...6 pounds.
Here is a picture the day before butchering. The other 12 will be processed this next weekend. Note: The temperature has averaged 100* almost the entire time I have fed these. I believe the reason I was so successful is because they were always shaded. I did not lose one...
I made mine with 2x4s and hardware cloth. I also left a 1 ft skirt on them. The hardware cloth is 4 ft tall, so the tractor is 3 ft tall. Top is covered with corrugated tin. I have 2 of them, they are 8' x 8' each, so pretty roomy. I think they are pretty safe, but they are temporary. I doubt I...
I am having them processed. I could do it, but it is just too darn hot this time of year. If all goes well, and I do this again, I will plan the timing better and maybe do it myself. I am just so darn busy. It is hard to find enough time in the day now!
I'm about half way "there!" I can hardly wait to send them off to freezer camp!
Thanks for all your help, all of you! Now, just help me get to the end of this journey!
They are growing, for sure. Here are a few pictures. They really do enjoy ranging and dust baths. This horrible heat is enough to kill humans, I am so surprised these guys are surviving it.
...after eating all day. I will post pictures and a few more weights tomorrow. I find it interesting that they do not hang out at the feeder troughs all day like I thought they would. Most all of them are actively foraging or looking for shade. 100* weather and they are tolerating it better than...
Oh, good! I have 2 of these shelters 8'x8'. I moved them into the clean one yesterday, and will relocate the dirty one now. I let them out every day, and they do free range quite a bit. I hope this all ends well.
They were under a light less than a week, and I moved them outside with no heat. It was 100* days, now only about 90* .... but it is to get down to 68 - 70* tonight (must be a cold front moving in! LOL ) ....
I am just gonna go with 10 hours feed for a week, and see how that goes.
Maybe I should cut down to 10 hours of feed a day, instead of 12. ??? Maybe that is what I will do. I do not want them to die on me from my own negligence, as I am already worried about the hot summer days!
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Never having had these before, I was kinda worried about that. Looks like the skin is so tight .... like it is ready to split open! I had to look around at some other pictures, to see that it is, "normal."
A few of the meaties (17 days old) went out free ranging today; some went further than I expected (into the timber area).
Some stayed in their shelter and lounged around.
Others ventured out to the feed ...
I weighed a 3 of them, at random. Weights were 16 oz, 17.2 oz, 19.7 oz.