Thanks for posting this. I might have to give them a shot this year. I want to do leghorns and meaties and these prices are awesome!
Central Hatchery ???????????????
- Thread starter CoopCrazy
- Start date
That's Me, they are just over two weeks old now. All 104 are doing excellent, putting on weight, and eating a lot. They have eaten almost 250 pounds so far.
Ralph
That's good to hear! I can't wait to get mine and get the ball rollin' towards processing day!
I'll be interested in your survival rate, Swamp, as so many folks swear they can't seem to obtain less than a 5% mortality rate on these CX.
Decided to get some electric poultry netting from Premier this year to keep them corralled into pasture and to help the old dog keep up next to the wood line. My chicks will be the number one buffet offered in these woods this year as I see very little small game here but scads of fox, hawk and owl.
I got the fencing that doesn't require a grounding rod so I can move it easily, so fresh pasture will be a simple but still safe thing to get...am going to run my dog right in the fencing with the birds, like Salatin does with his pastured layers.
Decided to get some electric poultry netting from Premier this year to keep them corralled into pasture and to help the old dog keep up next to the wood line. My chicks will be the number one buffet offered in these woods this year as I see very little small game here but scads of fox, hawk and owl.
I got the fencing that doesn't require a grounding rod so I can move it easily, so fresh pasture will be a simple but still safe thing to get...am going to run my dog right in the fencing with the birds, like Salatin does with his pastured layers.
That's good to hear! I can't wait to get mine and get the ball rollin' towards processing day!I'll be interested in your survival rate, Swamp, as so many folks swear they can't seem to obtain less than a 5% mortality rate on these CX.
Decided to get some electric poultry netting from Premier this year to keep them corralled into pasture and to help the old dog keep up next to the wood line. My chicks will be the number one buffet offered in these woods this year as I see very little small game here but scads of fox, hawk and owl.
I got the fencing that doesn't require a grounding rod so I can move it easily, so fresh pasture will be a simple but still safe thing to get...am going to run my dog right in the fencing with the birds, like Salatin does with his pastured layers.
I would love to see a photo of your setup. How many birds will you have and how large will the corral be?
Ralph
Sure will! I'll be running them on the garden space first(garden is grass/clover covered and hasn't been plowed for 3 years) so all that good poo will be where we can plow it in, then will move them to another shade/sun area for the duration. I figure the fencing can be moved in a wheel around the cattle panel coop that I just built(and is too darn heavy to move by hand but can be moved with the truck) until that pasture is exhausted and then I can move the coop and start all over again.
I already have a solar charger that I'm mounting right on the coop, so moving the electric source won't be a problem. The garden space has been overseeded with some clover for the past few years, so it should have some tender forage.
I already have a solar charger that I'm mounting right on the coop, so moving the electric source won't be a problem. The garden space has been overseeded with some clover for the past few years, so it should have some tender forage.
Got my chick order from Central today and there were 4 extra chicks in the order~2 CX and 2 of what looks to be RIR cockerels.
All the chicks are very healthy and active and are doing well with their first meal of buttermilk and starter. They also learned the nipple waterer system immediately! I was surprised and pleased.
All the chicks are very healthy and active and are doing well with their first meal of buttermilk and starter. They also learned the nipple waterer system immediately! I was surprised and pleased.
I'm very impressed with the Cornish Cross I received from Central. I received 104. They are three weeks old now. I haven't lost any and they are growing like crazy. I'm sure they are eating more and growing much faster than my last batch received from a different hatchery. That may not be solely attributed to the hatchery. My last batch were begun on chick starter then switched to purina, then finished on Nutrena Meatbird feed. This batch is getting Meatbird from start to finish. So far, everything is progressing better than expected. Today, I am switching them to 12 on 12 off feeding.
Ralph
Ralph
We should keep updating this thread and see how our chickens do. Mine are about a week and a half now and doing really well. I'm curious as to how others feed and care for their meaties. This is my 3rd batch.
My big goal this time is to lower my cost of raising them. My last batch cost around $8.50 each to raise to 6 weeks - OUCH! That included $1 each bird for butchering. This time we're butchering ourselves and I also sold off 30 of my extra chicks. That takes $1.25 off each bird right from the start. Cost is the very reason I found Central in the first place.
My big goal this time is to lower my cost of raising them. My last batch cost around $8.50 each to raise to 6 weeks - OUCH! That included $1 each bird for butchering. This time we're butchering ourselves and I also sold off 30 of my extra chicks. That takes $1.25 off each bird right from the start. Cost is the very reason I found Central in the first place.
I'm using unpasteurized ACV in their water each and every time I refill for the probiotic and electrolyte replacement value of the ACV, not to mention just for a immune booster. The probios in ACV are proven to prevent coccidiosis, salmonella, e.coli, etc.
I also am starting them out with other fermented foods right off the bat, with buttermilk in their starter to form a wet mash. They will graduate from the buttermilk to fermented starter feed, then to fermented whole grains of barley, cracked corn and wheat. The fermentation increases the protein level by 12% and also increases the total nutritive value of the feed, as well as making it more digestible. After using their first bag of starter they will be fed once a day, in the evening, with the fermented grains.
My first bag of starter was 50 lbs and cost $16 and the rest of the whole grain purchase was $56, consisting of 100 lbs of corn, 100lbs. of barley and 50 lbs of wheat. The birds will be free ranging on grass inside electric poultry netting by their second week of life, with the paddock being changed after week 4 or 5 to a different area with more shade. In the current area they are residing in and free ranging outside of this coop and an extra tarped area will be erected inside this paddock with a water source placed there as well. This will be for hawk cover if they are too far from the coop to duck and run. I will also be keeping my dog inside their paddock for further protection.
The coop:
My chicks are currently being brooded right inside this coop in a haybale enclosure which will just be widened until they don't need it anymore, will be hardened off to the temps as soon as possible and should be out on the grass after their second week.
What is everyone else doing with their chicks?
I also am starting them out with other fermented foods right off the bat, with buttermilk in their starter to form a wet mash. They will graduate from the buttermilk to fermented starter feed, then to fermented whole grains of barley, cracked corn and wheat. The fermentation increases the protein level by 12% and also increases the total nutritive value of the feed, as well as making it more digestible. After using their first bag of starter they will be fed once a day, in the evening, with the fermented grains.
My first bag of starter was 50 lbs and cost $16 and the rest of the whole grain purchase was $56, consisting of 100 lbs of corn, 100lbs. of barley and 50 lbs of wheat. The birds will be free ranging on grass inside electric poultry netting by their second week of life, with the paddock being changed after week 4 or 5 to a different area with more shade. In the current area they are residing in and free ranging outside of this coop and an extra tarped area will be erected inside this paddock with a water source placed there as well. This will be for hawk cover if they are too far from the coop to duck and run. I will also be keeping my dog inside their paddock for further protection.
The coop:
My chicks are currently being brooded right inside this coop in a haybale enclosure which will just be widened until they don't need it anymore, will be hardened off to the temps as soon as possible and should be out on the grass after their second week.
What is everyone else doing with their chicks?
What a great set-up!!
Well.... I just moved my chicks to their big pen in my husband's garage (or is a barn? lol) to finish brooding. In a week or two, depending on temperatures, we'll start to let them outside in a nice fenced area with yummy grass and sunshine. We'll have a simple range shelter for shade for them, but they'll also have access to their inside pen as well.
We had hoped to have a large tractor to move them around, but it just didn't happen this time. Maybe in the fall.
I'm feeding mine on simple starter right now. In about two weeks I'll start mixing their feed with scratch grains and grow them out on 50/50 grower & scratch. We did that with our last batch and liked the results. Your feeding program is very interesting and sounds great for the chickens.
How long until you butcher? We're going to do the bulk of ours at around 6 weeks and let a few grow to around 8 for roasters.
Well.... I just moved my chicks to their big pen in my husband's garage (or is a barn? lol) to finish brooding. In a week or two, depending on temperatures, we'll start to let them outside in a nice fenced area with yummy grass and sunshine. We'll have a simple range shelter for shade for them, but they'll also have access to their inside pen as well.
We had hoped to have a large tractor to move them around, but it just didn't happen this time. Maybe in the fall.
I'm feeding mine on simple starter right now. In about two weeks I'll start mixing their feed with scratch grains and grow them out on 50/50 grower & scratch. We did that with our last batch and liked the results. Your feeding program is very interesting and sounds great for the chickens.
How long until you butcher? We're going to do the bulk of ours at around 6 weeks and let a few grow to around 8 for roasters.
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