How calculate flock cycles

[Poultry4Health]

I see the feeding protocol difference. Agreed certainly.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I see the feeding protocol difference. Agreed certainly.

In addition to what @rjohns39 said, they are flighty, don't like confinement, are escape artists and can find lots of their food by foraging would make them less than ideal pen mates for meat birds.
They are very good layers and extremely heat hardy. Is it very cold where you are in winter?

 

[Poultry4Health]

In addition to what @rjohns39 said, they are flighty, don't like confinement, are escape artists and can find lots of their food by foraging would make them less than ideal pen mates for meat birds.
They are very good layers and extremely heat hardy. Is it very cold where you are in winter?

You mean if I allow them to free range in my lawn they might fly away for good? Oh ho. Winters are cold only by my standards -2 deg Celsius. Thats nothing thing by your standards I believe.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They'll range farther than your meaties.
If you raise them from chicks and they become imprinted on their housing, they'll come home every night.
Yes, -2C is a warm winter by our standards.

 

[rjohns39]

When raising meat birds starting with the brooder, you want to build a triangle at the furthest points away from each other. Heat, water and food. This encourages them to move about the brooder. I also give them a very small quantity of meal worms morning and evening. Less than the number of birds, which encourages them to run where I throw them so they can get some. It will come in handy later when moving them about. I'll toss a small handful in the front of the shelter to motivate them to come up front when I move it. Generally, once they see fresh grass they'll stay on it and I can safely move the shelter.