Recent content by Freebird

Quote: I have a similar setup using the little giant automatic water bowls. I add apple cider vinegar to the barrel everytime I fill it up, about a liter per 55 gallons. The barrel stays pretty clean, as it is virtually opaque and situated in the shade, for the most part, and the vinegar...

My test batch of Cornish X ended up costing me $1.51/lb of processed whole bird, including losing one bird the day I received them. Feed cost for 4 birds was just over $19 for me, at $12.00 per 50lbs. I processed them myself because I work cheap.

I recently finished my "test" run with Cornish Xs and an 8x6 tractor. I butchered them at 7&1/2 weeks. Live weight at 7 weeks for one of the cockerels was 6lbs 12 oz. (didn't weigh the pullets), which I thought was a bit low. So, yeah, a live weight of 4 lbs at 7 weeks sounds low to me. At...

Quote: If you are feeding the main flock a laying mix and need to add some younger birds, you could switch to standard feed and provide free choice oyster shell as an alternative to laying feed, at least until the younger ones are closer to laying age...at least that's what I've been doing.

Quote: The real difference is that I raised them on grass with fresh air, not in a cram-packed chicken house without a stitch of grass. Their trip to the kill area didn't include being thrown into nasty, fecal covered cages and trucked 25 miles or more in 95-100 degree heat to a nasty...

I feel your pain. I have groups of pullets at two different ages because a hatchery delayed my order a month. I just added the 16 week olds to my main flock. I put them in a tractor next to the run for a week or so before putting them in the coop at night. They wouldn't stay on the roost...

If you can find someone to take them all, that may not be a bad way to go about it. Then you can get sexed chicks so you know (well, at least are fairly certain) you'll be getting pullets. There's nothing wrong with keeping the pullet you have, but you'll want to keep the current one seperated...

Quote: Not to be a downer, but I'd be surprised if you will be able to keep ANY roos in a subdivision long term. Roosters are ungodly loud. They will crow at all hours of the day. You have some very understanding neighbors if they don't end up complaining. Personally, I would sell/give...

Quote: This is the second post I've seen about processing before they start crowing, so I'm confused. Sounds like an old wives tale, to me. About half of the roos I've had started crowing by their 8th week, which is WAY too early to process a non-hybrid meat bird unless you don't want any...

As stated above, they are normal. They are caused by a ruptured blood vessel during formation of the egg. You will occasionally see them in commercial eggs as well, but less frequently because most commercial operations check for them by mass candling and remove the ones with spots. Again...

We did a test run of Cornish X's in my tractor - only 4 birds. Worked out pretty good and gave me some ideas for modifications. We processed them on Saturday, brined them for 5-6 hours, and put them in the fridge. They were 7&1/2 weeks old and averaged 4.5lbs (pullets - 4lbs, cockerels -...

1) I would be camping out to deal with the critter directly. Advantage - low cost, just ammo and time. Disadvantages - have to stay up until you kill the critter. Others may show up at a later date. 2) Your sig says you own two dogs. Stake your dog(s) out close to the tractor - they will...

bigredfeather's looks much more predator proof than mine. Looks like they used some type of hardware cloth - much stronger than the poultry wire I used. Also looks like they have an apron of the same material around the base to prevent things from digging under. I used poultry wire because I...

I agree, I think a tractor has got to be the best way. When you see how much poop they generate, you'll understand! I spent about $65, not counting the poultry wire (which I had laying around). Mine is smallish, only 8'x6'. I've just got 4 birds in it doing a test run:

My latest batch of BR roos began crowing at 8 weeks, fwiw. In fact, almost all the roos I've had started about that time. Granted, they are more like "practice" crows, aren't very loud, and surely wouldn't disturb the neighbors at that point. It usually takes another month or so before they...