Chronicles of Raising Meat Birds - Modern Broilers, Heritage and Hybrids

[FortCluck]

Higher protein makes more ammonia since the nitrogen isn't converted. STINKS! But does pack on the weight.

Yeah they smell glad they’ll be in the fridge tomorrow!

 

[RUNuts]

But, they were filling up with salad, not nice fattening corn! We all know how to put weight on, and it is not by running all day and eating salad!

BUT! Salad is healthy! I like my salad wrapped in chicken anyway.

 

[RUNuts]

Yeah they smell glad they’ll be in the fridge tomorrow!

Exactly! Lower protein and less smell. Same amount of poop. I'm spreading the shredded yard waste over the spots the chicken tractors rested. The yard is turning GREEN!

this is a good thing.

 

[Parront]

BUT! Salad is healthy! I like my salad wrapped in chicken anyway.

I like my salad with BBQ chicken breast strips on top, with blue cheese dressing. Birds don't get any!

 

[Parront]

Exactly! Lower protein and less smell. Same amount of poop. I'm spreading the shredded yard waste over the spots the chicken tractors rested. The yard is turning GREEN!

this is a good thing.

Less smell just from moving them and spreading the good stuff on the grass.

 

[Parront]

9 weeks on the Moyer's Imperial Broiler pullets. 5 butchered this week with average weights of 2.5# carcass weights. Looks like I didn't feed enough and am behind the growing curve by a pound.

By eye, they are a little smaller than the layers and a lot smaller than the CX would be. I fed in the morning and would feed more in the evenings if all the food was cleaned up. Apparently, I should have fed them in the evenings to get them all filled.

They are running around, trying to roost on the tractor at night and I have to shepard them into the tractor for bed time. Plenty of water is available from 3 watering spots. But the weather has been brutal this week.

Looking for ideas. I'm guessing not enough feed to be this far behind.

I really do not think 2.5 pounds at 9 weeks is a bad thing at all. I have eaten smaller chickens that were twice as old. Right around 3 pounds is just perfect to me. Getting there in 10-12 weeks would be just fine, with nice healthy birds, too.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

The meat birds... I finally found a few meat birds... 4 CornishX. I am not going to weight them till much older.., I am feeding them the same as the other breeds so not expecting them to gain big... when I am sure they are healthy I will put them in with similar aged chicks... my goal is not biggest fastest growing chickens but healthy skeleton to support mature weight. Ultimately I want to do some breeding experiments, I may have to do AI. Hopefully I can add some Rangers or Kings or other broiler hybrids or breeds to the breeding experiment.

 

[FortCluck]

Exactly! Lower protein and less smell. Same amount of poop. I'm spreading the shredded yard waste over the spots the chicken tractors rested. The yard is turning GREEN!

this is a good thing.

My meat chicken area is green. Once they’re butchered tomorrow I’m putting my grow out chickens in there. I decide who I’m keeping or not once they’re old enough then I sell and butcher the rest. Most are dual purpose

 

[RoosterML]

I like my salad with BBQ chicken breast strips on top, with blue cheese dressing. Birds don't get any!

Just had the same thing last week. Was delicious also had hard boiled eggs on it

 

[RoosterML]

9 weeks on the Moyer's Imperial Broiler pullets. 5 butchered this week with average weights of 2.5# carcass weights. Looks like I didn't feed enough and am behind the growing curve by a pound.

By eye, they are a little smaller than the layers and a lot smaller than the CX would be. I fed in the morning and would feed more in the evenings if all the food was cleaned up. Apparently, I should have fed them in the evenings to get them all filled.

They are running around, trying to roost on the tractor at night and I have to shepard them into the tractor for bed time. Plenty of water is available from 3 watering spots. But the weather has been brutal this week.

Looking for ideas. I'm guessing not enough feed to be this far behind.

I have 33 Moyers Imperials out in my Aframe tractor with feed 24/7. Roughly 5 weeks now. I’ll post back at about 9 weeks to see what they dress out at. I would not be happy with 2.5lbs at 9 weeks.