Dixie Rainbow Grow Out Journal - S&G Poultry

There have been so many questions about alternative meat birds that I have decided to record some of my results with my current batch of Dixie Rainbows. I have already processed 100 CX this year. I currently have 100 colored range birds from J&M that I will start processing this week at 11 weeks old. I also have another 100 Dixie Rainbows that are 7 weeks old at this point. I have basically used the same management program with each group. The only major change I have had to implement is adding extra feeder space for the Dixie Rainbows. They seem to be much more active and there is a greater difference in temperments.

At week 4 on my first batch of DR I noticed a major size range between all the birds. I had extra large to very small (1/6 the size of the largest). I doubled my feeder space from 10 ft to 20 ft of trough style feeders and now at 7 weeks the size gap has greatly decreased.


DR shown at 6 weeks old





Housing

All birds are kept in brooder until 3-4 weeks depending on the weather. At this time they are moved into a hoop house. The hoop house is moved 1x a day in the beginning, and by 7 weeks is being moved 2x a day. Birds are allowed to free-range for a few hours a day depending on weather from week 5- week 9. The last few weeks they are contained in hoop house. Hoop House is 10X12.

Feeding Program

Chicks have fresh water and 24% feed 24/7 while in brooder. The hoop houses share space with my horse pasture which is well seeded and contains a high % of clover. They are voracious foragers both for grass and bugs, and also any feed that may have been spilled and left behind when the house was moved. Very little waste around here. All hoop houses now contain 20 feet of trough type feeders (3 in PVC cut and hanging from top) and (1) 5 gallon waterer. Fresh water and food is given 2x a day for younger birds, and 3x a day once they are no longer free ranging.

Whoa! Those are very nice looking meat birds.

Current Project - 50 Dixie Rainbow Meat Birds
Plan - Weigh 15 chicks each Monday to track progress.
Keep feed seperate from other birds so that I know exactly how much feed I have used.
Process at 11-12 weeks
Goal - Dressed birds at 4-5+lbs

Birds arrived on 7/15/09. Picked up from MJ's house on 7/16/09. Chicks look similar to previous batch including a wide range of colors. This shipment also includes a number of black chicks. I had no black chicks in previous batch.



DR chicks pictured on 7/20/09 - One Week


Randomly weighed 15 chicks (30%)
Average Weight: 2.98 oz
Range: 2.5 oz - 4.5oz

Observations: All chicks seem to be progressing as expected. Very healthy and active. Many have been observed jumping for insects in the brooder. The 4 chicks I took outside for pictures immediately starting pecking at the grass and showed a great curiosity for me and what I was doing. It was difficult to take pictures as the wanted to check the camera out and kept getting too close.

do you think that they sent you some Johnny Grays?

Nope, they are just growing too big and fast to be Johnny Greys. Plus they really do look just like the J&M colored Range Birds. The Dixie Rainbows just have a few more color patterns than the range birds. The lighter color birds look the exact same as the ticolors just with more white.

Hope that makes sense.

I'm in!

if those birds came with shoulders Id get some for sure. Might just anyway they look like the real deal. J&M you say?
Thanks

The Dixie Rainbows are from S & G Poultry
And the Colored Ranger are from J.M. Hatchery

Zephyrcreek - thanks for posting a grow out journal! Can't wait to get mine in August. They are awfully cute babies! Looks like a hefty bird as they age -- just what I wanted.

Interesting!