10/13/2026
Another year, another ranch decision.
For the last several years, we’ve raised pasture-raised meat chickens. We originally raised them for both our own freezers and to sell to the public. Eventually, we realized selling them wasn’t profitable enough for us, so we switched to raising them exclusively for our family. We typically raise 100–120 a year for our own freezers, and since we aren’t fans of whole chickens, we process them into cuts, piecing each one out.
We’ve always raised them through the summer, but this year we decided to try something different. We cut back to just 60 birds, raising them now in the fall, and plan to butcher them the same weekend as our Thanksgiving Turkeys.
Over the years, we’ve continued to downsize, adjust, and figure out what actually works best for our ranch. We want to be efficient, make the most of our time, and still have a life outside of constantly working. Imagine that! 😂
So, we’re pivoting AGAIN. This time with the meat chickens.
Next year, we’re planning to hatch out significantly more of our LF White Rocks and butcher those for our freezers instead of raising Cornish meat chickens.
Let me explain why we’re even considering this because there are definitely pros and cons to BOTH.
CORNISH MEAT CHICKENS
The pros:
✔️ Big breasts… that’s my favorite part of the chicken.
✔️ They grow incredibly fast and are ready to butcher in about 8 weeks. So though they are a pain in the butt, it's only for 2 months.
The cons:
❌ They are GROSS. They p**p constantly, and they need fresh, clean grass every single day. That’s why we move their tractors daily.
❌ Summer heat can be brutal on them. We’ve had to keep a hose running on the ground dailty to help keep them cool enough so they don't die.
❌ They require their own dedicated space and tractors. Once they’re reaching full-grown, they take up even more tractors. Each tractor fits comfortably 30 full grown meat birds.
-And that last one is a problem because those tractors could be housing my exhibition and pretty egg layer grow-outs instead… which I actually ENJOY raising a whole lot more. 🤣
LF WHITE ROCKS
The pros:
✔️ I can use the space and pens I already have for them. No extra area or dedicated meat-bird tractors needed!
✔️ More hatches means more birds to select from for our show program.
✔️ We’re already raising them, so it makes sense to make better use of what we have. Being a dual purpose heritage breed, they lay awesome large eggs, can show them, and now going to eat them.
✔️ We can select some to go into the freezer rather than maintaining an entirely separate group of birds.
The cons:
❌ They grow much slower, taking 20+ weeks to reach butcher age.
❌ They have less breast meat, which, if you haven't figured it out by now, is a major drawback for me. 😂
So, yes, there are trade-offs. We’ll give up those big chicken breasts and the convenience of an 8-week grow-out, but we’ll gain back space, simplify our routine, and put more of our time into the birds we actually enjoy raising.
We’re first-generation ranchers. We’re constantly trying new things and figuring out what makes sense for OUR farm and OUR family. Just because we’ve always done something a certain way doesn't mean we have to keep doing it. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your farm is to admit that something just isn't worth the time, space, or headache anymore.
Now I’m curious… has anyone else ditched Cornish meat chickens and started raising dual-purpose or heritage breeds for their freezers instead?
Tell me what breed you raise, how old you butcher, and whether you think it’s worth it! I’d love to hear real-life experiences.
