Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[MagicChicken]

Some of us don't bother to finish off the cockerels before culling. I used to have a separate pen for cockerels but it's being used for a separate line of breeders now. I did several months of small, staggered hatches. Been culling the problem cockerels two or three at a time, every 10 days or so. Just separate them out the night before so I don't have to waste time trying to catch them in the morning. No special feeding plan. They taste great and the pen of youngsters is relatively calm. Works for me.

 

[finnfur]

Calf Mana Pro
Ingredients

Soybean meal, corn, hominy feed, feeding oatmeal, dried whey, dehydrated alfalfa meal , linseed meal, brewer’s dried yeast, vegetable oil, fenugreek seed, anise oil, calcium carbonate, monocalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, salt, sulfur, iron oxide, ferrous carbonate, ferrous sulfate, copper oxide, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, sodium selenite, cobalt carbonate, calcium iodate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, choline chloride, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, riboflavin supplement, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, biotin, propionic acid (a preservative).

 

[gjensen]

I've read other people recommend CalfMana for fattening cull cockerels before butchering. That sounds promising unless you have some kind of special recipe/promise to your customers about how the birds are fed. My egg customers are the "no corn/no soy/no canola/no GMOs" crowd, and there are some of us here who don't do a great job of keeping different feeds straight, so I can't risk having even a secret stash of contraband feed on the property.

Of course here we want to segregate the cockerels before they're becoming obnoxious hormonal terrors, but can't always make breeding choices until they get past that stage. They do want to run around and show off and cause as much trouble as they have space for, and aren't always easy to confine during the worst of it. Luckily, the dual purpose breeding birds are a little less clueful about escaping than hatchery birds & mutts.

About birds on suicide mission: I took an odd path through the poultry area yesterday and happened upon a hen with her head stuck between a rock and a hard place. She really looked dead when I found her, but I lifted her out very gently, and then she shook it off and went for refreshments. She made it to her usual roost last night, so I think she will be okay. It was a total fluke that I found here before she managed to succeed in killing herself.

Calf Manna would not be a good product for fattening cockerels. To finish, or fatten, a cockerel is to feed them high energy food stuffs. Corn is the best finisher or fattener followed by wheat etc. Each can to some extent impart a flavor to the flesh, and as a result, some prefer one over another.

Calf Manna would be best used as it is designed. A supplement.

If I had to contend with the anti GMO crowd, I would be likely to go with oats. Oats has been long been used as a finisher in Europe, but I would soak them. Another option is potatoes. An overlooked option in the States. Steamed potatoes that were grown early in the spring could be stored to use for finishing (or fattening) cockerels.

What makes a good finisher is that it is high energy and easy to digest.

 

[gjensen]

I do not always, but I do finish cull cockerels. If for no other reason than it saves money on feed. A simple scratch feed mix (which is a fine finisher) costs less than the others.

 

[MagicChicken]

 I do not always, but I do finish cull cockerels. If for no other reason than it saves money on feed. A simple scratch feed mix (which is a fine finisher) costs less than the others.

I cull them as soon as I decide they are culls, so there's no extra feed expense. If I hadn't done small staggered hatches and if I still had a separate pen for growing cockerels I would probably do things the way you are doing them. Good point on the scratch.

Need to build another pen for cockerels but it's not going to happen this year. Plus I'm running out of room!

 

[finnfur]

Need to build another pen for cockerels but it's not going to happen this year. Plus I'm running out of room!

Don't we always - its a never ending story in chickens - Need more room

 

[finnfur]

Calf Manna would be best used as it is designed. A supplement.

Thats how I use it - lots of fermented wheat 6 parts - 1 oats - 1/2 corn and at serving a cup of Calfmana per 24 birds- i up that the last 2 weeks on culls.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

What type of oats do you find the birds enjoy?

We already use wheat as scratch and to cut the protein content of the feed for the ducks, but otherwise we don't do many treats except what the birds forage. Also the feed is wheat based for easier GMO-free formula without the potential for fraud ... Lots of wheat around here. The birds like it.

The birds haven't seemed to enjoy oats much. I think variety would be good.

Our mill makes a fancy scratch mix, but its price is silly. My breeding partner gets all kinds of great things by the pickup load straight from the field and combines them for her own scratch. If I had the sense she does I'd do the same thing.

 

[Zanna]

"Our mill makes a fancy scratch mix, but its price is silly. My breeding partner gets all kinds of great things by the pickup load straight from the field and combines them for her own scratch. If I had the sense she does I'd do the same thing."

If I had more sense, I think I should do it your way There is going to come a time not too far off when we just plain old can't shovel it into barrels any more! Bucked hay for winter sheep feed for the first time in years and it about killed us........

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

If I had more sense, I think I should do it your way There is going to come a time not too far off when we just plain old can't shovel it into barrels any more! Bucked hay for winter sheep feed for the first time in years and it about killed us........

Does it at least make an interesting alternative to hustling beehives around all night? Sleep deprived sore, vs hot sweaty sore?