Raising Meat birds on alternative feeds (ie CHEEP-ly)

[Whoopsie daisy]

I have 50 meat chickens coming on the 22nd of April. These will be my first meat birds and I'm super excited and super nervous at the same time. I've owned laying chickens for 3 years now, and never more than 15 at a time. I'm trying to figure out how I can feed them well on alternative feeds, as in cutting the feed bill and also the soy meal found in commercial feed. I live on a farm where meat is processed and packaged, and I want to feed them the meat/bone meal as a source of protein and then my thoughts were to add Barley and BOSS fodder and cracked corn. Will this suffice as a diet for them? Is there something I can add? These chickens will be raised for our family's own consumption, and not sold.

 

[carolb5]

I'm doing the same, at the same time. Meat for protein, fermented whole oats, wheat and barley. Plus they will be in a tractor to spread the manure on a daily basis. Keep us informed and maybe keep accurate records-pounds of meat to fodder etc.

Carol

 

[Whoopsie daisy]

Oh yay, a project buddy! I will definitely document all on this thread. My meaties will have an enclosed yard to roam in with the layers whenever the weather allows. How many birds will you be raising?

 

[LindaB220]

To both of you. Great ideas. Wish I had the opportunity to get the meat products. I started doing ferment feeds. . Soooo much better for them from day 1. Both of your ideas are great. Keep it up. Report back.

 

[Whoopsie daisy]

To both of you. Great ideas. Wish I had the opportunity to get the meat products. I started doing ferment feeds. . Soooo much better for them from day 1. Both of your ideas are great. Keep it up. Report back.

Thanks for the welcome

I'm looking forward to getting the meat birds. It's all part of a self-sustaining/put better food in our bodies project. Slowly but surely my husband and I want to raise our own meat chickens and rabbits, we already have laying chickens for eggs and I want to get some milking goats soon too, as well as a vegetable garden in the Spring (I live in South Africa - it's fall here now). It's all very exciting! I will definitely report back. I'm pondering just sprouting the grains as opposed to growing fodder, I'm still weighing the options.

 

[carolb5]

I'm doing 50 cornish cross. They will be separate from my layers for ease of feeding. We feed ground meat. Trimmings from butchering beef, deer, and other peoples freezer burnt meats. Plus the fermented grains. We will probably up the meat for the meat birds.

We feed our layers this same and are getting plenty of eggs.

 

[Whoopsie daisy]

Awesome It's great that you have such great resources for the meat you feed. We live on someone else's farm and they have the meat processing thing going on. Upon asking them about the meat waste, we learned that they already have buyers and buying it from them at the same price would cost about as much as buying commercial feed, so I'm back to the drawing board again. I need a good, affordable protein source within the next 2 weeks

 

[LindaB220]

Thanks for the welcome

I'm looking forward to getting the meat birds. It's all part of a self-sustaining/put better food in our bodies project. Slowly but surely my husband and I want to raise our own meat chickens and rabbits, we already have laying chickens for eggs and I want to get some milking goats soon too, as well as a vegetable garden in the Spring (I live in South Africa - it's fall here now). It's all very exciting! I will definitely report back. I'm pondering just sprouting the grains as opposed to growing fodder, I'm still weighing the options.

Ok, sprouting oats and barley for up to 4 days is a grain source. And a really good one. After 4 days up to 8 or so is is a greens solution. (think winter with no grazing) If you can get BOSS it's like 27% protein. Add this to bone meal or meat chops boiled eggs and you've got a great protein. Meat birds need 22%+ but can make it on 20.Thats CX's. If your growing Large fowl dual purpose birds you don't have to have it that high. 16-18%. Once you get your veggie garden going you can raise seeds especially for the birds. Kale, greens, fruit, etc. And if you're getting goats, feed back extra milk or whey from cheese making to chickens. Love it.

 

[LindaB220]

Awesome It's great that you have such great resources for the meat you feed. We live on someone else's farm and they have the meat processing thing going on. Upon asking them about the meat waste, we learned that they already have buyers and buying it from them at the same price would cost about as much as buying commercial feed, so I'm back to the drawing board again. I need a good, affordable protein source within the next 2 weeks

Bummer... But you can go around it.

 

[LindaB220]

I'm doing 50 cornish cross. They will be separate from my layers for ease of feeding. We feed ground meat. Trimmings from butchering beef, deer, and other peoples freezer burnt meats. Plus the fermented grains. We will probably up the meat for the meat birds.

We feed our layers this same and are getting plenty of eggs.

Great. As long as you feed the layers oyster shell on the side. No need for layer feed. They do well on 16% Meat birds need more and it sounds like you've got it going on. I have a neighbor that had an old freezer full of meat that she was planning on giving me. Grandson moved in when she went to a nursing home. Don't know if I still can have it. Gotta check. She was giving me the freezer but it's old and going to be a bugger to move next door. /
The idea of fermenting is so good. How much do you feed ff for the amount of birds you have. I have 16 2 wk old chicks had more but.... I feed one gallon about 3 days. And another 25 coming within a few weeks. I'll be making it up in 5 gal containers. But on one of the big Fermenting for meat birds thread one lady uses a 33 gallon trash can and uses a shovel to stir. When it gets to about 1/5 from the bottom she adds a LOT of water and stirs. Then starts adding grains. And adding.

She gets it to the consistancy of oatmeal over a period of an hour. And it ferments overnight. Stir daily. That's how good this stuff is. She feeds all that they will eat all day If they don't finish it she backs off a little the next day. She has had the same can going for almost 2 years. Never spoils or needs to start over. And it cuts way down on the amount of water that your CX's are going to need. Be sure to keep the water raised high enough and the feed high enough that they must stand up to get to it. Keep it across the area from each other. Make them walk. If you are able to free range them so much the better. I've noticed that by running with the layers they tend to learn more about scratching and bug hunting.

Ok I'll shut up now.