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

Well they are here!!!!!!!!!!!! 50 Cornish cross and 4 replacement leghorns from a previous shipment.
They all took to the nipple waters. They had 4 hard boiled eggs and some hamburger (raw) right off the bat. Now we're into the fermented grains. I will be keeping track of how much meat by weight.

I'm going to combine the ideas of Welps feeding guide and Linda's suggestion to feed 3 times a day all they can eat in 30 minutes, after we go 12/12.

Any suggestions are welcome. We all have different experiences, different locations, feed availability. I learn from everyone!

Carol

Awesome! Are you doing the 3x a day right off the bat?

Nope, 24/7 for 3 weeks, then 3 times a day. I'm going high on protein for 3 weeks and then cut back. Thank goodness this is a short term experiment. With tasty results!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks, ill do the same (cut back at 3 weeks)!

Here are some pics of my meaties, who are now two weeks old and eating like little pigs! Luckily they're growing well too so I'm not complaining My hubby mowed the lawn today, and I threw the clippings in the 10 x 10 cage they now share with the rabbits. I don't want to let them free range just yet, as we have mongoose here that will grab small chicks in a flash!

carolb5 said:

Well they are here!!!!!!!!!!!! 50 Cornish cross and 4 replacement leghorns from a previous shipment.
They all took to the nipple waters. They had 4 hard boiled eggs and some hamburger (raw) right off the bat. Now we're into the fermented grains. I will be keeping track of how much meat by weight.

I'm going to combine the ideas of Welps feeding guide and Linda's suggestion to feed 3 times a day all they can eat in 30 minutes, after we go 12/12.

Any suggestions are welcome. We all have different experiences, different locations, feed availability. I learn from everyone!

Carol

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How are your birds doing, Carol? Any pics to share with us? How's the experiment going?

Daisy, they look great. What did you end up using as feed?

Mine are a week old and haven't gotten real crazy with eating yet. I know it will happen, but it has been cool and they don't seem to want their ferment much yet. Oh, they love their ground meat, 4 oz. per day, and one or two eggs. I throw them weeds and bed them on alfalfa hay.

Lost one, ? don't know why. No pic. They are still cute little yellow fuzz balls.

Carol

I still have mine on fermented broiler starter only. I haven't been able to find a cheap source of protein for them, or cheaper than the broiler feed that is. Broiler feed here is R350 (About $35) for 50kg bags (110ish lbs) and just after I bought two bags at that price, I saw an advertisement of a guy selling 45kg (100 lbs) for R190 (about $19). So anything I end up feeding has to work out cheaper than that. I lost a baby on the second night I had mine, but it was my mistake - I had the heat lamp up too high and he was trampled flat as a pancake the next morning. It's the only one I've lost and I got 51 originally so I am still on a round 50

I will still do a future batch of birds on "alternative" feeding methods. I am looking into Black Soldier Flies and things like that, but so far I'm able to raise free range birds at a much better price than I can get them from the store so I'm happy

Whoopsie daisy said:

Here are some pics of my meaties, who are now two weeks old and eating like little pigs! Luckily they're growing well too so I'm not complaining

My hubby mowed the lawn today, and I threw the clippings in the 10 x 10 cage they now share with the rabbits. I don't want to let them free range just yet, as we have mongoose here that will grab small chicks in a flash!

Click to expand...

Daisy, they look so cute. And your set up is stellar.

carolb5 said:

Daisy, they look great. What did you end up using as feed?

Mine are a week old and haven't gotten real crazy with eating yet. I know it will happen, but it has been cool and they don't seem to want their ferment much yet. Oh, they love their ground meat, 4 oz. per day, and one or two eggs. I throw them weeds and bed them on alfalfa hay.

Lost one, ? don't know why. No pic. They are still cute little yellow fuzz balls.

Carol

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Hey Carol, my babies love their ff. For sure. Until I put anything else with meat or eggs, leftovers in. Then they just nibble a little until they realize I'm not bringing the good stuff. Then they will eat it. So funny.