Getting started with meat birds

[Hamster0425]

Good morning!

We have been raising egg layers for 8 years, and are talking about finally adding meat birds to our farm. I have a few questions though before committing.

Does anybody *not* use a tractor method? I can easily cross fence about 450 square feet of our layer space for the meatiest and would prefer to keep them in that space permanently. I could let them into the bigger area on occasion.

Exactly how much work would they be? I envision dealing with food and water daily and adding straw as needed, but somebody suggested I may be way underestimating the amount of work. We have two small children, so free time is not our strong suit right now

For coop design, I'd like to be able to use this space for layer pullets as well (not at the same time as course.) Is there a good way to dual purpose this space?

If it matters we are planning on 25 birds to start, either cornish cross or freedom rangers. I'd like to be able to move up to 50 at a time eventually. We do have a place where we can process them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum, glad you joined.

Does anybody *not* use a tractor method?

As you read on here you will find we do these things differently, all kinds of ways. Some use tractors of all sorts, some use permanent facilities. Some get their meaties to forage for some of their food, some provide everything they eat. Just because one person does it a certain way doesn't mean we all do. That applies to everything on here.

Exactly how much work would they be?

Depends on how you set it up. The way you are considering they will not be very mobile. A big difference in meaties and layer chicks is that meaties tend to eat, poop, eat, poop, drink, poop, eat, poop, then repeat. Unless you force them to forage for some of their food they don't move much and the poop really builds up. The big difference between them and layers is how you manage the poop. I don't now how much extra time that will take you.

For coop design, I'd like to be able to use this space for layer pullets as well (not at the same time as course.) Is there a good way to dual purpose this space?

How long will you keep the pullets in there, until they start to lay? The meaties will not be alive long enough to need nests. You do not want the meaties to roost. They can injure themselves jumping down. They grow so fast their skeleton has trouble keeping up. Some people put something a few inches high for them to step up on to get out of the poop but it's generally not necessary. That factors into poop management and how you are set up.

I envision this as a grow-out pen and an integration aid. Depending on when you integrate them you probably don't need nests. I'd make roosts removable. This is how I did mine but there are plenty of other methods.

If it matters we are planning on 25 birds to start, either cornish cross or freedom rangers. I'd like to be able to move up to 50 at a time eventually. We do have a place where we can process them.

For something like this I always suggest starting off slow. Ten may be plenty the first time. Meaties need to be butchered when they need to be butchered. You don't have the luxury of waiting very much. They take up a lot of freezer space. That's one of my limiting factors. Get the experience before you over-commit. I also like the idea of trying Cornish X one time and Rangers another. See which suits you better.

Good luck and again,

 

[Molpet]

I got 6 CX along with 2 br and 2bbb turkeys one year. I ran them together and put them out with the flock at 6 wks. I fed them 2x a day and they foraged. I intended to keep one CX and BBB for breeding. Most of my current flock are related to the CX pullet I kept and hatched eggs out of that fall

 

[Hamster0425]

@ridgerrunner I should have clarified! This would just be a temporary space for layer pullets between when they can leave the brooder and are big enough to integrate with the rest of the ladies.

Some more questions as I continue to research...

Do they actually need a house at night, or is a secure open air pen sufficient? It would be solid on one side and covered with a tarp. We are in Oregon. Not sure when exactly we would do this.

I keep reading about the poop. If they were not in a tractor and just in the above mentioned 450 sq ft, how would would I need to add more bedding material to keep it from getting poop infested, assuming 25 chickens? Is there an efficient way to manage poop in a permanent set up vs a tractor?

I do acknowledge 10 would be an easy starting point, but I figure if I'm going to go through the effort of building a pen and managing food/water/poop I might as well raise a reasonable amount for my freezer.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do they actually need a house at night, or is a secure open air pen sufficient? It would be solid on one side and covered with a tarp. We are in Oregon. Not sure when exactly we would do this.

Once they are feathered out, think predators and rain. If you are happy with what you have you are good to go.

I keep reading about the poop. If they were not in a tractor and just in the above mentioned 450 sq ft, how would would I need to add more bedding material to keep it from getting poop infested, assuming 25 chickens? Is there an efficient way to manage poop in a permanent set up vs a tractor?

Ever wonder why you keep reading about poop when people discuss raising meaties? They tend to not get far from food except to get to water so poop tends to really build up. You might be able to manage that by adding more bedding, but I'd be skeptical. Still, we are all in different circumstances. Never say never. You might be able to handle it by scattering it around the rest of that pen, but you'll probably be better off shoveling it up and taking it somewhere to compost. You'll have to judge how often that needs to be. If the weather is dry you should have to do that less often than when it is rainy. Not sure if you are on the wet side or dry side. If it starts to stink you waited too long. Probably a bit of a learning curve.

 

[RoosterML]

I personally would not do Broilers confined. #1 reason to much poop #2 reason more poop #3 reason even more poop.
Yep that sums it up for meat birds.
The feed and water part is simple. Realistically the first 2-3 weeks are not that bad as far as waste goes. After week 3 the waste just builds up so fast. It only gets worse as time goes on. There is a reason they grow so big so fast and once the feed is converted it needs to go someplace.

 

[Hamster0425]

I've gone back and forth a lot, but I think I want to try Freedom Rangers for our first go around. It sounds like a good middle ground for rookies.

I know we will need to significantly upgrade our brooder. How big of a space do we need per chick, assuming we keep them in there for 3-4 weeks? It can be a permanent structure.

 

[RoosterML]

@Hamster0425 that’s a great choice. Where are you going to get them from? Moyers Red Royals are my favorite so far.

 

[Hamster0425]

Planning on Jenks, they are pretty local to me.