Experimenting with a few meat birds as pets

[Weeg]

Best of luck to you and your future pets!

Thank you so much! I will keep you posted! Once we get the run/coop done then we will get the birds. I'll post pics and mark their progress on here or another thread. Thanks so much for your help! I'm so glad I posted here, these guys are going to have such happy lives thanks to you!

 

[Weeg]

I saw on another article that from the start, I should be feeding a purina flock raiser or other feed with less protein, rather then a high protein meat bird food. It said they wold grow slower, making them easier to keep as pets. Is this true? I think I saw the meat bird food has more minerals in it for them, but I don't want my chosen two to fatten up either. Right now I am leaning towards Purina flock raiser for Doodle and Smudge. Thats gonna be their names lol!

 

[FuzzyCritters]

I saw on another article that from the start, I should be feeding a purina flock raiser or other feed with less protein, rather then a high protein meat bird food. It said they wold grow slower, making them easier to keep as pets. Is this true? I think I saw the meat bird food has more minerals in it for them, but I don't want my chosen two to fatten up either. Right now I am leaning towards Purina flock raiser for Doodle and Smudge. Thats gonna be their names lol!

It is true that high protein food will make them grow faster, so for pets you would want a lower protein food (18-20% as chicks). I haven't seen meat bird food with more minerals, it's usually about the same as other types. Minerals and vitamins are easy to supplement if you are worried about that.

Purina has this really handy compare tool on their website, where you can select up to three types of food and do a side-by-side comparison. Maybe it can help you pick the perfect feed for your broilers (if you decide to use Purina). https://www.purinamills.com/products/chicken-feed

Also, those names are adorable!

 

[Weeg]

It is true that high protein food will make them grow faster, so for pets you would want a lower protein food (18-20% as chicks). I haven't seen meat bird food with more minerals, it's usually about the same as other types. Minerals and vitamins are easy to supplement if you are worried about that.

Purina has this really handy compare tool on their website, where you can select up to three types of food and do a side-by-side comparison. Maybe it can help you pick the perfect feed for your broilers (if you decide to use Purina). https://www.purinamills.com/products/chicken-feed

Also, those names are adorable!

Thank you! I picked the names out of a 4 name name scheme I had offered someone else, they didn't use the name scheme though, so I just picked my two favorites. The original scheme was Dot, Doodle, Smudge and Page, all based off of writing, lol!

Thanks for the tips! I will probably just stick with Purina then, but will also use that link you posted. Thanks so much!

 

[Weeg]

Alright, we are getting all of the metal and wire today to start the project. The problem is, its going to cost $800 for us to build and weld the coop for the bantams, its going to be a lot of money to build another bomb proof coop for the meat hens.
So, because of this, I can going to try to see if I can make it work out for them to stay in the coop with the bantams.

I think it will be alright, my picked hens are going to both be hens, and as long as I do a slow intro, and keep them slim, I am just hoping no one will get picked on. Plus, I wont offer food are choice. I will either separate the tow Cornish in the morning and then give them and the bantams breakfast.dinner separately, or I was also wondering if you guys thought I could make a hut to go over the feeder, that only th bantams could get into. So the opening is bantams sized not meat birds sized? Tell me what you think, I really want to make this work. If not, I could probably work something else out in the duck pen, but I would prefer for them to be with the bantams. Tell me what you think!

 

[Parront]

Alright, we are getting all of the metal and wire today to start the project. The problem is, its going to cost $800 for us to build and weld the coop for the bantams, its going to be a lot of money to build another bomb proof coop for the meat hens.
So, because of this, I can going to try to see if I can make it work out for them to stay in the coop with the bantams.

I think it will be alright, my picked hens are going to both be hens, and as long as I do a slow intro, and keep them slim, I am just hoping no one will get picked on. Plus, I wont offer food are choice. I will either separate the tow Cornish in the morning and then give them and the bantams breakfast.dinner separately, or I was also wondering if you guys thought I could make a hut to go over the feeder, that only th bantams could get into. So the opening is bantams sized not meat birds sized? Tell me what you think, I really want to make this work. If not, I could probably work something else out in the duck pen, but I would prefer for them to be with the bantams. Tell me what you think!

The Cornish-X are not good flyers. You could divide the coop with a low wire fence so that the Bantams could fly over it. Separate food dishes for each side. Just a light weight chicken wire divider would be enough. Or plywood 2' high so the Cornish can't see the food that they can't have!

 

[FuzzyCritters]

Alright, we are getting all of the metal and wire today to start the project. The problem is, its going to cost $800 for us to build and weld the coop for the bantams, its going to be a lot of money to build another bomb proof coop for the meat hens.
So, because of this, I can going to try to see if I can make it work out for them to stay in the coop with the bantams.

I think it will be alright, my picked hens are going to both be hens, and as long as I do a slow intro, and keep them slim, I am just hoping no one will get picked on. Plus, I wont offer food are choice. I will either separate the tow Cornish in the morning and then give them and the bantams breakfast.dinner separately, or I was also wondering if you guys thought I could make a hut to go over the feeder, that only th bantams could get into. So the opening is bantams sized not meat birds sized? Tell me what you think, I really want to make this work. If not, I could probably work something else out in the duck pen, but I would prefer for them to be with the bantams. Tell me what you think!

I think a hut over the feeder is a great idea! I've done something similar when I had chicks living in a flock, so the older hens couldn't steal the chick food. I agree that living with the bantams would be better for the cornish than living with the ducks.

 

[Weeg]

I think a hut over the feeder is a great idea! I've done something similar when I had chicks living in a flock, so the older hens couldn't steal the chick food. I agree that living with the bantams would be better for the cornish than living with the ducks.

Thanks for your input! I will see what works best, they would definitely rather be with the bantams. The duck pen is pretty muddy in the wet season to, so being in the cleaner chicken tractor will be better for them. I also have a treadle feeder, do they won’t be able to reach their heads in the opening of the hut to get any food, they will actually have to enter. Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[Weeg]

The Cornish-X are not good flyers. You could divide the coop with a low wire fence so that the Bantams could fly over it. Separate food dishes for each side. Just a light weight chicken wire divider would be enough. Or plywood 2' high so the Cornish can't see the food that they can't have!

That’s a hood idea to, and will certainly be easier to build. I’ll try this first and see if it keeps them out, then go to the hut if it doesn’t.

Thanks so much guys for all of the help and encouragement! I’m so excited to give them happy lives, they really appreciate it! Thanks again!

 

[Weeg]

Alright, with everything planned out, we’re getting all of the the material to start the build today, and are hoping to have the frame/cage part done by this weekend. So hopefully we’ll be able to pick up chicks in the next two weeks! Yay!
So I had a feed question, I’ll look through that link @FuzzyCritters, but am wondering about protein.
I feed all of my birds purina flock raiser. I’m planning already on giving the that as chicks, but should I give to them that as adults to, or pick something with a lower protein amount? That is really my last question as of right now, so I’m hoping I will have the rest dialed, but will post here if I have more questions! Thanks! I’ll keep you updated with pics, and their progress as well.