Feeding the Bachelor pad

[Mrs. K]

Perhaps I should go over the the meat section and poke around, but these are just dual purpose mutts, not real meat birds.

I have a bachelor pad for the first time! (Thank you, dear Hubby) I have butchered in the past, but really the meat was pretty tough, and the carcass was rather scrawny. They were mostly free rangers and covered the territory.

we are cattle ranchers, so applying some of the feeding ideas, with the idea of producing a more tender product. I plan to keep the boys in a coop/run to limit their exercise and I would like to feed them well. I have the out of a heavy rooster, and I can see they are already really increasing in size.

The plan is to process them at 16 weeks, to age the bird in the fridge for a couple of days.

My question is, what should I feed them? They have been on chick feed, as I fed layers, chicks, and the rooster that when they were all together.

Mrs K

 

[junebuggena]

You can keep them on chick starter or switch them to a grower, flock raiser, or all flock type feed. Exercise is good for them, and will help them develop good, meaty muscles. It's age that makes them tough, not exercise. They will not look like the birds you buy at the grocery store, though, no matter what you do. For that, you will need to raise Cornish Cross and butcher at 8 to 10 weeks.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Around here you can find a meat maker ration, maybe there's something like that by you, otherwise grower. I would think they would burn too many calories running around, most meat animals are kept confined for more fat to develop.

 

[Mrs. K]

While they will be confined, it is to a coop/run that can hold several more chickens than I have in there. Lots to jump up too, get behind, get under or over in the run.

I was rather surprised, as in the last couple of weeks, I found several chicks hiding behind a big box, and I was sure that the older birds were putting pressure on them. However, I moved the laying flock to the new digs, and I left the rooster chicks in my old set up. So I was rather surprised to see them still behind the box this morning!

Mrs K

 

[donrae]

A higher protein feed should help them gain some muscle, I'd think. Not really sure, I just feed everyone all-in-one.

I do recall someone here finishing (I think it was stewing hens, not cockerels) on corn for the last week or so. She was looking for that nice pad of fat to render out and use for cooking, and was pretty happy with the results.