100 Broilers and Fermented Feed Project

[kuntrygirl]

 
THank goodness for chickens!! I have made a few batches that my kids won't eat. ANd I live low carb so I won't eat it either-- off to the chickens. That is NOT waste. It is recycling. Glad I was not the one that had to scrub the scortched material off that pan!! THat's the part I hate.  ( Sorry you lost such a lovely soup.)

Yep, it was not fun scraping it.

I had it simmering perfectly for 2 full days. Right before my wife was due home from work, I wanted it just to keep warm so we could test it for supper, but instead I put it to max heat and went out to do chores. Came in to smoke.. Was so bummed! It tasted amazing! 

We remade it together, and I won't do that again! 

It was for Christmas presents too! 

Can you tell I'm still not recovered from it? lol

 

[kuntrygirl]

The broilers are 4 weeks old today. This evening is weigh day. I will post weights this weekend.

 

[aoxa]

The broilers are 4 weeks old today. This evening is weigh day.

I will post weights this weekend.

Halfway there, or less than halfway if you butcher at 7 weeks!

They really start to put on weight after 5 weeks. At 6 weeks and after they look ready to go.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:

Quote: THis is why cornish hens are not for me-- too puny.

The growth on these will become amazingly fast. ANd the amt of food they suck down is scary!! But they hit the 7-8 pound mark fast.

I just roasted up one of mine from last summer and the amt of breast meat was poor ( for a cornishx) , so you will want to keep an eye out for the odd ones if you are selling birds to customers and if the customers care.

Ready for the feed bill to double??

 

[Arielle]

KG-- did you plan to add anything like alfalfa to their feed at the end to increase the VitA in the flesh and fat?? Corn will add the color but not as much Vit A is what I have read. ( beef raised in feed lot v. on pasture)

 

[aoxa]

THis is why cornish hens are not for me-- too puny.

The growth on these will become amazingly fast. ANd the amt of food they suck down is scary!! But they hit the 7-8 pound mark fast.

I just roasted up one of mine from last summer and the amt of breast meat was poor ( for a cornishx) , so you will want to keep an eye out for the odd ones if you are selling birds to customers and if the customers care.

Ready for the feed bill to double??

I was going through 200 pounds of feed a week with all of my birds this fall. That is my max. I think it was around 100 pounds in the summer with the broilers free ranging..

If you can get them outside your feed bill shouldn't increase. I fed them the same at 2 weeks in confinement as I did 6 weeks on range. My fall birds got more because of the lack of available forage. They'd go through around 7 gallons of FF a day (around 30 pounds of dry a day before soaking) That's including ALL of my birds. At the time it was around 220 juveniles.

I go through 200 pounds a week I think.. Maybe a bit more now. I hate winter.
I bought 5 bags on Tuesday. I have 3 left today and 3 buckets of FF started. I hope I can make 2 of those bags last until Tuesday...

On another note.. I'd be up for an FF VS dry experiment with the same batch of chicks until week 2, after that they are outside so I can't control who gets what. I wonder if I can see a massive difference. I have only fed soaked, so it would be new.

 

[kuntrygirl]

The broilers are 4 weeks old today. This evening is weigh day. I will post weights this weekend.

e Halfway there, or less than halfway if you butcher at 7 weeks! 

They really start to put on weight after 5 weeks. At 6 weeks and after they look ready to go.

Maybe in 3 weeks, I can start processing.

 

[kuntrygirl]

 

 
THank goodness for chickens!! I have made a few batches that my kids won't eat. ANd I live low carb so I won't eat it either-- off to the chickens. That is NOT waste. It is recycling. Glad I was not the one that had to scrub the scortched material off that pan!! THat's the part I hate.  ( Sorry you lost such a lovely soup.)

Yep, it was not fun scraping it.

I had it simmering perfectly for 2 full days. Right before my wife was due home from work, I wanted it just to keep warm so we could test it for supper, but instead I put it to max heat and went out to do chores. Came in to smoke.. Was so bummed! It tasted amazing! 

We remade it together, and I won't do that again! 

It was for Christmas presents too! 

Can you tell I'm still not recovered from it? lol

 

The broilers are 4 weeks old today. This evening is weigh day. I will post weights this weekend.

e Halfway there, or less than halfway if you butcher at 7 weeks! 

They really start to put on weight after 5 weeks. At 6 weeks and after they look ready to go.

THis is why  cornish hens are not for me-- too puny.

The growth on these will become amazingly fast. ANd the amt of food they suck down is scary!!  But they hit the 7-8 pound mark fast. 

I just roasted up one of mine from last summer and the amt of breast meat was poor ( for a cornishx) , so you will want to keep an eye out for the odd ones if you are selling  birds to customers and if the customers care.

Ready for the feed bill to double?? 

Did someone say feed bill doubling??????????

Can you hear how excited I am about that?

I will most likely keep the smaller ones for me and sell the larger birds.

 

[kuntrygirl]

KG-- did you plan to add anything like alfalfa to their feed at the end to increase the VitA in the flesh and fat?? Corn will add the color but not as much Vit A is what I have read. ( beef raised in feed lot v. on pasture)

Alfafa? Like Alfafa cubes? I wasn't aware of the Vit A but then again, I wasn't aware about a lot of things with these birds. Thanks for that tip. Looks like I have more reading to do.

 

[kuntrygirl]

 


THis is why  cornish hens are not for me-- too puny.

The growth on these will become amazingly fast. ANd the amt of food they suck down is scary!!  But they hit the 7-8 pound mark fast. 

I just roasted up one of mine from last summer and the amt of breast meat was poor ( for a cornishx) , so you will want to keep an eye out for the odd ones if you are selling  birds to customers and if the customers care.

Ready for the feed bill to double?? 

I was going through 200 pounds of feed a week with all of my birds this fall. That is my max. I think it was around 100 pounds in the summer with the broilers free ranging.. 

If you can get them outside your feed bill shouldn't increase. I fed them the same at 2 weeks in confinement as I did 6 weeks on range. My fall birds got more because of the lack of available forage. They'd go through around 7 gallons of FF a day (around 30 pounds of dry a day before soaking) That's including ALL of my birds. At the time it was around 220 juveniles. 

I go through 200 pounds a week I think.. Maybe a bit more now. I hate winter. 
I bought 5 bags on Tuesday. I have 3 left today and 3 buckets of FF started. I hope I can make 2 of those bags last until Tuesday... 

On another note.. I'd be up for an FF VS dry experiment with the same batch of chicks until week 2, after that they are outside so I can't control who gets what. I wonder if I can see a massive difference. I have only fed soaked, so it would be new. 

OH NO! Please don't tell me I just read 200 lbs of feed a week. I won't even say how much feed I go through with all of my other animals.

I also want to try FF vs/ Dry feed experiment on a smaller scale. Something like 15 and 15. I don't think I can handle any more than that right now.