Is This A Turkey?

[JRNash]

These statements are Not opinions. They are observations of the way My birds respond to different management techniques. In the end that is where the ACTUAL. problem with Cx occurs.Poor management

 

[duluthralphie]

And another thing,after the birds hit maturity they DON'T eat as much. I don't starve my birds. I do control what they eat in a responsible manner.
People who have problems raising Cx typically,overfeed,overheat,and overcrowd the birds.A recipe for disaster with ANY animal

This is true, after they mature their metabolism slows and the urge to eat subsides. They need to have a distraction to keep them busy. They are like me if bored they eat.


When I fed mine like the "feed experts" instruct I had heart attacks, legs problems, birds that just laid in their own feces, kidney problems resulting in ascites. Restricting and lowering the protein ended that and I have healthy birds.

When allowed to free range they chase bugs and forage all day long scratching and hunting for morsels. They have the best personalities of any breed I know of.

I know when I told the guy at my local feed store I was feeding 15% protein I got the same line about the legs. When I told him I was processing 13 pound birds at 13 weeks of age he changed his tune and started asking me questions. He was amazed when I said I had a breeding CX rooster over a year old.

 

[duluthralphie]

Carrie restrict the feed, lower the protein and let the chick run free when you can and that chick will become your favorite bird!

I promise you!

 

[JRNash]

They have the BEST disposition of any of the breeds I've raised

 

[eviemethugh]

They have the BEST disposition of any of the breeds I've raised

I agree! They are so sweet its crazy. I can hold and mess with them more in 8 weeks than I have all of my other layers combined in years. Except turkeys, turkeys are my people!

We also followed a lot of good advice from these forums and fed 16% and they had a very tiny amount of fat right on the skin at the "belly" WAY less fat than pioneers and heritage breed birds we have done before. And no fat on the organs, very healthy! We also fermented and let them free range during the day, and measured their food out.

 

[JRNash]

I just started fermenting my feed.got tired of all the waste. I'm also feeding 16%.
A few days back i sent around 35 Cx and surplus roosters to camp. They had very little body fat,and the organs were NOT encased in fat like previous birds. All in all I eas very satisfied. I find it hard to restrict feed. So this batch I decided i would decrease the protein content,NOT the quantity. My birds had NO problems with this diet.

 

[JRNash]

They also didn't act like they were starving all the time

 

[JRNash]

Another thing I'd like to add,NONE of the birds I sent to camp had any discernable problems in the breast meat.
No green tissue or any other abnormalities.

 

[bubra007]

That's so cool JR...I didn't know you just lowered protein instead of restricting feed! So many great ways to raise these birds, I'm learning!

 

[JRNash]

It won't be a proven success until they breed. It was a success in getting them old enough to process