Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

I've never seen it in any of mine but you can be assured that it will not last long like that...pretty soon it will weigh too much for those legs to support it.  You going to wait and process it then or cull it now? 

I guess I will wait a little while.

 

[Beekissed]

I guess I will wait a little while.

Hard to kill a chick, isn't it? It's one of the hardest things to do, killing a baby animal.

 

[tjo804]

Thank you all for the help.

Do these look right?


This is Chickens Feed



This is Chick Feed.

They are about a week old.

Congratulations on the meaties What kind?

 

[Beekissed]

Thank you all for the help.

Do these look right?


This is Chickens Feed



This is Chick Feed.

They are about a week old.

Congratulations on the meaties What kind?

Kinda hard to tell from here but they look okay besides the huge amount of water...is that after the feed has absorbed or did you just mix that? If after, you can do away with most of that water...no need to keep water over the feed.

These meaties are Cornish Cross birds....

 

[tjo804]

Kinda hard to tell from here but they look okay besides the huge amount of water...is that after the feed has absorbed or did you just mix that? If after, you can do away with most of that water...no need to keep water over the feed.

These meaties are Cornish Cross birds....

It wont dry out?

They are cute Ready in 8 weeks?
I have not done Meaties yet but am considering it, Trying to research a good starter / beginner breed.

 

[Beekissed]

It wont dry out?

They are cute Ready in 8 weeks?
I have not done Meaties yet but am considering it, Trying to research a good starter / beginner breed.

Nah...just stir it each day when you feed. Mine is like sugar cookie dough...no liquid over the top at all. Your chicks will thank you for it, as they won't be getting sticky, wet feed dried in their fuzz and then have bald spots left behind.

Not ready in 8 wks if I can help it! Too, too soon. I like to let mine get older and gain more flavor in their meat before processing. They will probably be 10-12 wk old before processing, depending on how hot it is in the month of June...I hate to process when it's too hot out. These birds will free range all day for a good bit of their feed along with my layer flock.

 

[tjo804]

Nah...just stir it each day when you feed. Mine is like sugar cookie dough...no liquid over the top at all. Your chicks will thank you for it, as they won't be getting sticky, wet feed dried in their fuzz and then have bald spots left behind.

Not ready in 8 wks if I can help it! Too, too soon. I like to let mine get older and gain more flavor in their meat before processing. They will probably be 10-12 wk old before processing, depending on how hot it is in the month of June...I hate to process when it's too hot out. These birds will free range all day for a good bit of their feed along with my layer flock.

Do they stay with your layer flock the whole time of do you have separate coops for them?

 

[Beekissed]

Do they stay with your layer flock the whole time of do you have separate coops for them?

They join the layer flock at 2-3 wks of age and stay in the same coop from then on. Right now they are being brooded out in the coop...and snow on the ground! The big chickens can hear them and see them, so won't be too surprised when I open up the brooder and let them out to explore the coop and the area around it.

 

[Triple Willow]

Hard to kill a chick, isn't it?  It's one of the hardest things to do, killing a baby animal. 

Yep. It would be easy if it was injured or in some sort of pain but it is just fine other than the weakness in its legs.

 

[BCMaraniac]

Great, you found some! I have 12 but one is having problems. It is alert and eats and drinks well but it can't hardly get around. For whatever reason its legs are really weak. It has to flap its wings when I tries to walk. I hate it because other than that it is fine, a little runt-ish but fine. Have you ever seen this or seen one come out of it?

TW, are his legs splayed at all? If so, you could always try to splint them. I use a bandaid to hold the legs close enough together so they can stay upright until they get stronger. That's the only leg problems I have seen in the babies, but I don't have a lot of experience with them....just a few hatches.