Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Lacy Blues]

Gotta share my excitement, since only chicken people will understand. And for once it's thread related!

Welp hatchery just updated their pricing and order dates for 2014, and I was finally able to get my hands on a couple dozen of their cornish rock crosses. I'm looking forward to feeding them fermented feed and pasturing them in big tractors behind the cows, along with some capons.

Yay for you! Isn't it amazing, when you think about it, how little it takes to get us chicken people excited?

Most of the people I know just kind of roll their eyes and shake their heads. Ha ha. Their loss.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Ohman! I missed pages of rabbit talk. XD

The FW's are slow-growers compared to the larger breeds, huh? How is their meat-to-bone ratio? I know it's pretty god on the New Zealands.

I raise the NZW's myself but I also have a standard rex and a giant mix and I had a cali cross at one point.

The cali was a little smaller but also seemed lighter boned. She was a NZW/Cali mix. My Rex is about lbs smaller adult weight and while her kits grow just fine, dressage ratio is WAY lower on them. My NZW's are real champs; 4lb kits at 10 weeks every time and the incredible part is I was looking at 75%-82% dressage ratios... If I recall average hovers at 55%-60%? Yeah. It's pretty great to have a 4lb rabbit and get 3lbs of meat off of 'em in ten weeks.
The problem with giants is not just the meat to bone ratio but also the SHAPE. Giants when they sit kinda tight look alright for a "meat" body... But when they're a bit more relaxed they are shaped like a burrito; all flat and long and low, at least compared to the high arch on a NZW.

If anyone is after some good production NZW's, I have some that were just born. We got 20 out of two moms a week ago. Great moms too, really strong instincts! We're expecting more later this month from some super awesome high quality rabbits too... Discounts to all my BYC friends. ;D

And as for natural feeding, Homesteading today has a great natural feed thread for rabbits... But to me it all comes down to one thing; hay, hay and more hay! All the hay all the time keeps bunnies healthy, and uh... Even more healthy. I have kept rabbits for many years now and I cannot push quality grass hay enough! So many people flip out over how sensitive bunny tummies are but let me tell ya, I feed lots of hay and not a single problem with their digestives, not even when I was switching up feeds in a pinch AND giving sub-q antibiotics to one of my rabbits at the same time.

One of my favorite parts about rabbits is that I can use EVERY part of the rabbit. Heads and feet to the dogs, skin in a tanning solution, organs to the chickens... Everyone is happy with the rabbits around!

 

[Triple Willow]

@ChocolateMouse... good info. Are rabbits shipped like day old chicks?

 

[Darkangael]

Not quite the same way TW but can be shipped through the mail just need to be older before they are shipped.

 

[BCMaraniac]

Not quite the same way TW but can be shipped through the mail just need to be older before they are shipped.

You wean them first, correct? How old are they when you ship them....and are they shipped by air??

 

[hellbender]

Rabbits can NOT be shipped through the mail like peeps. They must be sent by air, just like one would ship dogs or cats...

EDITED: to say, even if you could use usps or any other ground service, it would almost certainly spell doom for the rabbit as they do not handle stress nearly so well as chicks.

 

[Angelicisi]

Is there a specific reason to order from Welp? I saw it a few times. Lol just curious as I've only mail ordered a few times, usually I get ones I can pick up. Just curious. I looked at their site awhile back but they weren't ready when I needed them (the chicks weren't - I am totally impatient not Welps fault!) I do hear the name come up often tho

Good deal! I hope to feed out some of those next year, probably maybe. lol

 

[Triple Willow]

Is there a specific reason to order from Welp? I saw it a few times. Lol just curious as I've only mail ordered a few times, usually I get ones I can pick up. Just curious. I looked at their site awhile back but they weren't ready when I needed them (the chicks weren't - I am totally impatient not Welps fault!) I do hear the name come up often tho

I've ordered from McMurray (geese) and Meyer (chickens) and had good service from both. I like the birds received too, especially Meyers white leghorns and buckeyes.

 

[hellbender]

In keeping with the spirit of this thread, after feeding FF to the youngsters, I proceeded to open the doors to the main houses. As the birds came out, I noticed an older Australorp cock (4+ yrs of age) was acting oddly, shaking his head. Upon closer examination, he appears to have had his comb frostbitten. Not sure how this has happened because it really was not that cold here last night and surely not that bad in the poultry house.

His fate had been sealed some time back as I have some young replacements coming on...this just hastened his demise.

My grand father and father used to perform a minor operation on all breeding birds, including the hens but I just didn't see it as a necessary procedure but as of today....my mind is changing. Although it was only one cock, who knows what the winter will bring?
The old ways will return, beginning with these 2013 youngsters. They are due to be wormed soon so the 'operation' will take place then...

 

[Lacy Blues]

Ok, now you've got my curiosity. An "operation" on cocks and hens related to the cold? I'm definitely have cold issues in my flock and I'm curious as to what you are referring. Culling? Not that cold where you live, where is that and what kind of temperatures have you been having?