great video!
100% Free Ranged CxR Finished product (PIC HEAVY)
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- #12
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Thanks Katy I really have had alot of fun raising chickens were still new to it only about 6 months in now Some of my birds are just like having a good friend there beside you always pestering you and mooching off you. Chickens are people to in my book I have heard some say there not the sharpest tool in the shed I beg to differ. I have some really intelligent Birds and some really Nice flocks here i wouldnt trade this new addiction for the world. Go Go Chicken math.
Thanks Katy I really have had alot of fun raising chickens were still new to it only about 6 months in now Some of my birds are just like having a good friend there beside you always pestering you and mooching off you. Chickens are people to in my book I have heard some say there not the sharpest tool in the shed I beg to differ. I have some really intelligent Birds and some really Nice flocks here i wouldnt trade this new addiction for the world. Go Go Chicken math.
Great pics and pretty place! I had to read your post a couple of times...finally caught that you lost half of them? Was it the heat, you figure?
It's great to see that someone is having success raising them that way, that is exactly how I am planning to raise mine this fall.
Does the Oklahoma heat bother them at all? I used to live there, and now live in Arizona, and the heat is about the same, only no humidity. I'm not getting mine until October when it is cool because I have heard from people here that they can't take the summer heat when they start getting big.
Does the Oklahoma heat bother them at all? I used to live there, and now live in Arizona, and the heat is about the same, only no humidity. I'm not getting mine until October when it is cool because I have heard from people here that they can't take the summer heat when they start getting big.
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- #15
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Yes It was the heat and the fact that i listened to alot of people and I caged them without room to move or adaquite shading Also I didnt keep fresh running water for them or shallow swimming pools. The heat just bears down on there poor souls and they keel over. With temps of just 100 degrees I lost alot of birds. in the beginning. But since learning how to cope with them During heat and high humidity levels the main thing I have to say is the free ranging them early and alot of exercising them made for a healthy bird. However some will die cause there just to lazy to go get drinks I fixed that by placing about 10 water devices in my yard from swimming pools and rubber feed pans to old pots and trash can lids you name it heres fresh water in it. I went threw the heat waves with 105 temps here with a 76% humidity level and never lost a soul for the 2 weeks that we had our wave (or longer) we still havent had any serious rain. Now that I think of it and re read my old post. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=362600 I think the storms killed the birds. Internal injurys at one point I had cornish flying threw the yard We had 22 tornadoes touch down during those storms in one day. Sever hail storms (birds were free ranging when it happened and didnt go inside I had to wait out the hail to get them in the house and dried all off) it rained for weeks at a time. it makes sense to me all of that combined with a soon to follow heatwave. not being able to get over the stress.
I feel like I am rambling on and on but I hope my story helps others who chose to free range there meaties avoid some of my mistakes I made. Its really quite simple A good rule of thumb to live by is If your comfortable, then there comfortable.
Edited to say. The statement I made. "i listened to alot of people and I caged them without room to move or adaquite shading " The information they were giving me was all good info. But to restrict a cornishx movment space only adds more heat to the problem as they put off so much heat themselves and being crowded isnt good in my experience. Thats more for people who have air systems or Process at cooler temps.
Yes It was the heat and the fact that i listened to alot of people and I caged them without room to move or adaquite shading Also I didnt keep fresh running water for them or shallow swimming pools. The heat just bears down on there poor souls and they keel over. With temps of just 100 degrees I lost alot of birds. in the beginning. But since learning how to cope with them During heat and high humidity levels the main thing I have to say is the free ranging them early and alot of exercising them made for a healthy bird. However some will die cause there just to lazy to go get drinks I fixed that by placing about 10 water devices in my yard from swimming pools and rubber feed pans to old pots and trash can lids you name it heres fresh water in it. I went threw the heat waves with 105 temps here with a 76% humidity level and never lost a soul for the 2 weeks that we had our wave (or longer) we still havent had any serious rain. Now that I think of it and re read my old post. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=362600 I think the storms killed the birds. Internal injurys at one point I had cornish flying threw the yard We had 22 tornadoes touch down during those storms in one day. Sever hail storms (birds were free ranging when it happened and didnt go inside I had to wait out the hail to get them in the house and dried all off) it rained for weeks at a time. it makes sense to me all of that combined with a soon to follow heatwave. not being able to get over the stress.
I feel like I am rambling on and on but I hope my story helps others who chose to free range there meaties avoid some of my mistakes I made. Its really quite simple A good rule of thumb to live by is If your comfortable, then there comfortable.
Edited to say. The statement I made. "i listened to alot of people and I caged them without room to move or adaquite shading " The information they were giving me was all good info. But to restrict a cornishx movment space only adds more heat to the problem as they put off so much heat themselves and being crowded isnt good in my experience. Thats more for people who have air systems or Process at cooler temps.
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I agree with your experiences. I have really noted that a lot of advice comes "from the book" and many times when I have asked how some one came to their conclusion on something (expecting to hear a rational answer) I got back "everyone says so and I read it here on BYC!" NOT a rational answer in my book.
"Everybody" talked about how many heat lamps were needed for the buggers. I took one look at my panting poopy mess and put them out in a run at two weeks . . . with no heat. temps at night were still getting down to 50 and around 60-70 during the days. I lost 3 due to pile ups (very acceptable number to me). I lost none due to heat when we hit 100+ but I sprayed them and their tractor down at least twice a day (they loved it). If i were to do it again I would follow you and put in waders and maybe even misters. I'm also not so big on the super high protien thing. I fed mine (along with free range) plain old purina flock raiser and they made weight right on time.
I really like your whole grain mix, however I have taken to Milo hastings advice (he wrote "The Dollar Hen" in 1909) which points out that by feeding a whole grain mix most birds will pick out their favorite grains and not get a "complete nutrition". So I supplement with whole grains, but still feed a commercial mix.
"Everybody" talked about how many heat lamps were needed for the buggers. I took one look at my panting poopy mess and put them out in a run at two weeks . . . with no heat. temps at night were still getting down to 50 and around 60-70 during the days. I lost 3 due to pile ups (very acceptable number to me). I lost none due to heat when we hit 100+ but I sprayed them and their tractor down at least twice a day (they loved it). If i were to do it again I would follow you and put in waders and maybe even misters. I'm also not so big on the super high protien thing. I fed mine (along with free range) plain old purina flock raiser and they made weight right on time.
I really like your whole grain mix, however I have taken to Milo hastings advice (he wrote "The Dollar Hen" in 1909) which points out that by feeding a whole grain mix most birds will pick out their favorite grains and not get a "complete nutrition". So I supplement with whole grains, but still feed a commercial mix.
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- #17
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You are correct about the picking there favorite part out So what I do is if you look close to the pic I fine grind half and leave half whole I force my birds to et every last bit of it. meaning if they kick it all on the floor i dont refill there feeders till there mess is cleaned up. I also Use a program in my brooder house since the little guys cant eat the big stuff I sweep it up filter it several times then feed it back to my bigger flocks. I do have to say I waste hardly a half of a 5 gallon bucket of feed per 500 lbs. Key is making the feed like a crumble feed again if you look closly you can see. and I said last night (late) I have a custom feed licence I meant commercial feed licence
I sell private labeled feed. as far as nutriance and protein are conserned my birds eat homegrown squash,watermelon,cucumbers,wheat,milo, and sunflower seeds on top of there diet they have free access to each and every garden here. and 2 full sections of pastured wheat fields. I have no doubt in my mind if i Just let my birds go on bugs and vegetation alone I could still producea nice bird. (wouldn't ever try it myself) I am still learning and I learn more everyday that goes by. each day is spent trying to make improvment in my flock. and to be quite honest I think I am fully addicted to chickens and chicken math. was suppose to order a few more breeding stock birds and ended up with another 100 birds. hehe Katy I remember when I first posted in meat section asking a question and you told me to read more that people were tired of anwsering the same questions. Oh boy did I read and read and read. and the funny thing is I learned so much by reading all those posts even the ones I didnt need to read. Gosh theres some really good information here. By reading and listening to Al who is a master behind meat birds imo. I now have a 6 year goal to be able to produce a CxR industrial strain. the hardest part is gathering all the old blood line birds used in the original formula's. Some I might have to import. some I might be able to find in the usa. If the industry can do it We can to we just have to find the correct genetic tree. Its the 4th generation tha throws us off. The scientific or genetic Padlock so to speak when they add that 4th generation it creates a lock that makes the off spring not reproduce. Just imagine if one of us were able to produce that strain without the block. By by industry
I think Al has achieved a very very close bird. guess I will stop rambling now.
You are correct about the picking there favorite part out So what I do is if you look close to the pic I fine grind half and leave half whole I force my birds to et every last bit of it. meaning if they kick it all on the floor i dont refill there feeders till there mess is cleaned up. I also Use a program in my brooder house since the little guys cant eat the big stuff I sweep it up filter it several times then feed it back to my bigger flocks. I do have to say I waste hardly a half of a 5 gallon bucket of feed per 500 lbs. Key is making the feed like a crumble feed again if you look closly you can see. and I said last night (late) I have a custom feed licence I meant commercial feed licence
oh my gosh!!! I didn't really say people were tired of answering questions did I???? oh dear, jeeze, if I did I don't know what had gotten into me, sorry!!!!
Darn! I feel terrible about that . . . I do always suggest reading more but I never meant it to come out sounding so harsh . . . one of the kids must have done something really stupid that day!
You're right about Al I really appreciate hearing what he has to say, Jeff (brunty) has years and years of experience and is very helpfull too, he's on more in the winter when things slow down for him.
Not sure what you're talking about when you say a fourth generation lock . . . where did you get this info? I'd like to read up on that.
You're right about Al I really appreciate hearing what he has to say, Jeff (brunty) has years and years of experience and is very helpfull too, he's on more in the winter when things slow down for him.
Not sure what you're talking about when you say a fourth generation lock . . . where did you get this info? I'd like to read up on that.
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- #19
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broiler and LOL at the comment about being harsh its no problem you helped me fill my mind with delightful new information.
"Modern broilers are typically a third generation offspring (an F2 hybrid). The broiler's four grandparents come from four different strains, two of which produce the male parent line and two of which provide the female parent line, which are in turn mated to provide the broilers. The double cross protects the developer's unique genetics as strains cannot be reproduced from the broiler offspring.[2] Additionally, the male lines and female lines are not bred for the same traits; for example the female line needs to be able to lay as many eggs as possible, since the number of eggs laid per hen influences the cost of broiler eggs and hence broiler chicks. Egg-laying ability is less important in the male line, while rooster fertility is very important."
In my belief if one can master the art of Genetic Breeding and Not add that extra strain in there one could bring the walls down on the industry. How ever this is not my goal in life my only goal is to provide a happy healthy free range product as natural as possible. and to create my own strain of Broiler chicks that have a very nice growth rate, Good Breasts and features and are good thrivers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broiler and LOL at the comment about being harsh its no problem you helped me fill my mind with delightful new information.
"Modern broilers are typically a third generation offspring (an F2 hybrid). The broiler's four grandparents come from four different strains, two of which produce the male parent line and two of which provide the female parent line, which are in turn mated to provide the broilers. The double cross protects the developer's unique genetics as strains cannot be reproduced from the broiler offspring.[2] Additionally, the male lines and female lines are not bred for the same traits; for example the female line needs to be able to lay as many eggs as possible, since the number of eggs laid per hen influences the cost of broiler eggs and hence broiler chicks. Egg-laying ability is less important in the male line, while rooster fertility is very important."
In my belief if one can master the art of Genetic Breeding and Not add that extra strain in there one could bring the walls down on the industry. How ever this is not my goal in life my only goal is to provide a happy healthy free range product as natural as possible. and to create my own strain of Broiler chicks that have a very nice growth rate, Good Breasts and features and are good thrivers.
ok . . . well have read all of that before, however I am uncertain where you are getting the idea that the fourth generation can not reproduce? many of us on here are doing similar projects; I myself am on my 5th generation with fertile eggs and chicks. Just curious.
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