Are my birds on track?

[raimnel]

Quote:
I do have mine outside. I use a (modified) Salatin pen. It is 10x10 with chicken wire on the side. Half of the sides are covered and 3/4ths of the top is covered. I moved them out there at just under three weeks old, and i'm in N. Central Wisconsin. They were out the first week of June. Unfortunately, the first night they were out there, there was frost.

I covered the cage up with a tarp but we lost one. Otherwise all are healthy. I almost forgot to tell you, the pen is on wheels so I move it to fresh pasture twice a day so they can forage and eat bugs and live the life of a chicken.

Can anyone tell me what is a better system of feeding? Troughs or full day access (just take it away at night)?

refresh my memory is that the tractor made with pvc?
if so how did you attach the wheels?

 

[cassie]

Sounds small to me. We fed ours turkey starter, grower, and finisher because we couldn't get broiler feed. We fed 12 on and 12 off starting at a week of age. On our first batch we started butchering at nine weeks and finished when they were about 11 weeks. We did just a few at once as we had the time. The smallest dressed out at 8 1/2 pounds, the largest at 13 1/2 pounds. Most were in the 11 pound range. That is ready-to-cook weight. The second batch we processed at 11 to 12 weeks and they were all in the 13 pound range, some a little less, some a little more.

 

[wichix411]

Quote:
I do have mine outside. I use a (modified) Salatin pen. It is 10x10 with chicken wire on the side. Half of the sides are covered and 3/4ths of the top is covered. I moved them out there at just under three weeks old, and i'm in N. Central Wisconsin. They were out the first week of June. Unfortunately, the first night they were out there, there was frost.

I covered the cage up with a tarp but we lost one. Otherwise all are healthy. I almost forgot to tell you, the pen is on wheels so I move it to fresh pasture twice a day so they can forage and eat bugs and live the life of a chicken.

Can anyone tell me what is a better system of feeding? Troughs or full day access (just take it away at night)?

refresh my memory is that the tractor made with pvc?
if so how did you attach the wheels?

I made this pen with 1"x3"x10' lumber, so i just bolted the legs on.

And Cassie, did any of yours have leg problems? It seems to me that feeding them that much protein would cause a lot of problems...

Freebird- I wasn't going to restrict the feed until we found out that we couldn't get them into the processor until 10 weeks of age and i didn't want to have to deal with leg problems and heart attacks.. so basically, since they have 2 extra weeks, it would be like me asking if 4 pounds is too small for a 5 week old broiler. What do you think?

It sounds like most people do the 12on/12off method. I think i'll try it. and who knows.. maybe when i go buy feed tomorrow, i'll get turkey feed and bulk em up quicker!

 

[cassie]

And Cassie, did any of yours have leg problems? It seems to me that feeding them that much protein would cause a lot of problems...

I fed that much protein because that is what the hatchery said to do. I fed turkey feed because I couldn't get broiler feed. These chickens are bred for phenomenal growth and they need high powered feed to do it. In two batches of chickens we had maybe three with leg problems. We processed those at once. The first batch of Cornish I ever tried to raise I fed them on regular chicken feed and free choice 24/7. I didn't know any better. Managed to kill all but one. Leg probems (very early), sudden death, the lot. These chickens were given to me and I didn't know what they were or how to care for them. When I bought some meat chickens I did what the hatchery said to do and we had minimal problems even though we butchered them relatively late.