I have 55 gallon barrels that can be filled with feed from the local mill.
Lately I have been doing the following. raise to 6 weeks on 20% feed and then let them have at the goat feed (Goat feed is running about 20c a pound here wile chicken feed can be more)
We raise Cornish Cross. I process at 8 weeks (Cornish Cross) and sell for $4.50 a pound for whole chicken. (people like that and a 3-4 pound bird is affordable for them. This price and weight avoids the sticker shock for most people and they will pay the premium for free range healthy birds.
I did just raise 5 Cornish Cross on 20% for 3 months (They ate twice a day other than they ate what they could find in the woods and goat pin) They are still tender and processed weight was from 6.5-9 pounds (Some of these birds got hugegantic! They all could walk around and were free ranging. As you might guess these were for our table otherwise I would have had to charge $5 a pound and at an average weight of 7 pounds per bird we are pushing $35 a chicken (to sell) and in the case of the 9 pounder we would be talking $45 bucks. Customers like 3-4 pounds and will pay between $10-15 a chicken and be happy.
PS:
I have not noticed a big difference when finished on goat feed for 2-4 weeks (Starting them on it at 6 weeks and sometimes I let the hens go to 10 weeks as apposed to 8). Honestly after the 6 week mark (If you are processing at 8-10 weeks with Cornish Cross) I dont think feeding them high protein is going to help much. No if you plan to go for bigger birds and raise them past that point IMHO good feed will keep them healthy and allow them to grow extra big!
They need to have the amount of feed they eat controlled otherwise they will eat until they die! (IE: Heart issues, leg issues, bone structure issues etc.....) after 4 weeks we take the food away and feed 2 times a day (You will have to figure the measurements out based on number of birds and time of year, Winter we feed more while spring and summer we feed less because there are so many bugs to eat out here in south eastern VA.) Doing this will help them be healthy but will save your budget because Cornish Cross like I said literally inhale food! They may act starved when you walk up with feed but trust me they are doing fine. As long as they are growing at the rate you wish they are eating enough. (Wish I could explain feeding amounts better but we just kind of wing it)
Lately I have been doing the following. raise to 6 weeks on 20% feed and then let them have at the goat feed (Goat feed is running about 20c a pound here wile chicken feed can be more)
We raise Cornish Cross. I process at 8 weeks (Cornish Cross) and sell for $4.50 a pound for whole chicken. (people like that and a 3-4 pound bird is affordable for them. This price and weight avoids the sticker shock for most people and they will pay the premium for free range healthy birds.
I did just raise 5 Cornish Cross on 20% for 3 months (They ate twice a day other than they ate what they could find in the woods and goat pin) They are still tender and processed weight was from 6.5-9 pounds (Some of these birds got hugegantic! They all could walk around and were free ranging. As you might guess these were for our table otherwise I would have had to charge $5 a pound and at an average weight of 7 pounds per bird we are pushing $35 a chicken (to sell) and in the case of the 9 pounder we would be talking $45 bucks. Customers like 3-4 pounds and will pay between $10-15 a chicken and be happy.
PS:
I have not noticed a big difference when finished on goat feed for 2-4 weeks (Starting them on it at 6 weeks and sometimes I let the hens go to 10 weeks as apposed to 8). Honestly after the 6 week mark (If you are processing at 8-10 weeks with Cornish Cross) I dont think feeding them high protein is going to help much. No if you plan to go for bigger birds and raise them past that point IMHO good feed will keep them healthy and allow them to grow extra big!
They need to have the amount of feed they eat controlled otherwise they will eat until they die! (IE: Heart issues, leg issues, bone structure issues etc.....) after 4 weeks we take the food away and feed 2 times a day (You will have to figure the measurements out based on number of birds and time of year, Winter we feed more while spring and summer we feed less because there are so many bugs to eat out here in south eastern VA.) Doing this will help them be healthy but will save your budget because Cornish Cross like I said literally inhale food! They may act starved when you walk up with feed but trust me they are doing fine. As long as they are growing at the rate you wish they are eating enough. (Wish I could explain feeding amounts better but we just kind of wing it)