Meaty Madness

[xC0000005]

So today I had more time and took a bit of time to actually trap them. I have 3 that are 18 oz. Most of the others are 24 oz. Wow. They are growing at an insane rate. And big spikey combs on the big ones, with pink coming in a bit. They get 12 hours on and 12 off and the 12 off don't seem to be slowing the big ones down. Their feathering is absolutely pitiful though. Down has rubbed off their bellies and they have pin feathers that make them look like tasty porcupines. In a few more days St. Lecter's Home for the Terminally Tasty will be ready and they'll go out into it.

So turns out that weighed bunch was delivered march 20th of that year, after 2 days of shipping, so 18 ounces at 3 weeks sounds about how I did with the meaties in the PNW, raised predominantly outside.

 

[hydroswiftrob]

What exactly are you weighing them with? I have no scales, but would love to get some.

 

[xC0000005]

I have a scale that goes up to 15lbs with ounces. I use a plate to widen the "sitting" area and dial it back to zero each time to make sure I'm just measuring bird. It's a cheap scale from costco.

 

[xC0000005]

Moved them into a larger area (pen still isn't done - next time I'll know better. Then again next time the pen WILL be done to start with). They actually are behaving like chickens, flapping at each other, though their jumping and flapping skills are pathetic. One of them literally could not hop over a brick. Sigh.

That said, here's a shot of how I can tell my roos from the girls (and also how UGLY these things can be):
3 weeks, red comb:


And here's one that is HEAVY but darn well near bald:


They are either 3 week old or closer to 4 weeks. Weight wise they are right on track for 3.5 weeks, so I am not worried.
For those of you who are worried about being able to eat the little guys, take a long look at these pictures and you'll be several steps down the road to feeling better about it.
Combine it with the fact that they are always moist, warm, and oily and baking them at 350 degrees starts to sound like mercy.

 

[paridisefarm2009]

So when my wife asked what I wanted for my birthday this year, the only absolute answer I had was "no more 'things'". Then a few days later I said, "You know, the feed store in Monroe has cornish x birds. I think what I want is to raise a few and try them. Think of it like buying me a chicken dinner about six weeks in advance." To my surprise, she agreed, but wanted to know how many. "Four," I said, "to keep things simple as a trial run. I can brood them in the cage and keep them in the small pen till they are ready to go to camp."

The next day she said "You know, those birds often don't survive. Go ahead and get six." Last night I was explaining my cunning plan to raise meat birds and my wife said "You know, six isn't really enough. What if they are good?" and who am I to argue? So it's ten now.
I love that woman.

As we got ready to leave this morning she said "Remember the animal rules (no animals we don't agree on)?" and I most certainly did. "How many are you getting?" she asked, and I said ten, and then she paused and said "twelve." So I planned on four. I agreed to six. I have twelve in the brooder, doing the normal cornish thing, which to me looks weird - they are doing two of four actions in three combinations:

• Eating and crapping.
• Drinking and crapping.
• Sleeping and crapping.

Food is at one end and the water is at the other, and the proper location of a meaty appears to be right in between the two.

These little ones are about a week old according to the feed store, and they are large for that age - actually have weight to them (not saying they are table material, but your average week old chick is feather light - these guys...not so much). And for week old chicks, they sure don't care much for the heat lamp. My surface thermometer says that they should be nestled just underneath it, but they are bedded down quite comfortably in a 70 degree area. I have an 8x8 area where I intended to raise four (actually, two 8x8 areas, so hat I can move it over and shovel the manure into the wheel barrow. I have the compost box ready to go (with a bunch of compost already in). I have a hundred pounds of feed in the bucket (which is about as much as I like to keep on hand)

What have I gotten myself into?

your gonna need more feed lol

 

[booker81]

They're kinda fun aren't they Even with being meaties, growing fast, and just being weird, baldish, and with pathetic antics, I enjoy having them.

I also enjoy eating them.

 

[lynn1961]

Good pictures. I have been looking at yours and comparing them to the one I have, seems mine are on track also. They are pathetic to watch trying to run, jump and flap around. I am amazed at how fast they grow, how much they eat and poop and the amount of water they drink. Have been filling up 4 one gallon waterers a day for them, all I can say is WOW, amazing when you look at other large fowl chicks the same age and see the difference in their growth. Thank you for your post.

 

[lynn1961]

Do you have a date yet for butchering, or will you wait until they look the right size?

 

[xC0000005]

Well, "maybe" on Tuesday they are four weeks old so Camp day is roughly four weeks from today (in essence 8 weeks) but if they look right and weigh in nicely I might take one at six and seven weeks to compare carcass size.

 

[fair weather chicken]

we know ours are near ready when they start flapping up on the edge of the tractor to get out.