Feed requirements for CX and other questions

[pfoster]

I have a couple of CX questions.
What are the feed requirement ranges for the protein, fat and fiber through the weeks? I was seeing them all over the place. We were hoping to switch to the 18% protein sooner than the "recommended" 6 weeks; more like 3 or 4 weeks.
Also, how soon can CX start eating pelleted feed?
We are processing our CX at 7.5 weeks of age as well. Thanks for any help

 

[Tabasco Jack]

I use the 24% protein gamebird starter feed for 4 -5 weeks then switch to a 20% protein chick starter for the remaining time. Not sure about the fat & fiber requirements. Do a little searching for the folks that mix their own feed to see what ratios they are using if you're interested in mixing your own.

Most starter feeds come in crumbles, so that's what they get. To my knowledge, layer feed is all that comes in pellets. And layer feed is too low in protein and too high in calcium for the CX in my opinion.

 

[pfoster]

We use Blue Seal Feeds and their poultry finisher for meat birds is actually a pellet and I was surprised by that. Currently, we have a set of CX that are nearing the end and another "coming" up and we were trying to streamline the feed and try to only have 1 feed by feeding them ALL the multiflock starter grower which is 22%. However, at 6.5 weeks we dressed a roo at 6lbs 5 oz and just lost one, I'm presuming to a heart atttack at 7 weeks. We'll be processing the batch in a couple of days at 7 weeks 4 days old. We were thinking that puttling them on 18% would be better to slow the growth and have them not so big at the end.

 

[Joanmcm]

How much food do you expect to go through? We have 52 broilers and 6 egg layers that turned 4 weeks old yesterday. We use organic chick starter mash that is 19% protein. We have gone through 300 lbs of food. There is a little waste from scratching but not much. This seems excessive. The broilers are fed 12 on and 12 off. It has stayed cold out here at night (50s) and the birds have a heat lamp. What do you use and what kind of feeder do you use? The food is stored inside and is not accessible by any other creatures.

 

[Joanmcm]

*The birds have a heat lamp at night only. Some days were rainy and 60, others sunny and we are finally starting to get some mid to high 70s, low 80s.

 

[LarryP2]

why are you guys using heat lamps on your cx? Mine were three weeks old yesterday, and have been in a new covered run since they were two weeks old. We have been having a tropical monsoon rain season here lately with lows in the high 40's at night. They huddle together for warmth, even though they are totally dry in the run (metal roof). This has drastically slowed down their growth as they have been quickly feathering out, both are good things in my opinion and the opposite of the cruelty found in factory growing situation. CX suffer horribly in heat, and the converse is true: they do very well in cold. Let them be cold and grow slower.

 

[Joanmcm]

Some need more feathers for me to feel comfortable leaving them without a light in 40 degrees. Tomorrow it really starts warming up 50s at night and the light will be shut off. You are right about them preferring cold...the CX never needed the recommended heat. How much food do you go through? Even on a 1/2 day off they are putting away an incredible amount of food.

 

[pfoster]

Last year's batch of 50 went through 1000lbs of feed in 8.5 weeks. The older chicks go out into the tractor at 3-4 weeks of age and get fed in troughs 2x per day. Once the feed is gone it's not replenished until the next feeding. The young chicks are in the brooder in the shed with smaller feeders, but the same premise of not replenishing the feed until the next feeding. We are going to have 3 batches of 50 this year, that we are processing on the farm so we can sell them to our customers. We can't buy the organic feed since it's double the regular feed and we'd never make any $ on the birds.

 

[Tabasco Jack]

Over the life of a layer you can expect 2 lbs of feed a week. Off course chicks will eat less than that but you can estimate what they will need. here's a chart I got from a hatchery that I use as a guide for meaties:


Hope this helps.

 

[Joanmcm]

40 more meaties coming this year. We are going with the less heat, more outside, and waste as little food as possible.