750 lbs. For 50 Cornish X? NEW FERMENTED FEED QUESTION?

[19disbre]

I want to feed my Cornish X meat birds 750 pounds and thats when I will butcher, that works out to 15 pounds per bird from hatch till butcher which is about 1/3 a pound per bird per day but the problem I have figuring out is I would like to know what to feed them each week because a day old chick won't eat 1/3 of a pound of feed a day but neither will a 7 week old bird, so what I would like to know is what to feed the Week 1,2,3,4,5,6, and maybe 7 or 8 if feed lasts that long?

 

[r-dale]

Depending on what you are feeding them a corn x should eat about 9 to 10 pounds of feed in their short lives. So again depends what you are feeding them you should be around 500lbs for 50 birds. First 2 weeks they will eat about a pound and a half each, then the next 3 weeks they eat 3 pounds and then the final 2 weeks it is 4.5 to 5 pounds.

This is what Ive seen and recorded. The thing is you change their feed at each of these three phases. Several changes you need to make in their diet, but the main one is you are cutting back on protien (which in most feed is the big $ part) as they get closer to butcher.
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[matt44644]

https://www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=WBRS

 

[19disbre]

What I am really trying to figure out is how much to feed them each day. So for the first 3 weeks let them free feed as much as they want then at Week 4 - 1.75 lb. Week 5 - 2 lb. Week 6 - 2.25 lb. Week 7 - 2.75 lb. Week 8 - 3 lb. All of this would be divided by 7 days and then multiplied by the number of birds to get what you feed per day correct? Also how much do I need to buy for the first 3 weeks? For some reason I want to say about 150 lb. for 50 birds I think I heard that somewhere? R-Dale how are you feeding your birds? Your numbers seem odd like how did you get them I am a little confused you said 3 pound for the next 3 weeks I take it that is 9 pounds total right? Just a little confused because when you add up what you said per week they are well above 500lb.? Thanks Matt and R-Dale

 

[r-dale]

19, if you look at the page provided by matt, the numbers they have are very close to mine, in the life span of 7 weeks the total amount of feed they will consume according to this web page is 10.43 lbs. What I had told you is that in 7 weeks their total consumption would be 9 to 10 pounds, that is the total of all 49 days of eating.

So like I said, in weeks 3,4, and 5 they will consume 3 lbs. So each of those three weeks they consume about 1 lbs. The web page sighted has them consuming 4.5 lbs in that same 3 weeks.

The page is calling for 2 different feeds, 20% protien starter for 1st 3 weeks then switch to 18% finisher for the next 4 or 5 weeks.

I think the differance in the pages numbers and what I've seen/recorded is that we are using higher protien feed. Ours are thee mixes starting with 22% pro first 2 weeks then 20% next 3 weeks then last 3 weeks at 18%.

Again like I said on my 1st reply the amount of the feed you have to give them depends alot on what you are giving them.


But read the web page again what they are saying is almost exactly what I said to you.

 

[19disbre]

I wasn't doubting you I was just asking you to clear it up, sorry thank you. I need to get about 75-100 pounds for their first 3 weeks correct?

 

[r-dale]

Correct, but for samll amounts they usally come in 50s or 100s. So for 50 animals your best to buy a 100 medicated starter. You should probably not try to mix your own feed on this first group. And I know there are going to be some haters on this but you should use medicated feed with the corn x. Other breeds are tougher and you can get away with less or no medicated feed, but the Xs are delicate. I run mine on med feed only for 2 weeks and then 5 off med. So if you do end up with left over med feed after the third week you really need to watch feeding that to them into the fourth week. Yes if you are at day 21 and you have 1 or 2 more days wrth of med feed go ahead and burn it up, but not well into the 4th week, or you could have to postpone butchering into the 8th week.

They should be off the meds for 4 weeks, for health and taste reasons. That;s why I try to only run meds for 2 weeks and then 5 weeks off.

To keep it simple start with 100 med starter and 400 non med finisher. Not sure how close to a feed mill you are or if you have a dry rodent free storage area (500# will almost fit into three 55 gal drums) but if I were you I'd buy all 500# one time. 7 weeks goes fast and the feed won't spoil if stored properly. Then in the end if you do have to go back and get another 100 finisher, by that time you will have started the next set and be ready for more starter.

 

[19disbre]

okay cool, how heavy does 500lbs get them? how heavy do you recommend as a butcher weight 7 weeks I assume? I am doing this for money and I don't know many I can sell I am not afraid to do a ton I just need to find a market

 

[CrazyTalk]

Depending on what you are feeding them a corn x should eat about 9 to 10 pounds of feed in their short lives. So again depends what you are feeding them you should be around 500lbs for 50 birds. First 2 weeks they will eat about a pound and a half each, then the next 3 weeks they eat 3 pounds and then the final 2 weeks it is 4.5 to 5 pounds.

Cornish Cross convert food at about 2lbs food to 1lb meat - 9-10lbs is going to get you 5lb birds. Some people like them bigger.

 

[r-dale]

I always try to kill at the end of the 7 week and with 9 to 10 lbs of feed in them they average 5.25 at butcher. Running into the 8th week is OK but when you start into the 9th week the FCR goes down, 10th week FCR is way down and keeps going down after that. By week 10 the birds are eating more and gain little weight. So that is more feed money out and less meat and money in.