DP roos

[lharper]

We are trying out a few different options for meat birds this year. We've got a few CXs and we are getting a "heavy assortment" that we plan to raise the roos for meat. I want to make the dual purpose heavies a tractor to keep on the area we plan to turn into another garden next year, so they can work on it this summer.

I know the DP heavies will take longer, so how much space should be allowed in the tractor for each bird? Most info I find on CXs say 2ft since they are only out in the tractor for a short time. Since the extra roos will be there an extra 1-2 months they should ave extra room, right?

 

[DaughterOfEve]

will the cx's be butchered before the heavy breed roos. If so that will free up room in the tractor by the time the heavies get big enough to need more room. Oh, and it seems to me 2 sq feet per meaty is fine. I believe 2 - 3 sq feet for other chickens is the minimum indoor space and 5 sq feet is the minimum outdoor space. Now that I have you totally confused, maybe someone else can chime in.

 

[lharper]

The meaties will be processed way before the extra roos. They are almost 3 weeks, and the assortment came today. I am thinking maybe a 12 x 8 tractor.

Would that work for 15-20 cockerels until about 16-18 weeks?

 

[beanmcnulty]

Quote:
I would like to know too! Will be raising DP and colored rangers next year in tractors. I would assume more active birds would need more space than CX, but how much more?

 

[Avalon1984]

I does depend on what type DP you are thinking about raising. My Barred Rocks are ok in small runs but I have some Salmon Faverolles and these guys are huge! They put my Australorp to shame sizewise. Mine also get fairly tall but I have never had CX or a tractor for such

 

[OldChurchEggery1]

I kept 3 Australorps and 3 Ameraucanas in a 3x6 chicken tractor and they seemed to be fine with that amount of space. I did let them out of the tractor to roam around in the afternoons, though. We did have to move it quite a bit because they did deposit a lot of chicken plops in a concentrated area.

 

[beanmcnulty]

So 3 sq ft wouldn't be awful (18/6). That is kinda where I was leaning- split the difference between a full grown DP layer or roo (~4 sq ft) and a CX (2 sq ft). Makes sense.