Access producers value their rapid growth, others way crossing to produce the parents of the fi nd it unnaturally fast. In most pasture- birds that are raised as broilers. Th ey select Growing Your Range based production systems, Cornish crosses Poultry Business: and develop certain strains to use as their An Entrepreneur’s usually produce a 5-pound bird in eight male line, with emphasis on growth per- Toolbox weeks. Keeping the birds longer than eight formance and body conformation, while at weeks and allowing them to get larger can the same time developing diff erent female Label Rouge: contribute to even greater leg problems. Pasture-Based Poultry lines, with emphasis on reproductive perfor- Production in France Many pastured poultry producers would like mance. Th is cross-breeding system protects each company’s genetic research, because the Poultry: Equipment for to raise birds that are better suited to range Alternative Production production than the Cornish crosses. Th e genetics of the original grandparents cannot purpose of this publication is to identify the be reproduced from their off spring. Range Poultry genetic options available to producers who Housing Most of the primary breeding companies do not want to use the conventional confi ne- produce more than one strain of Cornish ment production model. cross. Th ey try to meet the needs of their customers by producing a heavier-breasted Genetics and commercial bird for producers focused on white meat, availability of Cornish and a thriftier bird that has a slightly better feed conversion ratio or a heavier strain for the other meat breed birds roaster market. Some also off er slower- and Many pastured poultry producers would faster-growing strains of Cornish-cross birds. like to raise birds that are better suited to Th e slower-growing strains may be of interest range production than the Cornish crosses, to pastured poultry producers, because they but their alternatives at this time are may have fewer heart and leg problems. Breeding companies extremely limited. Th ere are several diff erent strains of Cornish crosses. Th e diff erent strains of birds that the breed- Aviagen No other type of chicken that is ing companies off er are described at their (256) 890-3800 Web sites. Some of these sites also include www.aviagen.com widely available in North America produces as much meat as economi- technical manuals and guides for raising Cobb-Vantress cally as the Cornish crosses. Th is fact their birds. (479) 524-3166 www.cobb-vantress.com makes it very diffi cult for producers Th e breeding companies sell hybrid parent to consider other breeds, even though stock to vertically integrated poultry produc- Hubbard there is abundant variety in the poul- (603) 756-3311 ers, independent hatcheries and others who try world. The Further resources www.hubbardbreeders.com produce the hatching eggs that will ulti- section contains links to color pho- mately become broilers. Most independent Perdue tos and descriptions of many poultry 1-800-992-7043 hatcheries do not keep their own fl ocks to breeds and information about hatch- www.perdue.com produce hatching eggs. Instead, they buy eries, organized by state. Pureline their hatching eggs from a few very large (860) 889-1933 The primary breeding companies suppliers (such as the Keith Smith com- www.purelineinside.com for broilers in the United States pany in Arkansas, www.keith-smith.com, or are Aviagen (which includes the CWT Farms International, Inc. in Georgia, Page 2 ATTRA Meat Chicken Breeds for Pastured Production www.aviagen.com/home.aspx?siteid=6). signifi cant than the performance diff erences Th erefore, the Cornish cross chicks available between strains. The liability of shipping from hatcheries throughout North America stress is also confi rmed by the practices of are the same strains being used by the vast the major conventional industrial producers. majority of the conventional industry. Producers use their own employees and vehi- cles to deliver chicks directly to their contract Producer preferences growers and try to control the chicks’ ship- ping conditions as much as possible to mini- Even though the differences in the mize their shipping stress. Th is is an argument Cornish-cross strains are relatively small, for having more, rather than fewer, hatcheries some pastured poultry producers do have and having them located as close as possible preferences. Over the years they may see that to the producers who will raise the chicks. one strain performs better than others. Th ese diff erences may be things such as fewer leg Below are the Web sites of several hatcher- problems, slightly faster or slower growth ies. Th ese are not given as recommendations, or lower mortality. Th erefore, while most but simply as examples of what independent pastured poultry producers do not know hatcheries have to off er and how they pres- exactly which strains they are raising from ent themselves. A more complete listing of batch to batch, a few producers always try to hatcheries throughout the United States purchase a particular strain of chick. can be searched at https://npip.aphis.usda. gov/npip/openParticipantSearch.do and www. Yet even those producers who express a pref- poultryconnection.com/hatchery.html. erence for one strain may have had their opinions infl uenced by factors that are not Shipping constraints beyond the control of related to the genetics of the birds they have the hatcheries can be an important factor, as raised. For example, the age of the breeder well. During the early and mid 1900s, the fl ock infl uences the size of the hatching eggs and the chicks that result. Young breeder
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