Help make my science fair project great please!

[addictedtochickens]

After my flock was killed by a couple of dogs I decided that I needed an excuse to purchase more chickens. My excuse was science fair. My family agreed that I could purchase the chickens so long as I get the idea approved by my teacher, but he didn't think it was good enough. The teacher stated that I wasn't being advanced enough in my thinking and had to prove something specific.

In my project I wanted to raise cornish cross and a heavy breed chicken, comparing the weight gain of the two varieties over their lifespan. In the experiment I would compare food consumption, time to reach mature weight, mature weight, dressed weight, and the overall cost of each breed of chickens. One thing he said that I might add is the difference in nutritional value of each breed. If anyone knows how I would test the fat quantities in the chicken and other nutritional statistics, that would be great. I need to get my plan pretty solid by tuesday of next week. Please help me get my project more advanced.

Thanks for all of the help.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

well, I doubt the nutritional value of each breed is going to vary much and the cost of getting that analyzed will be high.
I would suggest three pens of CX; one fed commercial high protien feed only, one fed commercial feed plus whole grain supplement, and one fed whole grains only. You could compare the rate of gain, losses and carcass weight.
Another idea would be the same three pens all fed the same, but one given vitamin supplements in the water, one given ACV in the water, and one given mineral supplements is the water. maybe another pen with just plain water.
hope that helps . . .
or you could do one pen raised entirely indoors with no sunlight (like the big commercial operations) and one free ranging naturally . . .

 

[addictedtochickens]

thanks, that's a great idea. How much room would indoor only chickens need?

 

[Hope119]

Quote:
I don't have an answer, but maybe you should ask "how much room does the commercial chicken usually get?"

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

mostly just enough to eat, drink and poop. get ready to do at least once a day cleaning. Your job will be easier if you put them on raised wire cages (like rabbit cages) so you can just clean under them.

 

[FireTigeris]

Well after processing you could compare the 'dry weight' of the fat and bones to the meat as a three part ratio- I hypothesize that Cornish X have heaver bones...


so you would take the following measurements:

weight of food consumed
live weight
dressed weight
weight of bones (just debone him)
weight of meat not counting fat or skin
subtract the weight of bones and weight of meant (not counting fat and skin) from 'dressed weight' to get weight in fat.

that would give you basic waste per bird in things bad for us or impossible for us to eat.

You could use the national dietary commission or whoever's portion sizes - a pack of playing cards is one serving of protein - because the birds were fed the same food I'd say the meat and fat will not very in nutrition, just the ratio of meat to fat - (Example the indoor olny ones are fatter and have light bones, the outdoor ones have less fat but heavier bones...)

I would NOT be surprised is more weight per Cornish x bird is in bones then we think...