Help, ended up with a meat bird, in with layer chicks

[Isadora]

He’s on the food like flies on then sits by the feeder waiting for meal worm treats. The others eat but I’m worried he’s going to get so big I can’t balance how much he gets compared to the others. I didn’t want a meat bird because I’m not willing to butcher it (I don’t even eat meat). I knew from the start he looked way different in color but he was kinda the same size so I brushed it off.

I would ask around to see if anyone wants a meat bird chick.

 

[Prestoncreekfarm]

There is no need to separate him. Are you prepared to butcher him or do you have someone who will when the time comes?

Wait...are you saying he is not letting them eat?

CL for someone wanting a meat bird or extra management seem to be your options.

I’d like to see if I can keep him healthy and with the flock. I have an alpaca farm so I don’t work a “regular job” and could spare the time

 

[Brooks_]

I’d like to see if I can keep him healthy and with the flock. I have an alpaca farm so I don’t work a “regular job” and could spare the time

It can be done, but from what I've read don't expect much more than 18-24 months. That may even be an overstatement.

 

[Prestoncreekfarm]

My son talked me into buying one of these last year. He ate everything in sight but was not aggressive at all. We actually had him in with the Silkie chicks. He gained weight so quickly he had trouble walking. When we put him out in the lot he still hung out with the Silkies. The other chickens picked on him quite a bit but he lost weight and became pretty agile. Still hung out with his Silkies. He was a very loving bird. Unfortunately he only lived about 4 months. I think the Southern heat and his genetics was too much for his heart. They aren't bred to live long.

I’m in Wisconsin. I did some research about not culling and I know they aren’t meant for longevity but I’m a sucker for animals. It’s got a sweet disposition too. Any suggestions on feeding? It’s impossible to keep its weight down right now, I swear it’s bigger every time I look in the brooder

 

[Prestoncreekfarm]

It can be done, but from what I've read don't expect much more than 18-24 months. That may even be an overstatement.

Thanks for the help

 

[NatJ]

I’d like to see if I can keep him healthy and with the flock. I have an alpaca farm so I don’t work a “regular job” and could spare the time

If you want him to stay alive, you will have to limit his food (probably 1 or 2 measured meals per day.)

But your layer chicks will do better with constant access to food.

Possible ways to feed each kind appropriately:

You could separate them (use wire mesh so they can still interact.)

You could make a space that lets in little birds (layers) but keeps out the big meat bird, and keep feed for the layers in that space. Since they are all growing, you would need to keep changing the size of the openings to make that work right.

You might be able to put feed for the layers on something raised (like a small table), because they will almost certainly fly better than the meat bird does.

 

[Prestoncreekfarm]

There is no need to separate him. Are you prepared to butcher him or do you have someone who will when the time comes?

Wait...are you saying he is not letting them eat?

There’s more of them so they swarm the feeder and eat. I really don’t want to butcher him, I just wanted layers

 

[Prestoncreekfarm]

If you want him to stay alive, you will have to limit his food (probably 1 or 2 measured meals per day.)

But your layer chicks will do better with constant access to food.

Possible ways to feed each kind appropriately:

You could separate them (use wire mesh so they can still interact.)

You could make a space that lets in little birds (layers) but keeps out the big meat bird, and keep feed for the layers in that space. Since they are all growing, you would need to keep changing the size of the openings to make that work right.

You might be able to put feed for the layers on something raised (like a small table), because they will almost certainly fly better than the meat bird does.

That’s for sure, one flew over him and pooped on him yesterday. He was very butt hurt and had to have a bath. I agree with the mesh wall, I did think of doing that. I’ve got them in two massive cardboard boxes that I taped together so I’ll be adding on an addition

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I've kept CX alive far too long. By combination of feed restriction and forced free ranging. The gate is (almost) always open to my pasture. All the rest of my birds eagerly free range. By only offering feed in the evening (to gather the birds back together, head count, obvious injury check, ensure they have the protection of the houses) I essentially forced my CX to spend the days hunting food, which helped in a lot of ways.

Still no guarantees - they are not bred for "robustness". Also, cut out the treats - they will eat enough without risking fatty liver disease from the various dried insect treats, BOSS and other high fat seed sources, etc. No scratch/cracked corn, either.

Finally, you can look to a commercial feed that's higher fiber than I normally recommend - look for 6-8%. That will reduce the nutrient diensity, making the bird eat longer for the same nutrition, which will allow the other birds more time to feed. Youcan also increase seperation between the feed and the water sources - make them walk further, they aren't fast at it - again to slow feeding.

 

[NatJ]

I really don’t want to butcher him, I just wanted layers

If you just want layers, the fastest solution is to remove the meat bird (either by culling him, or by "rehoming" him to someone that does want a meat bird, and who will eat him in another month or two.)

If you let them all eat as much as they want, the meat bird will probably die in less than half a year, and you'll just have your layers left.

If you commit to long-term managing of the meat bird's weight, you can probably keep him alive for a while longer, but he will be constantly hungry (=not happy), and he will probably die sooner than the layers anyway.

Personally, I would give him a good but brief life, eating as much as he wants, and then humanely dispatch him, and have a tasty chicken dinner. But my preference may be very different than yours!