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

[aliciaplus3]

Yeah. I'm not holding this against her. Eggs the size of my fist almost every day for not than half a year for 5 years, I'd be depleted too.

I used to have a girl that was bad about laying a shell less egg.... we added ground limestone to the feed and it helped! of course we ferment the feed so the limestone became part of the "mash" meaning she couldn't pick it out.

 

[Compost King]

Here st 6000 feet above sea level we have to limit feed so they do not die early these were 6 to 8 week birds
.. dressed out from 3 pounds to just under 4 for the largest one. I was happy these birds had some grass in their crops when we butchered them! We now have 2 small tractors moving on our poultry field with 15 birds each. No these are not giant birds but for our ste and what seems to move at our farmers market they are just right. I would be very intrigued to live somewhere that we could free feed them and see how big they get but the air is thin up here.... lol

I had totally forgotten about your elevation and CX issues with it. Do you do anything differently with other breeds/Hybrids? Do you have to restrict feed to Freedom Ranger type of birds?

 

[aliciaplus3]

I had totally forgotten about your elevation and CX issues with it. Do you do anything differently with other breeds/Hybrids? Do you have to restrict feed to Freedom Ranger type of birds?

no they grow slow enough that their hearts and lungs can keep up.... full disclosure I have only raised 10 red broilers.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

When I did CX under 1000 feet I usually fed them out to 7 and 8 weeks and my weights were 6.5lbs to 8lbs dressed out. Most being around 7.5lbs. Mini turkeys really.
I don't think I ever intentionally pulled feed to do the 12 hr on/12 hr off schedule that some sites recommend, but I did towards the latter weeks only fill the feeders twice a day so sometimes it was bare of food. Mine were on grass in tractors, but towards the end they mostly lounged.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I never knew there were elevation problems raising crosses

 

[Morrigan]

I'm a little under 2000 feet, and I've not had problems with the CX.

 

[Parront]

I'm a little under 2000 feet, and I've not had problems with the CX.

On the McMurray web site they say they do not recommend theirs above 5000'. That is one reason I think I will be doing some of those Moyer's Imperial people are raising here. Got a plan for next year!

 

[BlueBaby]

On the McMurray web site they say they do not recommend theirs above 5000'. That is one reason I think I will be doing some of those Moyer's Imperial people are raising here. Got a plan for next year!

I went there to see, and I guess I'll take the leg quarter's when you do them.

 

[Parront]

I went there to see, and I guess I'll take the leg quarter's when you do them.

Someone was posting some dressed (undressed) photos and they seemed pretty tasty looking. But, the legs are my favorite, You can raise some in the winter! I have to wait for next spring.

 

[BlueBaby]

Someone was posting some dressed (undressed) photos and they seemed pretty tasty looking. But, the legs are my favorite, You can raise some in the winter! I have to wait for next spring.

Find someone who has those egg's and I'll hatch them.