- May 9, 2010
- 77
- 9
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Have been raising meat birds this summer, ordered 25, lost a couple early as they were growing FAST, none since putting outside in a portable run, & adding some rolled oats to their feed to slow down growth & fill them up. They also were happy to graze on grass & weeds as we moved the porta-coop around. . The local processor we use was on vacation when these would be ready, so they were 11wks+ a day old at time of processing
The 22 surviving birds weighed 140.8 lbs, processed, (almost 150 lbs including hearts, gizzards & livers). Eleven weighed between 5 & 6 lbs processed, 10 weighed between 7 & 8 lbs. (avg was 6.0 lbs)
We like cooking whole large birds, either boiling or baking, then making soups etc. with left-overs, so this should work well for us. Believe we ordered from Cackle. Very happy with the birds, all were getting around fine, no leg or "flip" problems, despite size!
DH states we went through about 300 lbs of food... (Kent Chick-Go, with a scratch/layer mix of grains added in small amounts the last several weeks). Chick-Go runs about $18 per bag.
Feed costs were about $125, birds about $60, processing about $50 = $235 total cost (about $1.68 lb, giblets not included) Plus labor costs to care for them. (They were pretty entertaining, so I guess free entertainment was part of the deal, too!) We ordered them with 5 Delaware chicks & 2 we hatched, who fared fine with the big CX in the same pen. The Delawares are so gentle we had no picking problems or issues with them together, & Delawares seem to have grown just fine, although they learned to ravenously "pig out" when they eat, just like the meaties!
Can't wait for that first big chicken dinner!!!
The 22 surviving birds weighed 140.8 lbs, processed, (almost 150 lbs including hearts, gizzards & livers). Eleven weighed between 5 & 6 lbs processed, 10 weighed between 7 & 8 lbs. (avg was 6.0 lbs)
We like cooking whole large birds, either boiling or baking, then making soups etc. with left-overs, so this should work well for us. Believe we ordered from Cackle. Very happy with the birds, all were getting around fine, no leg or "flip" problems, despite size!
DH states we went through about 300 lbs of food... (Kent Chick-Go, with a scratch/layer mix of grains added in small amounts the last several weeks). Chick-Go runs about $18 per bag.
Feed costs were about $125, birds about $60, processing about $50 = $235 total cost (about $1.68 lb, giblets not included) Plus labor costs to care for them. (They were pretty entertaining, so I guess free entertainment was part of the deal, too!) We ordered them with 5 Delaware chicks & 2 we hatched, who fared fine with the big CX in the same pen. The Delawares are so gentle we had no picking problems or issues with them together, & Delawares seem to have grown just fine, although they learned to ravenously "pig out" when they eat, just like the meaties!
Can't wait for that first big chicken dinner!!!
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