Considering getting meat birds

[moodlymoo]

I am thinking of raising meat birds but...

When do you butcher

How big do they get

About how much feed do they go through before butcher

How easy is it to butcher

Do they lay eggs

Are they ok to mix with my laying flock

 

[mstricer]

When do you butcher? 8 weeks

How big do they get? 7 to 9lb depending on girl or boy

About how much feed do they go through before butcher? starting .30 to 3.10 lbs ending, a week


How easy is it to butcher? it takes practice to get fast

Do they lay eggs? Yes my Duccle loved them and bred with them I now have a cornish x duccle chick

Are they ok to mix with my laying flock? They poop a lot you might not want that in your coop

 

[moodlymoo]

Thanks so much. I found the sticky up top and have been reading there too. We are thinking of getting 20-30 soon. Im surprised on the limiting food thing. If I had 30 cornish how much food a day do I give them

 

[mstricer]

I feed my 12 on 12 off. I give them as much as they would eat in that time. (they will act hungry when you take away even if they didn't eat it all and starving when you feed them in the morning) I have 11 Freedom rangers and I feed them 14 lbs a day, they don't eat it all unless I leave them lock in, if I let them out to free range they eat more like 7 1/2 lbs they are 5 weeks old. I started with like 25 cornish, then got 25 more 4 weeks later, it was too much for me. We were working a lot of OT and I was exhausted now I do small lots, more manageable.
Michele





Edit due to I had wrong lbs. I forgot my feeders were 7 lbs and not 3 lbs