Feed for meat birds

[Old West Chicken Lady]

I purchased some Cornish Cross meat birds. They are doing real well. I have been feeding them an organic chick starter for meat birds along with vegetable greens. When it is closer to processing them should I feed them some additional feed? This is the first meat chicks that I have raised and did not NAME THEM. So I believe I will be able to process them. This is a BIG step for me! Any words of wisdom out there?

 

[The Dapper Duck]

Ha, yes that is a good first move. I never really name birds because they come and go so easily (despite our efforts) and I am just not inventive enough to make up that many names!

I'm assuming this is Cornish X type. Keep them on 18-20% until the last 1-2 weeks, then switch them to 16% and you can add in cracked corn free choice to fatten them if that's what you are after.

 

[LilyD]

I try to free range mine as much as I can and feed them once a day after 3-4 weeks so that they are not growing as fast otherwise you can have leg issues due to how fast they grow. I don't feed them any differently they are on organic broiler feed and free graze from 2-3 weeks until processing and usually average around 6-8lbs depending on the bird

 

[RUNuts]

I keep mine on 18% protein for the whole time. Free choice. Allow them to free range also. They will act like they are starving no matter what. Food in the bowl and I feed, we are starving. Food bowl empty, yep, still starving. They will eat quite a bit of grass, greens and frogs. I do move the feed away from the water. They gotta move. If they don't move, cut rations. I'd get mobbed coming to the fence. The giant with the food is here and everyone would waddle as fast as possible to the gate.

Best eating there is.