feeding dual purpose birds???

[shelleyb1969]

Quote:
JM Hatchery...they've got other fowl as well.

 

[AHappychick]

digitS' :

The best advice you can get will probably come from those people who make your feed.

Most of them will say for dual purpose-types:

Broilers, 0 to 4 weeks, Starter
4 to 8 weeks, Grower

Pullets, 0 to 4 weeks, Starter
4 to 12 weeks, Grower
12 to 22 weeks, Developer
Laying > 22 weeks, Layer

Many of us do not have Developer available but that step isn't considered of great importance and those pullets can be left on Grower. Feeding Layer to chicks or growing poultry, with its high calcium level, "may cause growth problems, kidney damage, or death." Further, Layer feed has significantly lower protein content than Grower. Poultry Science, Auburn University

Steve

thanks!​

 

[AHappychick]

ok can I make do wit the following feeds I have that will get my dual purpose ready for processing?

I have

Starter
Broiler crumbles
scratch
Layer feed
grains
cracked corn


At the moment the dual porpose are about 4 weeks old and I have them on a starter/scratch mix. Should I put them on my broiler crumbles to fatten them up. I am looking to process at 14 weeks, and with the snow they are not able to go outside so they are only getting what I feed them.

 

[chickenannie]

Quote:
How are you cooking them? Unless they are young, tender roosters, or CRs or CornishX, they should be cooked long and slow such as in crockpot cooking. Then, even an "old" stewing hen becomes tender and delicious. I would not ever bake or even fry the dual-purpose (unless they are under 5 months). I don't think your family would notice if they are slow-cooked. But everyone has their preferences, too...

 

[digitS']

Unless they are stressed by the cold weather, they shouldn't need any added grain as real young birds. Grain is a high energy, fairly low protein food for them. The excess calories will fatten them but they still need to grow muscles and that requires a high protein feed. If the temperatures are cold where they are kept, it shouldn't hurt for them to have a few extra calories from grain but they also need grit with whole or cracked grain.

A lot of people keep their meat birds on a feed with over 20% protein right up until processing at 8 weeks. That may not make whole lot of sense after they go past that age and especially if you still have cold weather after another month. But, I would have them on grower (Broiler crumbles) now or soon.

A layer feed never figured into my plans for feeding out meat birds.

. . . just my 2 cents, Happychick

.

Steve