How much feed should I need for CX broilers?

[SheaLoner]

Been trying to plan ahead, that and I will need to order 2 weeks of feed at a time, but I am finding it hard to track down an estimate. I know it will be different from bird to bird and where/how you are raising them. I am just looking for a rough estimate though for CX broilers in how much to expect them to eat. Closest I have found was a chart from new zealand, that once converted from kilograms came to about 50lbs of feed per bird to 5lb live weight. For a conventional commercial broiler.
Does that seem right?

 

[SheaLoner]

Sorry I probably should have posted this in the feeding section.

 

[wolfwalker]

here's my thread on raising Cornish cross in Arizona. it includes weekly charts on feed used versus weight gain https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/cornish-cross-chicks-arriving-next-week.1338750/

 

[SheaLoner]

here's my thread on raising Cornish cross in Arizona. it includes weekly charts on feed used versus weight gain https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/cornish-cross-chicks-arriving-next-week.1338750/

Thanks! I'll go through that asap. And I just want to say I'm eagerly waiting for the next update, now that you hopefully have time to write again.

 

[Mosey2003]

50lbs of feed each seems awful high to me. wolfwalker's chart shows 18.9lbs. I might figure 25lbs just to be safe. You can mix any leftover in with your other chickens' feed anyway.

 

[SheaLoner]

50lbs of feed each seems awful high to me. wolfwalker's chart shows 18.9lbs. I might figure 25lbs just to be safe. You can mix any leftover in with your other chickens' feed anyway.

That was my thinking. The chart was from a commercial farm that was all in kilos. My math could very well be wrong.

 

[Morrigan]

I tracked feed once. I went though approximately 10 (50lb) bags of flock raiser feed, plus another 50 lbs of whole wheat (which I sprouted) to raise 30 CX chicks to a butchering age. They were butchered in stages starting at 7 weeks (for 3 who had some leg problems) then 6 to 8 at time at 9, 11 and 13 weeks of age. They also had access to a yard to forage in and old vegetables.

So, I would guess I went through approximately 18 lbs per bird, excluding forage/vegetables. My feed costs would have been lower had I butchered earlier, but I wanted some big birds to use for sausage.

I'll also add that the combined dressed weight of the 30 birds, excluding neck and giblets, was 180 lbs.

So 550 lbs food for 180 lbs of meat

Note I edited my original post to reflect that it was 30 not 22 birds -- I was looking at a column from another year. The numbers are a lot better with 30 birds!