First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[nj2wv]

They look great!!!

What size are they? (guess)..

How long do you plan to keep them?

Thank you ralphie !!

Maybe three pounds. Not sure. I am bad at weight. I can't carry 50 pounds lol. The Rhode Island Red on the left is 11 months. Just two of the meaties are there. They are the big ones. The other white ones are white rocks I think.

Maybe keep them for another four weeks. Keep some to breed. Sell some live and ready for process. Put three in th freezer.

 

[duluthralphie]

I feed mine a 16-20% protein chick starter mash for first week...

Then grower

 

[mountain mom]

Hi Mountain Mom,
I must be loosing my bearings. No body knows for sure how many eggs are in the wild turkey hen's box as all stay away from counting or handling the eggs lest the hen be spooked away killing the project. One thing you can bet is that there is no great likelihood that there are 30 hen fruit in her box! I have no idea where that idiot insight came from!
My best to you and all who survive reading my cockamamie swill,
Neal

I enjoy your cockamamie swill. Swill or not, it was a good estimate. And woe be to the moron who tries to roust a wild hen from her nest!

 

[mountain mom]

Like Ralphie said, we all do it a bit differently. But we all end up with around the same outcome. Two things everyone here does, are allow free range and seriously restrict feed.

I noticed with fermented feed, they ate and drank less in the overall scheme of things. I think it just works well for them. Not that it isn't great for all flock members, but especially for the meaties.

I only purchased one bag of starter feed for my 15 CX, and 4 bags of grower. They also got scraps and free ranged. They were around 12 weeks at butcher, 5-6 lb dressed. We also had a serious cold spell for a couple of weeks at the end, and I think this contributed to them not being a bit bigger.

Nj2WV- They look great!! I can't believe you are not keeping more for your own freezer... once you eat one, you will be regretting not keeping more!

Ralphie- Any luck with the Bert and Dixie babies? I am really interested in these offspring. I think It will make the perfect combo of great leg meat and breast. Million dollar idea...

 

[duluthralphie]

I HAVE BABIES!!!

they are not suppose to hatch until Friday I have one that has capped the egg and is resting now half out...

I have another that has cracked a path all the way across the air sac!!


And I just moved them this morning to the hatcher!!

The two are EE.s

 

[mountain mom]

I HAVE BABIES!!!

they are not suppose to hatch until Friday I have one that has capped the egg and is resting now half out...

I have another that has cracked a path all the way across the air sac!!


And I just moved them this morning to the hatcher!!

The two are EE.s

BABIES!!!! So awesome! I noticed the creamettes are not as quick to enter the world. Entitled diamond encrusted chickens.

And look at your fancy "golden feather" seal. Now I know what it means.

 

[duluthralphie]

BABIES!!!! So awesome! I noticed the creamettes are not as quick to enter the world. Entitled diamond encrusted chickens.

And look at your fancy "golden feather" seal. Now I know what it means.

Amazing how that fancy seal makes BYC perform better. No more waiting to load. I can no longer drink three mikes lemonade while the page loads!

 

[nj2wv]

Congratulations on the babies !! I see another pip. !!

 

[duluthralphie]

Another one popped his head out and I hate to say it, but he looks like Ole...


I think Ole has been getting around. It is striped blonde..

 

[Dandelioness]

Hello, I would like to know around about guess on what meat chickens eat on the average day. I plan on raising 100 at one time in a chicken tractor. if anyone could help please make recommendations. I also plan on feeding fermented feed to them.

I figure my feed costs on the total grow out period using 14.5# per broiler. So I multiply that by the amount of birds I have ordered and only buy that much feed before processing day. I have seen some people say 9 weeks will take 13.3# feed per broiler, but I don't know if they are restricting feed or not. Both of those figures (mine and the one I saw recently) were based on dry feed, not fermented. I will say that it's more than 8-9 weeks that the 14.5# lasts my broilers, but I can't remember exactly how much longer.

I have read that laying chicks (who consume less feed than the broilers, all things being equal) will eat only 1/2 the amount of the same feed when it is fermented. I would imagine you'd see a similar tradeoff with the broilers. If I were you, I'd budget for buying up to 1450# feed for your flock (max), but only buy the feed weekly and track their consumption should you ferment - and share your results with us, too. If the tradeoff is the same, you might get away with only buying 800# of feed or so! And wouldn't we all love that? I may try it this year as well, but I have a lot going on at the moment chickens and otherwise.

I raise about 25 per 8'x8' chicken tractor, especially towards the end. There is a period where they're all in one or two pens right out of the brooder, but you will need the equivalent of four 8'x8' portable pens for 100 mature birds, and you'll still need to move them almost twice per day when they get close to market weight. So make them easy to move!!

I second, third, fourth, etc., the tips above about bringing the food out a few times a day, positioning of feeders & waterers, and pasturing them as soon as & as much as possible. Even bringing garden bugs and clumps of grass with the dirt and roots and all into the indoor brooding setting right away (provide chick grit) give these birds the idea that bugs and grass are food & fun.