Newbie looking to raise a few meat birds

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ctfd85157

ctfd85157

In the Brooder
Mar 23, 2015
17
2
22
Michigan
I am new to the chicken raising world. I currently have 6 sex links in the brooder all about 4 weeks old, which are my first chickens. Once those guys are old enough to be moved out to the coop, I would like to get some chickens to raise for meat, I have been reading a lot about cornish x, but I don't want to have to have a seperate coop if they are going to have different needs. I want all of my chickens to be happy, so what would be a good fit for me? Would cornish x be okay living with my sex links or should I consider something different?
 
Unlike your layers that can have feed available all the time - the meat birds are eating, pooping machines. They should have their food limited or they will suffer possible heart attacks or broken legs from over eating. You do not want meat birds in a normal coop because, they maybe too lazy to even go down the ramp to go outside during the day. Many people put meat birds in a tractor so they can be moved before they kill the grass and to keeps them clean. Warning: meat birds are very docile and easy to fall in love with because they so want to be lap dogs. lol
 
Sure the cornish x would be OK. They are basically LAZY EATING MACHINES. If you want them to be happy, , just provide them with plenty of food. They will be happy for all their days except the last one. You do feed meat birds a slightly different formula, but if you choose to feed all your birds one feed, then go with ALL FLOCK feed. You will do fine. You might be a week behind all the pros raising theirs. =D=D=D Big, deal, So what. You are not in a derby, or contest. My understanding is that the cornish x are the BEST choice for meat. MANY HERE will agree.
WISHING YOU BEST
thumbsup.gif
 
What is your brooder situation? How big? How many CXR do you want to get? If I had LOTS of brooder space, and was able to put in a wire divider, then change the angle of the light, so that it gives most of it's concentration on the side for the CXR, while still throwing enough heat for the layers, I'd get those CXR ASAP. They grow so fast that size won't matter in a few weeks. The only consideration will be the feeding needs. And, if you will be moving them out onto the ground, the CXR can do some ranging, and be provided with feed on a limited basis. When the CXR are larger than the layers, you could put in a creeper style feeder that the layers could get to, and the CXR could not. Just thinking out loud here. BeeKissed has an excellent video of CXR on a restricted feeding program. Those birds became excellent foragers. Since they are so food driven, they are motivated to get out and hustle up some grub if it's not in front of them all the time.
 
I do not currently have room to seperate the brooder.I want a breed I can raise in the brooder then move outside with the rest until time to butcher. Maybe a dual purpose would be better, maybe barred rocks? What do you guys think
 
You could just buy straight run chicks of a dual purpose breed and keep the hens and one rooster and the extra little roosters go to freezer camp in the fall. Then next year you could incubate or maybe a broody hen could hatch chicks and raise your own for eggs and fill the freezer.
 

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