Broiler questions

[Lgbchickie]

Can broilers be housed with other non meat-chickens?
Can they eat normal feed? if not what is a good feed?
What are good broilers to show and sell?
How do you manage them on a car ride? (1hr 20min)

 

[Echelontheory101]

Can broilers be housed with other non meat-chickens?
Can they eat normal feed? if not what is a good feed?
What are good broilers to show and sell?
How do you manage them on a car ride? (1hr 20min)

I can't speak to the showing side of the questions but to the growing side of the questions I can assist. I'm new to backyard laying hens but I am not new to meat animals and livestock. yes broilers can be housed with other non-meat chickens but obviously you want to be careful if you have any pests or diseases or viruses dormant or recently in your flock so that you don't have to medicate birds you're going to be eating so with good biosecurity it's perfectly fine to mix them. Also mixing does create some stress for your laying hens because when you remove and process those chickens you're resetting the pecking order again and it doesn't make a ton of sense to constantly do that but if you're only doing it once a year again it's not the end of the world. If you have the space it's probably better to keep them separate but it's not a deal breaker by any means. The feed question is answered by what your goals are if you're looking to get to processing weight as fast as possible and have the fatest chickens then I would feed them a meat bird or finishing feed from day old until processing day but if you're not in a rush to process them and are fine with some slower growth they absolutely can eat everybody else's feed but I would still finish them with a finishing feed for the last couple weeks of their life.

 

[Lgbchickie]

Thanks I'll probably be getting them around mid August and will be selling them in October so I will probably need them faster and we have a slight problem with what I think are leg mites and I've seen a couple chickens sneezing a little bit so I will probably house them separately

 

[Ridgerunner]

Can broilers be housed with other non meat-chickens?

By broilers I assume you mean Cornish Cross (Cx). They are different from Rangers and Dual Purpose.

Some people do but often not more than once. Several things were covered above. The Cx can be aggressive eaters. You may need several different feeding stations so all of them can eat. Many people want to restrict their feed later in the process so they don't eat themselves to death too early. Do you want to limit your egg layers? And the poop. Cx eat a lot so they poop a lot. You may be overwhelmed with poop management in your normal set-up. A separate area for them is probably a good idea.

Can they eat normal feed? if not what is a good feed?
What are good broilers to show and sell?

You plan to sell them at around 8 weeks old. That pretty much means Cx. Rangers or DP will not be ready. Whether they are Cx, Rangers, or DP will have something to say about how to feed them. What shows are being held in October?

You are in Texas. I'd call your county extension office and chat with them. They are going to know about any shows and are probably helping 4-H kids get ready, whether that is feeding, grooming, timing, or something else. They should have local knowledge plus know-how. Could be a great resource.

How do you manage them on a car ride? (1hr 20min)

Are you talking about as babies or to take to a show? In any case they can go a lot longer than that without food or water. The question about age is about how warm they need to be kept. If they are over five weeks that is not a problem. Younger and they will need to be kept out of the wind. No matter their age, they will poop so you'll have to contain them so they don't get poop all over your car. How to contain them will depend in how many and how old.

 

[Lgbchickie]

By broilers I assume you mean Cornish Cross (Cx). They are different from Rangers and Dual Purpose.

Some people do but often not more than once. Several things were covered above. The Cx can be aggressive eaters. You may need several different feeding stations so all of them can eat. Many people want to restrict their feed later in the process so they don't eat themselves to death too early. Do you want to limit your egg layers? And the poop. Cx eat a lot so they poop a lot. You may be overwhelmed with poop management in your normal set-up. A separate area for them is probably a good idea.


You plan to sell them at around 8 weeks old. That pretty much means Cx. Rangers or DP will not be ready. Whether they are Cx, Rangers, or DP will have something to say about how to feed them. What shows are being held in October?

You are in Texas. I'd call your county extension office and chat with them. They are going to know about any shows and are probably helping 4-H kids get ready, whether that is feeding, grooming, timing, or something else. They should have local knowledge plus know-how. Could be a great resource.


Are you talking about as babies or to take to a show? In any case they can go a lot longer than that without food or water. The question about age is about how warm they need to be kept. If they are over five weeks that is not a problem. Younger and they will need to be kept out of the wind. No matter their age, they will poop so you'll have to contain them so they don't get poop all over your car. How to contain them will depend in how many and how old.

They will be around 8 weeks old and I will probably bring 3 also the show in Center Texas if that helps

 

[Ridgerunner]

Depends on what your car looks like, what can you fit in it. A large dog cage or crate should work for that long to get them there but I'd want some bigger place for them once you arrive.