AFNR Broiler Chicken Project

Each year, students in the Bloomfield Hills High School Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources classes raise meat chickens (also called broilers) as a part of their classes at Bowers School Farm. 

        We engage in the critically important project of raising broilers each year to connect students more deeply with their food system and to give them a greater appreciation for the science, work, as well as the high level of care and welfare that goes into raising our food. 

        The students raise a cornish cross chicken, which is a mix of several breeds, that has been intentionally bred to grow in muscle size very quickly. This means that in just a short 6 weeks, these birds are anywhere from 4 to 8 pounds in size (they hatch at just around 1.8 ounces!)

The students are responsible for feeding, cleaning, and monitoring all care for the birds for the entirety of the project. From changing the heat levels in the barn as the birds get older to adjusting the protein percentage in their feed as they get older, the students do it all! 

Once the broilers are of mature size, the students travel to a USDA processor with their birds, Munsells Poultry Processing in Fowlerville, to see how processing works. Learn more about that experience HERE. The chickens are then sold as a fundraiser to help feed our community locally raised and high quality protein. 

If you are interested in purchasing chicken that was raised by these hard working students, we still have some for sale! The proceeds from your purchase goes towards the costs of our students purchasing, raising, and processing the birds each academic year. 

Please fill out this google form to request an order 

BROILER CHICKEN ORDER REQUEST FORM

Jessica Lynn

Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Pathway Teacher at Bloomfield Hills High School