You're very welcome. You'll find most are willing to share their experiences. There are plenty of things I haven't seen or done, but I try to help out where I can. In time you'll learn what works best for your own goals and be able to pass that knowledge along. I try to remember that there...
My hatchery stock Buff Orpington cockerels started reaching 5 lb live weight by 16 weeks for the better ones. Others took longer. I don't process in large batches, so it isn't an issue for me. I like to fry them, so all were processed by 24 weeks to ensure tenderness, regardless of weight...
I like Flock raiser with a dish of oyster shell available. I've never fed layer, and never will. With a mixed flock, it's the easiest way to go. Besides that, the protein in layer pellets is usually minimal, even if layers is all you have. Others do it differently, so you should get advice...
A local mill in my area makes a sow mix that many people buy for chickens and have great success with it. Without knowing anything about your particular feed, it's hard to say.
I don't raise them, but different hatcheries do offer different strains. Most I'm familiar with advertise which they sell, and I believe some even offer a couple options. One is typically very fast growing and efficient. The other would be a slower growing type that is more robust and...
Commercial poultry drinkers don't use a standard PVC pipe. The pipe is manufactured to accept the nipple. This is usually a twist lock design that can vary from one brand to another. The seal to the pipe is an o-ring. The seal inside the nipple is a weighted elastomer disc. Gravity and...
My Pekin hen, hatched on 4/25, didn't lay until the following spring. She stopped laying around the first of September. I suspect yours will wait until next year. It is my understanding that this is far to late in the year for your geese. Wait until they lay for layer, or better yet, don't...
From what I understand, Americans tend to put far too much emphasis on the "D", creating an additional syllable, when we should essentially ignore the apostrophe. In this case duke-ul or dan-ver. To help me remember, I think of NBA basketball coach Mike D'Antoni. Pronounced dan-tow-nee. I'm...
For reference, here is the recommended nutrition and performance data for the Cobb 500, a popular Cornish Cross strain. You can see what they feed, and for how many days in a commercial operation. This will also give you a basic idea of the weights you might achieve at a given age. You...
Your starter/grower is probably 18-20% protein, depending upon the manufacturer. There shouldn't be a problem feeding it to them their entire, albeit short lives. However, you may not be able to leave it out continuously as they get older. Some around here suggest letting them eat all they...