meat birds

  1. T

    Meat bird management questions, specifically freedom rangers

    I have some questions about changing my current setup from an egg operation to a meat operation. I am specifically looking at freedom rangers and am pretty set against cornish X due to their health issues. My post history has more context for these questions, but hopefully they are...
  2. F

    Jersey Giant Growth

    Does anyone have growth weights on Jersey Giants according to a chart? I am trying to figure out the cost/benefit ratio of raising Jersey Giants and processing them sooner than their “maturity date”. I was hoping to get in communication with somebody who has experience with this breed.
    • Fishfam
    • Thread
    • chicken jersey jersey giant jersey giant chickens meat birds
    • Replies: 7
    • Forum: Meat Birds ETC
  3. PrettyBirdRocky

    Woohoo! Mama is going broody again! Yay!

    Yay!! Exciting news! Mama is starting to go broody again! Yay! She has hatched two clutches. And after the second one, she hasn't gone broody since last Feb/March. I have an incubator full set to hatch this Sunday, and planned on gathering eggs this week to put in more. So, if she's gonna...
  4. Timbers Happy Hens

    English orps for meat?

    So I have a flock of pure English Orpingtons and I’m planning to hatch a couple batches. I’d like to keep them until they’re sexable, sell the pullets and butcher the cockerels. I’ve only kept silkies and layers until now so any pointers would be great! I’m Interested in finding a way to grow...
  5. HenriettaPizzaNolan

    Raising your own CAN be cheaper than store-bought!

    I just processed a batch of 6 Cornish X today. I ran the numbers and between the cost of buying the chicks and their feed, I spent about $9.93 per bird! It may have even been a little less. They averaged in at 4.5 lbs. each. I've always been told raising your own is more expensive, but with...
  6. W

    Cornish Cross Meat Birds Feed Conversion Rate Question

    Hello, I am trying to figure out the average FCR for Cornish Hens and how to explain it as simple as possible. I have seen a lot of numbers that don't add up. I just read that average FCR is 2.5:1 to 3:1 so a 7 lb bird would have eaten 15-18 lbs of food. Wouldn't It be 17-21 lbs of food...
    • WhitneyM
    • Thread
    • cornish cross fcr feed conversion rate meat birds
    • Replies: 4
    • Forum: Meat Birds ETC
  7. LauretteF

    Delayed Processing

    I plan on using my pellet gun to kill a bunch of my roosters but I am not confident that I will be able to accomplish that quickly (I’m not competent with a gun) Can I set the carcasses aside for a day as I slowly kill each rooster and then process them at the same time?
  8. Lazy Farmer

    My Tree Top Chicken. Breed Unknown.

    Hello! :frow I have a story, Question & Photos. :oldStory- Once upon a time (2 yrs ago), this Hen randomly appears on our farm. Out of the blue without notice, we have a small breed chicken roaming the farm. It was behaving feral and very nervous & un-trusting to any human or to any of our...
  9. M

    Raising meat birds

    Hey y’all, need some advice. I have 20 layers currently that completely free range. I have plenty of land with a fresh water supply near by. I don’t feed or water my chickens during the summer and lightly feed during the winter. I do have a large carport that I converted into a coop and they go...
  10. A

    Cornish cross 5 weeks can’t walk but can move legs

    Hello my dad has a about 5 Cornish Cross that are about 5 weeks old and one of them can’t walk. Some of them are also bald on their underbelly. He told me they are just meat birds and are meant for just that and basically they’re just genetically doomed and can’t live too long. Is that true? One...
  11. Wandering_r0gue

    Butchering: first time complete ****GRAPHIC****

    So, I just butchered my first quail. I was planning on it eventually, but tonight it became necessary. As my newest hatch was getting older, I moved the hens into a pen with a solo older rooster... Discovered this evening when I got home that the rooster (named Duck) had quite savagely...
    • Wandering_r0gue
    • Thread
    • agressive rooster butchering first time injured hen meat meat birds quail
    • Replies: 4
    • Forum: Quail
  12. ChknLadyBawk

    How much do breeding meat birds eat

    So I'm going to start raising meat birds in a few years, and have decided on Chanteclers. Whenever I search up how much meat birds eat, it gives me the amount for commercial birds that will be slaughtered, and when I search for dual purpose, it gives the ingredients that are needed in the feed...
  13. HenriettaPizzaNolan

    Cornish X on 18% feed from start to finish - the results

    This was my second time raising CX. My last batch got huge. By 8 weeks I had birds 6.5-8.5 lbs dressed (20-22% first 3 weeks then 18% for remaining weeks). While I was happy with the results in my freezer, I felt a little bad to see them having a hard time walking near the end, even though I...
  14. HenriettaPizzaNolan

    Ideal dressed weights for chicken

    When raising meat birds, what dressed weight do you shoot for? Last time, our CX birds were 6.5-8.5 lbs. dressed, and they were pretty huge. Not complaining but I'm not sure if I need THAT huge. However, I also don't want to process too early and have scrawny chicken pieces (thighs, breasts...
  15. HenriettaPizzaNolan

    Is there any hope for me raising spring meat birds in a yard that often floods?

    Hey all. So I raised my first Cornish X last fall and it went well, as some of you may have seen from the thread I had going. Well now our chicken supply in the freezer is dwindling and I am dreading having to buy grocery store chicken now that I'm spoiled with home grown meat. Only problem...
  16. HenriettaPizzaNolan

    First time raising meat birds - my journey of raising Cornish X in the city

    Hello, my meat-loving friends! A few months back I posted this thread because I was on the fence about keeping meat birds. I've been interested in having meat birds for a while, but I'm from the suburbs (and now live in the city) and have never killed an animal in my life. However, you all...
  17. H

    Pasture/Pen Rotation for CornishX

    We're planning out how best to maximize our backyard space for homesteading and what with the laying flock we have already purchased and the size of garden we want, that leaves us with very little space for raising our own meat source which is also important to us. We have either enough space...
  18. S

    Cornish Cross with skin issues?

    We have a small flock of Cornish Cross due to be processed by the end of this month. However when tending to them, we noticed on one of our roosters this skin issue? Maybe? We aren't entirely sure what it could be and Google has come up empty. Thought maybe someone here could help photos...
  19. HenriettaPizzaNolan

    From the suburbs and struggling internally with making the plunge into keeping (and slaughtering) meat birds. Need advice!

    Hello all. I am new to chickens in general but have fallen in love with them since getting my 4 layers. I live in the city but am very connected with nature and love doing things that make me feel more self-sufficient, so between these birds and my garden, I've started to feel that way and I'm...
    • HenriettaPizzaNolan
    • Thread
    • first time keeping meat birds first time slaughtering internal struggle keeping meat birds meat birds suburbs
    • Replies: 86
    • Forum: Meat Birds ETC
  20. ShrekDawg

    Cheapest meat birds

    This is just for curiosity’s sake since I can’t have chickens at the new place but maybe it will help somebody else soooo….. What’s the cheapest place to buy meat birds? Specifically Cornish Cross but also maybe ranger types? I know it probably varies some or some maybe have sales or...
    • ShrekDawg
    • Thread
    • cheapest meat birds chicks meat bird meat bird price meat birds meat chicken meat chicks where to buy
    • Replies: 24
    • Forum: Meat Birds ETC
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