Raising Speckled Sussex for Meat: Growth Rate, Feed and How It Compares to Broilers

The Sussex is an old English breed that was developed as a dual-purpose fowl, useful for eggs and for the table. A Speckled Sussex pullet lays well for a heritage breed, and a Sussex cockerel can be raised for meat. But a heritage meat bird is a very different animal from the chickens in the supermarket, and a keeper who expects broiler numbers will be disappointed. Understanding the differences up front saves money and frustration.

This guide compares the two systems honestly. Growth rates and costs vary with strain, feed, housing and climate, so use your own records, and check local rules before you sell any poultry. If you want to find pastured poultry workshops near you, agriculture.directory can help you find agriculture events in your area.

What Makes a Broiler Different

Commercial meat chickens, most often Cornish Cross strains, have been bred for extremely fast growth and a high yield of breast meat. They are commonly processed in the range of six to eight weeks. That speed has costs: broilers are prone to leg problems, heart and flipover problems and heat stress, and they are not suited to breeding on a small farm, since the parent stock is a specialized commercial cross. Farm.fm's page on broiler chicken production gives background on how the industry works, and extension programs such as Penn State Extension poultry cover raising meat birds.

What a Heritage Dual-Purpose Bird Offers

• Slower growth. Heritage breeds are generally ready for the table at an older age than commercial broilers, often around twenty weeks or more, depending on strain and sex.
• Smaller breast, more leg and thigh. The carcass is more balanced and typically less meaty on the breast.
• Different texture and flavor. Many cooks describe heritage chickens as having firmer, more flavorful meat that suits braising and roasting. The result depends on age, feed and cooking.
• Better foraging and hardiness. They can range and tolerate weather well.
• Reproduction. You can hatch your own replacements, which the rooster and fertility guide explains.

The Numbers

A heritage bird eats for many more weeks, so total feed per pound of meat is higher. Feed is the biggest cost in raising meat birds, so the cost per pound of carcass is typically higher than for a commercial broiler. Processing costs are about the same per bird, so a smaller bird spreads them over less meat. Do the math with your own feed price, bird weights and processing cost. Many keepers find the economics only work if customers pay a premium or if the birds are a byproduct of a breeding flock, such as cockerels not needed as breeders. ATTRA publishes guidance on pastured poultry production and its economics. The flock budget guide shows how to count costs.

Growing the Birds

1. Start with good chicks. Our brooder guide covers early care.
2. Feed an appropriate diet. Young growing birds need higher protein than layers. Many keepers use a starter and then a grower ration, and ask their feed dealer or extension poultry specialist for recommendations.
3. Provide space. Overcrowding raises disease and stress.
4. Allow foraging if possible. Range improves activity, though it also exposes birds to predators and parasites.
5. Separate cockerels from pullets when the sexes can be told apart. Cockerels can fight as they mature.
6. Weigh periodically. Track growth and feed use.
7. Protect against predators, as the predator-proofing guide explains.

Deciding When to Process

Processing age depends on the weight you want and how fast your birds grow. Weigh a few birds and watch for a plump, filled-out look. Waiting longer increases feed cost and can toughen the meat, particularly in older cockerels, and cooking methods for older birds change. Many keepers withhold feed for a period before processing to empty the gut, following their processor's instructions.

Processing and Legal Rules

Where and how you process affects what you can do with the meat. Home processing for your own family is generally allowed. Selling poultry is regulated. Federal rules include exemptions for small-scale producers that depend on how many birds are raised and how they are sold, and states and local governments have their own requirements, so contact your state department of agriculture and read the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service guidance. Good hygiene, rapid chilling and safe cooking are essential, and the foodsafety.gov site lists safe cooking temperatures.

Cooking Heritage Birds

A heritage chicken is not a supermarket broiler, and it cooks differently. Older, more active birds have firmer meat and often benefit from slower methods like braising, stewing and slow roasting. Resting, brining and careful temperature control help. Use a thermometer and cook to a safe internal temperature.

Who Should Do This

• Families who want a self-sustaining flock. Cockerels become dinner.
• Breeders who need to cull males.
• Customers who want a different kind of chicken and understand the price.

It is a poor choice if you want the cheapest chicken possible or large, fast-growing breasts. In that case a commercial broiler, raised well, is more efficient.

Common Mistakes

• Expecting broiler growth. Heritage birds grow slowly.
• Ignoring feed cost. Longer growth costs more.
• Keeping cockerels together too long. They fight.
• Selling without checking the rules. Regulations apply.
• Cooking like a broiler. Adjust the method.

Farm.fm's page on broiler chickens covers chicken production background, and for a laugh, see farm.fm's piece on farm eggs that finally win employee of the month.