how to finish meaties. . . I think I did something wrong

If you are looking consider Hoovers Hatchery. I have ordered over 600 birds from them in the last couple years and have really liked them. Like what was mentioned by 'what did I do' they seem to have larger/stronger hearts and I see very few flips. But then again the same birds are available from other hatcheries to. It all depends on what line of grandparent stock to hatcheries bought their parent stock out of.
 
If you are looking consider Hoovers Hatchery. I have ordered over 600 birds from them in the last couple years and have really liked them. Like what was mentioned by 'what did I do' they seem to have larger/stronger hearts and I see very few flips. But then again the same birds are available from other hatcheries to. It all depends on what line of grandparent stock to hatcheries bought their parent stock out of.
Thanks for the hatchery name. I am waiting until fall so it's cooler. Wow, 600 birds! I am on my first 25.
 
Op, do you have pics of your birds? Sounds like they're just not cornish cross, maybe you got white rocks instead?


This was taken this week. They are 10 weeks old now & average 5 pounds, some smaller. They walk out from the shed I keep them in to a movable pen. What do they look like?
I was told by someone here that I may have a slow growth white type bird. I have not looked up the White Rock breed.
Let me know. . . .thanks!
 
Those are cx for sure. Looks like they are mostly pullets though. White rocks don't grow to 5 pounds in 10 weeks.


I agree, is there something wrong with a bird that grows a little slower?

My roosters grew faster than the pullets but I like that because we don't process them all on the same day.
 
Cockerels usually grow faster than the pullets. That's why I always order all cockerels because up here I can only raise them for about 7 or 8 months of the year. Getting all cockerels allows me to process an entire extra batch in a year.


Birds that grow a little slower tend to have fewer problems with bad legs and heart failure. In each batch of 50 or 100 that I do there are always some that are slower than the others. I usually have to butcher all of them on two separate butcher dates.
 
I don't mind the slower growth but when I got them I was told to butcher at 6 weeks. Mine don't have leg problems and so far no heart problems. I lost a chick early but that was it. I just couldn't figure if it was something did wrong. These are my first meat birds.
 
I love reading about this! We are new to this, have 2 plymouth hens and 1 roo. Incubated eggs and have 4 chicks about 1 month old. Looking @the them I cant imagine butchering them in another month. They are the same size as our other breeds. What are the ratios for grinding your own feed?
 
I'm sure it's wrong, but I'm wondering about the theory that they could be White Plymouth Rocks. I realize they wouldn't be that heavy. I have some 11 week old White Rocks that are 3 pounds. In your picture those birds seem kinda tall.
 

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