best way to get meat birds fat and healthy quicker

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I have just started in the chicken business I am raising day old chicks to 8 weeks old then selling them to a guy. I am wondering what is the best feed I could use to get the chickens healthy and fat quicker? I am using chick starter but feed prices are high so, i'm trying to find a way if there is any other way to get the cost of feed down for me. I thought about making my own feed i'm trying to look into it but, thought I would see what everyone thinks on here first. any ideas or advice I would appreciate it.
Thanks

 

[TheSpeckledRoo]

I use turkey feed. They grow very fast and large. After about three weeks of turkey feed i would switch it back to normal chicken feed. If you do this MAKE SURE that you place the food and water on top of a ramp so they have to walk up the ramp to get your food and water. By doing this you strengthen the chickens legs fast enough to accommodate their growth.

 

[redsoxs]

I use turkey feed. They grow very fast and large. After about three weeks of turkey feed i would switch it back to normal chicken feed. If you do this MAKE SURE that you place the food and water on top of a ramp so they have to walk up the ramp to get your food and water. By doing this you strengthen the chickens legs fast enough to accommodate their growth.

That's a really good idea, SpeckledRoo...I like the ramp idea. Seems like CornishX are more than happy to move as little as possible and just gorge at the feeders all day - like the exercise idea!

 

[Kaitie09]

We also put our food on top of a hill to promote movement. Mine dressed out between 4 and 7 lbs at the end and I still had birds that were running and hopping around because their legs could accommodate their weight. One thing we did was put the water at the bottom of the hill. This made them walk up and down the hill all day going back and forth between food and water.

 

[Shades of Blue]

thanks for the ramp idea.....I am putting in some Cornish x this spring and will do this to help out their legs and lungs.

 

[Evangelina]

What would you make the ramp out of? Any ideas?