Chronicles of Raising Meat Birds - Modern Broilers, Heritage and Hybrids

[NewBoots]

Looking good to me. In fact they are cute as heck!

 

[RUNuts]

I was told to provide heat until they feathered. After a week, I moved mine outside and the nights were in the 60°s. They grew fast after that.

How low is the temperature outside?

They also stay warm in a huddle/cuddle box. Cardboard works fine.

 

[jolenesdad]

They have mama heating pad caves and brooder plates, so they’ve got plenty of heat.

The ones that got chilled just didn’t know how to seek that heat, now that they do they’re all fine.

 

[jolenesdad]

Today I got out a scale and am intrigued with the results. All chicks are on free choice 20% starter and are on a natural lighting program with complete darkness at night.

11 day old Cornish X

Should be all female. Weighed six chicks. Average- 4 ounces (.25 lb)

16 day old Cornish X
Male - 14 ounces (.88 lb)
Females - 9.5 ounces (.6 lb)


Pictures attached to see their growth.

I did a clean out after taking these photos. Curious, active chicks scratching through all the piles of shavings I made.

I know they’re young still and aren’t sloths yet, so I will allow myself to amend this statement, but I really, really like these birds.

 

[RUNuts]

They are neat birds. Still chickens and will grow just like chickens only bigger faster. Mine were running to meet me everyday at feeding times. They packed away the food too.

 

[jolenesdad]

Today is day 15/20. I opened the brooder to half of the pen they are in for about 200 square feet of room. They’re all over the place.

Notes:

Two of the largest are dropping poop down their new feathers under their butts. They don’t stand up to poop it seems, so there’s that. I’m cleaning broiler butts just because I’m sure it’s uncomfortable.

I’m desperately trying to get them into fermented feed which should help with the poop, it always has for my other chicks to keep it nice and firm. I JUST found the gazillion page fermented feed for meat bird thread. I’m hesitant to make a total switch when they don’t go after it and they’re already so under weight so I use both FF and their regular feed. I’m having success yesterday and today mixing tge FF with mealworms and loading a chick feeder so full it’s pouring out.

As most chicks, they’ll do anything for mealworms. I tossed a few out into the expanded run area and they’re scratching through to their hearts content.

One chick has what I thought was a mild wry neck with a head tilt but gets along fine, no progression in the neck tilt and same weight as the other chicks. Aside from that, all healthy.

I weighed today. Weights in pounds as well as a percentage of where industry standard should have them.

I’m expecting the percentages to raise as they grow at a standard rate and are so far behind now due to The lack of 24 hour feeding without light at night. They may be 5 pounds at 12 weeks though, who knows. They’re happy. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Female 15 days
.37 pound
39%

Female 20 days
.72 pound
40%

Male 20 days
1.17 pound
60%

 

[NewBoots]

Today is day 15/20. I opened the brooder to half of the pen they are in for about 200 square feet of room. They’re all over the place.

I love the big open play area! Your babies look so happy!

 

[jolenesdad]

Day 18/23

First trip outside! Just limited so far, an hour with me in the afternoon. They’re still tiny enough to get through some cracks in the fence but a few more days and the won’t be.

 

[NewBoots]

Looks like they're scratching and exploring like regular chicks. Do you have any trouble gathering them up to get them back to the brooder?

 

[jolenesdad]

@NewBoots nah, they’re still unbelievably food motivated.

I shake a can and say here chickies, and they waddle like lightning strikes to me.

Every time I have given them mealworms I make the same shake and call, so they’re already aware and I’d say most of them run straight into the brooder if I toss a little in. I close the door and pickup the 3 or 4 stragglers.

Since they’re not eating after dark and they’re so underweight I’m gonna probably lock them up an hour and a half before sunset and feed them again.

(I have ZERO notes thus far on feed consumption. I’ve wasted a fair amount trying to get them acclimated to FF. I’d be willing to bet this go round I’ve used MORE feed than standard and they’re half sized. Next time I’ll use much different feeders because they’re messy and they just stand in fermented feed trays and flatten it out and no one eats it without a cover. But they can’t or just don’t want to eat the bottom half of the fermented feed trays right now...)

Oh well.