Broiler is the general term for a chicken raised for meat rather than eggs, usually a fast-growing commercial cross rather than a named breed. Broilers put on breast and thigh weight quickly on modest feed, reaching table size in a couple of months, and are correspondingly placid and low-activity. They are not kept as layers: the growth rate that makes them economical is the same one that rules out a long life. A seller listing broiler stock is generally offering Cornish Cross or a slower-growing ranger-type bird.
Good with kids
Cold hardy
Heat tolerant
Egg colorBrown
TemperamentDocile
BroodinessRare
ClimateCold hardy, Heat tolerant
PurposeMeat
Weight
Hen7–9 lb
Rooster9–11 lb
How to spot it
CombSinglePea
Single or pea, depending on the cross
Look for
No consistent mark — broiler is a category, not a breed. A bird sold as one is usually a Cornish Cross or a ranger type: heavy, placid, and at the feeder rather than foraging
Single
Pea
