In responding to Paula's question: "Is there some reason a chicken
can't naturally be table-ready in seven weeks?"
Broilers have been bred over years to go from egg to frying pan
pronto. It's mostly in the breeding and the feed regime. Modern broilers
are like race cars in that they need a fine-tuned feed to run at top speed
(with oversized breasts and legs). How "intensively" you feed those chicks
determines their growth rate. For example, feed them less protein and
their rate slows.
Many pastured and organic poultry growers use these same breeds and
they respond in the same way--high speed to the finish line but with
organic feeds, fresh air, sunlight, green pasture and insects.
It's more about the breeding than anything else...
Nathan Boone
Agricultural Consultant
200-B Callecita Place
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Tel: 505.992.0649
Fax: 508.302.7761
Email: nrboone@roadrunner.com
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