Cornish Cross Feed Options

[mark1guy]

Hi everyone,

I am exploring the option of getting some Cornish X and I am wondering about feed options. I was checking with the local farmers coop to see what they have for feed options. They have feed called poultry grower, 25 kg sacs. I am told it contains noanimal by-products, nor hormones or antibiotics. I have yet to check the ingrediants, but that will come later.

Once the broilers finish the "Poultry Starter" I was going to suppliment the birds feed with fresh greens, dried kelp, local fresh fish and crushed shellfish shells.

I was thinking of taking the fresh feed out of the diet 2 - 2.5 weeks before slaughter. Can anyone see any issues with this?

I'm not concerned with paying a little extra for home grown chickens, rather I am looking to suppliment my diet has a hormone/antibiotic free food. My property is 2/3's of an acre with another 2/3 green belt behind my property. Half of my backyard consists of a vegtable garden, working on by berry patch (strawberries, blackberries, rasberries, currents and gooseberries). Not to metion the vast majority of trees planted on the property are fruit and nut trees. I tried tapping the red maples last year with some success. When I build they Shed/Garage it will contain a 10' x 10' root cellar.

So back the the chickens. Surplus greens work as a food source. Chickens help suppliment food for my family and me. The chicken poop will help feed my garden. Current food for the garden is compost, shredded dried leaves and a large amount fo kelp. In the fall of the year there is copious amounts of red leaf kelp (a.k.a Irish moss).

Anyway I apoligize for diverging off topic but I' trying to paint a picture where I am coming from and where I am headed. It's not to save money, rather be self sufficient, eating healthy food.

Any suggestions on broiler feed would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[CoopCrazy]

Not sure I can help but I would love to hear what others have to say...

 

[al6517]

It sounds like you are going to try and feed a mostly vegetable based diet, the birds will not thrive very well without animal protiens in their diet. They will do ok but not thrive and grow the way they could with animal protiens, and your losses early may be higher. there are many other benifits to feeding animal protien based diet, do you have a specific reason for wanting to have your chickens eat like a human vegetarian ???. My loyalties lie with the best healthest chickens I can raise.

AL

 

[fiberart57]

Hello. Why would you want to give them crushed shellfish? Too much calcium in young chicks is hard on their kidneys and may lead to death. Shellfish for calcium is given to layers who are on a non-commercial laying diet although many here leave out oyster shell anyway so the hens can regulate themselves.

Most people who raise Cornish crosses raise them for food. Is this your intent? Then I believe, there some variety in your choices of diet. Some people shy away from soy, some from corn. It's a personal preference. However, I'm with al6517, they'll need protein in their diet to grow well.

Mary

 

[mark1guy]

Thanks guys,

I am trying to get as much information as possible regarding what to use as feed for the cornish X as my intent is as a meat bird. I just want to develop chicken as healthy and humane as possible.

I was going to make crushed shells available if they wanted. But I wanted to suppliment their food with fresh fish. Where I live I have access to fish from the atlantic ocean for free. It can range from herring, caplin to mackerel. Also a normal broiler feed would be made available but I was looking at the fish as a possible supplimental protein source.

Hear me out. Back in the 1940's my grandfather would catch sea gull chicks. Keep them in a pin all summer and early fall and feed them fish all summer long. 2 -3 weeks prior to slaughter they would feed the birds table scraps to get the fishy taste out of the birds. Since I have these options as fish for supplimening the feed I was hoping to explore using the fish as a food source. I can collect the caplin off the beach by the gallons when they go to spawn. People around here still use caplin as fertilizer for their vegable gardens.

A sac of "Poultry Grower (25 kg) costs $17 Canadian. The fish is 100% wild organic food with a high source of omega-3's and great protein source.


Any other suggestions from anyone would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and keep em coming