Done With Meat Birds

[Oregon Blues]

This is not intended to be an insult, nor is intended to be unkind, but people who are suffering 30% losses need to really reevaluate their methods of raising, their facilities, and their feeding practices. I don't think that the problem is the breed of chicken.

Once the chicks are in your hands and the post office hasn't killed them, you should not be losing chicks.

 

[CARS]

To a certain extent, you are right. BUT, there are poor genetics (cheap chicks?), cold temps, hot temps, disease, etc.
But you are right, it's not the breeds fault. They do take a little "different" care than a normal laying hen.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Birds don't "just die". They die from some cause or another and those causes should be managed so they don't take the lives of birds.

It's a very rare chick that is shipped with a birth defect. Mostly, they are leg and beak deformities where a decision is made to put them down. (and shame on the hatcheries for shipping them in the first place)

People who practice proper sanitation and feed a balanced diet should not be having disease issues. Disease doesn't appear out of thin air. Maybe someone somewhere has had a wild sparrow infect their flock with something deadly, but for the most part disease is a management issue.

It's poor animal husbandry to order chicks in the summer if you live in a place that gets too hot for them to survive. If it is hot, then measures should be taken to keep the birds cool enough so they don't die. Lots of poultry lives where it is hot and they survive. Heat is a management issue. Lots of people get their flocks through heat waves without losing 30% of their birds.

If the weather is cold, you supply shelter and heat. My birds have survived 50 below with no losses; don't try to tell me that poultry can't be brought safely through cold weather. Poultry survives in Canada and Alaska. If a person lives where it is cold, then they really ought to have measures in place and ready to deal with freezing weather.

There is a ton of information available about raising Cornish Cross. Home raised birds should be better raised than commercial birds, and the commercial poultry farms don't have anything near 30% losses. Many of those farms are located where the summers are hot and humid.

The only Cornish X I ever lost was due to very poor management on my part. She drown in a water trough. Well, mea culpa, I should not have allowed her access to water that she could get into and not get out of. 6 month old Cornish Cross hen, healthy as can be, but apparently not such a good swimmer.

 

[quercus21]

I just finished up my birds, out of 52, I processed 47 birds. The loses were my fault, but I wont be doing this many again. I think the brooder box was to small and I'd find the smaller ones one the bottom of the pile. I just finished processing them Tuesday. I was going through 25 lbs of feed, 12 gallons of water and 5 lbs of scratch per day. They were 9 weeks old, smallest dressed out at 4.5 - 5 lbs (5 of them). They rest I had to quarter them (they wouldn't fit in the large foodsaver bags) so I don't know the weight. For 6 weeks they are in an area enclosed by poultry netting which I move around for them. All the deaths occurred in the brooder box.

 

[Peruvian]

MissMandy - I'm in VT and get non-certified organic grain from a farm near Cambridge, NY for $21/100lb bag. I used to pay $22.50 or so for 50lb Poulin Grain organic 20% feed, but no more.

For those that say CX are 'dirty', try raising them in a tractor. It helps keep them out of their own waste and on fresh pasture.

I disagree whole heartedly that by raising CX I'm somehow 'supporting' the industry. My birds are raised on pasture, have 2-3 times the amount of space, eat organic grain, and are respected.

 

[CARS]

Quote:
That is the way I look at it too

Well, not the organic part. But I do buy as much locally as I can!

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Freedom rangers are the way to go for sure. We have ours recorded someplace on here from the day we got them to the day they went to the butcher. I won't do any again because I can't Stop naming them and NOT wanting to bring them to butcher

I just can't do it.

I found our link to our experience with freedom rangers...our one and only time we tried them. They were very nice large birds though but they free ranged very nicely.

http://freedomrangers.blogspot.com/

 

[Peruvian]

Quote:
Do you raise broilers? If so, how much does it cost you to raise one? What would you sell them for? Small farmers don't have the scale that large businesses do so costs are higher. They also generally have more ethics than agri-business and grow responsibly. The steak I buy at the local farmer's market is grass finished and the cattle don't stand around all day in their own effluent. Are you sure the $7-8 birds are raised the same way that the $.79/lb store bird is? If not, you are comparing apples to oranges.

 

[mklindy]

I now have 220+ laying hens and am staying sold out of eggs (13 dozen per day). I am having people request chickens for meat and I have not ventured that direction. I have avenue for outside processor so I do not have to butcher. I have been getting somewhat of an education from friend who has shown Cornish Rocks. I am told to start with Turkey feed due to higher protein and should butcher between 6-8 weeks. I'm thinking of starting with 100 and if it works keep the rotation going year round. Any words of wisdom?

 

[enel 1]

Do you raise broilers? If so, how much does it cost you to raise one? What would you sell them for? Small farmers don't have the scale that large businesses do so costs are higher. They also generally have more ethics than agri-business and grow responsibly. The steak I buy at the local farmer's market is grass finished and the cattle don't stand around all day in their own effluent. Are you sure the $7-8 birds are raised the same way that the $.79/lb store bird is? If not, you are comparing apples to oranges.

Thank you,I've been saying that all along! People keep comparing how much a chicken cost to grow compared to the grocery store. We arn't raising grocery store birds,everybody! If you've ever been to a specialty store you would find that chicken raised the way WE raise them would cost you 25dollars for a 5lb broiler, now if you ask me 10bucks a bird(I have about 8.50 into mine apiece)is a screemin' deal! How do we stop people from thinking this way? If
you want to eat battery raised birds full of antibiotics and growth promoting ingredients then go spend .99 a lb but if you want a bird that was healthy and more healthy for you then its way cheaper to raise a bird for 10 bucks then to spend 8 bucks a lb...no brainier