First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[LindaB220]

Yikes, tornado headed this way
10 minutes

 

[duluthralphie]

Here's a couple pictures of my meatballs from yesterday. They are huge




Please keep in mind it has been raining non stop for 3+ weeks and I think I might be dying from whatever illness this is. The meatballs love the mud. Mud is everywhere.

BTW.. these are the smaller of my 8 cx meaties. They seem to still be moving fine. They try to go up into the house to follow me *very food focused* so.. that's good right?

I just cracked open a big watermelon for the flocks, as the sun made a short debut.

If doing that didn't make me almost pass out.. and I puked because I was coughing so hard so went back inside to tell ya'lls about it.

But I uploaded pictures finally! !

Great looking birds DK!

I love the big gals! (and guys) You will have great eating there, and by the time you get around to processing them, I figure they will be 40 pounds or more!

Meyer says to feed Medicated started the first 3 weeks then switch to broiler feed 18% on a 12 hr on 12 hr off schedule. I have 28% meat bird that I'm feeding to my other birds and am wondering if this is too high for the White Broilers. I plan on processing at 9 weeks. thoughts?

I do not use medicated feed, my preference. I am all about drug and medication free if possible. I never feed over 16% to meat balls, but I like to raise them slow so you get those huge birds Like DK has. They are so good eating at that size! If you feed 28% I think you are begging for trouble, IMHO. Unless you want to send them to camp early and do not mind a few losses. ( we all do it a tad different.)

It looks like your meatballs already come with gravy on them.

I really hope you feel better soon.

That almost ruined another key or two on my laptop! Too funny!

 

[raisinemright]

Just set 38 bresse eggs a few mins ago.. Hope I get a good hatch rate!!!

 

[duluthralphie]

Just set 38 bresse eggs a few mins ago.. Hope I get a good hatch rate!!!

GL.. My hatch rates have been in the gutter...

I have only hatched 3 guineas out of a good 30 eggs or so.

 

[holm25]

I came home from camping to find my broody had eggs hatching!! One is out and two more r pipped. I'll let you all know how its going in the morning!

Linda has the tornadoe hit?? I'm praying for you guys!!

 

[LindaB220]

Thanks, honey. I'm fine. The center went about 10 miles south. Shreveport and Bossier City pretty much lost power, but we're hanging. It went right over my ex's house. They were in the tub with a mattress on top. Scary!! We don't fool around because of flat land with no basements. Of course I live in a Mobil home.

 

[holm25]

Thanks, honey. I'm fine. The center went about 10 miles south. Shreveport and Bossier City pretty much lost power, but we're hanging. It went right over my ex's house. They were in the tub with a mattress on top. Scary!! We don't fool around because of flat land with no basements. Of course I live in a Mobil home.

Glad everyone's alright!!

 

[JessicaThistle]

Meyer says to feed Medicated started the first 3 weeks then switch to broiler feed 18% on a 12 hr on 12 hr off schedule. I have 28% meat bird that I'm feeding to my other birds and am wondering if this is too high for the White Broilers. I plan on processing at 9 weeks. thoughts?

I do feed my chicks medicated feed for a period of time. (This is absolutely a personal preference issue). For meaties, I start them with it and go a few days after putting them on grass where they would be exposed. It just gives them a little boost when it comes to getting exposed to buggies and helps build immunities to coccidosis. I put my chicks out at 2 weeks old, so this is a short time.

For my layers, I do the same until they are on grass. I have 800+ chickens so I have to do whatever I can to reduce risk of disease wiping them all out if it can be avoided.

By the time they are at butcher age for meaties or laying age for layers, they have been off of the medicated feed for so long that there is no residuals in their systems. There really is such a small amount of amprol in the medicated feed anyway. It does nothing more than boost immunity.

Now, onto percentages. I fed 22% and wanted an average of 5 pounds processed weight at 8-9 weeks of age. Others here wanted to wait longer and get larger birds but that was not my goal. So for the first 2 1/2 weeks or so until I moved the birds to pasture, I kept the feeder full. This does not mean that I fed in the middle of the night or freaked out if I poked my head in and it was empty. If they aren't dying from starvation and are scratching and running around, they are fine.

Once I moved them to pasture, I used a 2 quart pitcher to gauge feed and fed them 4 times per day. At 3 weeks old, one half pitcher each time was enough. That increased as they got older to no more than one full pitcher. Basically I fed as much as they could eat in 10 minutes. The rest of the time they free ranged to get extra food. I did throw them dropped apples or plums that I could get my hands on as well as zucchinis that got too big in my garden.

I raised 30 birds per batch and had great results with birds averaging 4-6 pounds. To be honest, I preferred my birds that I only free ranged for 4-6 hours per day over the ones that free ranged for 8-10 hours. Mostly because I wanted to be done by 9 weeks and have the average sizes that I wanted. They were smaller when I free ranged longer.

My personal preference for my two test batches was to be done no later than 9 weeks and average 4-6 pounds, with preference toward 5 lbs. My results were exactly what I wanted on first batch and a little less on second batch due to increased free range time.

Personally, because I am 100% in the chicken business now and if I were to do it again, which I probably will, I will do the same feeding schedule and free range but probably closer to the 6-7 hours per day limit to keep with the 5 pound average.

 

[podgal]

Great looking birds DK!

I love the big gals! (and guys)  You will have great eating there, and by the time you get around to processing them, I figure they will be 40 pounds or more! 




I do not use medicated feed, my preference. I am all about drug and medication free if possible.    I never feed over 16% to meat balls, but I like to raise them slow so you get those huge birds Like DK has. They are so good eating at that size! If you feed 28% I think you are begging for trouble, IMHO. Unless you want to send them to camp early and do not mind a few losses. ( we all do it a tad different.)


That almost ruined another key or two on my laptop!  Too funny!

What's your idea of a long time for growing them out on 18%?

 

[mountain mom]

I finally got around to putting straw down last week for the meatballs.
The.Mud.Is.Insane.
Boy were those chickens happy for something dry to play in. They still really love the straw (even though it is now soaked, just not muddy) to lay in. They will sit out in the pouring rain nestled into it!

I also had to put some out for the turkeys and layers. I wouldn't want them feeling left out. I don't know why, but they really do love the straw.

The turkeys are doing great! The lavender one is quite likely a tom. He has pushed his way to the top roosting bar with the chickens. No more "nursery" for him!
The other two still follow me around everywhere when I am out.

DK I hope you feel better! My son has the same cough. I am blaming the rain and cold.
And I am sure your meaties will be fine until you get around to processing them.

Glad you are okay Linda!