Kosher Kings

No updated weights, but I thought I'd post some pictures. I'm hoping I can weigh them tomorrow, but given our busy weekends, I'm not holding my breath...

So far I've lost 5 KK's, so I'm down to 47 birds, but I think the loss of birds has more to do with our wretched weather than the lack of viability of the birds. It has rained and rained and rained and rained. And it's been chilly too - in the 30's and 40's at night. The past couple of days have been nice, and the birds have loved it.

They really seem to be enjoying their big yard. They are pretty good foragers, but like most chickens they'd rather eat crumbles. I can always tell when the feeders are empty because all the birds are out in the yard scratching like crazy.

They're cute!! They're - um - Munchkins!!! (I don't know why but barred rock type chicks make me think of Munchkins...I wonder how far removed genetically Kosher Kings are from barred rocks). They look like they could be a a barrel of mischief....

Do they have a shelter where they can go at night? At least it's sort of warm and dry right now in TX.....

We have a 10 x 10 pen that is covered with a tarp on top and 2 sides that I lock them in at night, and they have free access to it during the day because their feeders are in there. I also put short roosts in the pen so they can sleep off the ground if they so choose. About 2/3 of them sleep on them at night. The rest still sleep on the ground. I'm very thankful it's been nice out for the past several days. Just hoping the nice weather holds out.

Here is a link that compare broiler growing rate http://www.nofa.org/tnf/su02/supplement/poultry.php

Hey any update on your birds? They in freezer camp yet?

Hey Bucky,

They are at freezer camp. Finally!! I won't be raising Kosher Kings again. I might try one of the other breeds Noll's carries, but no more KK's for me.

Out of the 52 chicks only 40 made it to butchering day. I lost a couple to predators and 1 to an unfortunate squashing when they were only a couple of weeks old. The rest I lost to leg issues. I was very disappointed. Additionally it took them 13.5 weeks to get to a good butchering size as opposed to the FR's I raised in the spring. We went through 1200 pounds of feed with the KK's. The FR's ate 850. Of course, I didn't actually weigh the chickens after processing them, and I think they might have been a little larger than the FR's, but I know the feed conversion will be much worse than the FR's given the losses.

Overall this meat bird experience was much less enjoyable than the last one. The less than desirable weather, slower growing time, and chickens developing leg issues and dropping like flies was really discouraging.

I know your experience was much better than mine, Bucky. I know the FR's cost more, but for me they grew faster and were more hardy than the KK's. Not sure if weather and the KK's higher activity levels played a role in their leg issues, or maybe I just got unlucky.

I will say this for them - they were excellent foragers. Even with food in the feeders, I would often find them out grazing when I'd get home in the evenings.

WOW sorry to hear that! I have had really good luck with them even in 100 degree KS summers. Out of the last 100 I did I only lost maybe two to leg issues and the rest to me squashing, pulling the tractor over or what ever. LOL Oh well I did not do any this summer I hope this does not mean thier quality went down any! Do the carcasses look the same as the FR? I was wondering as mine have a long kiel on them. The Rosembro's I have done from MT-DI have a breast like a Cornish Cross.

Does anyone know of some one with hatching eggs of these?

Did you try Noll's? There's a number for them listed in one of the earlier posts on this thread.