How to keep meaties going

[DreamsInPink]

Thanks donrae!!

I probably will look up a youtube video... at some point. lol I'm not really sure I want to see it though... haha

How many meaties do you order at once? We are just starting out and only have 6 right now... and they grow SO fast!! It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to keep them inside at first. I don't know, we'll see.

 

[donrae]

We've been trying to do the sustainable meat thing. Building a plucker was the best idea we've used since getting chickens! Seriously, processing day is pretty laborious, so every other month sounds like the best option. It's taxing in more ways than one, so NOT having to pluck by hand is a HUGE plus. We built a "whizbang" style plucker and now de-feather each bird in 15 seconds or so. End costs were around $400. That's a lot of money (even though you only pay it once)... so if you're only looking for short-term cost savings, buying chicken from the store might still be the best option, BUT if you plan on regularly processing chickens there is no better time/effort saver. Plus, $$ can be saved if you already have materials, which we did not.

When we were planning, I made a YouTube playlist of other pluckers or inspiration here:

there are lots of different modifications people have made that are just great and make the plucker even better.

Oh! Also, I wouldn't mix CX with your current flock, as they will be coming from "factory" conditions and who knows what they may be carrying at first. I've also had zero luck mixing chickens of different age groups, so a divider may be necessary if you raise them in your current run (which sounds big enough for 10 additional birds, for sure).

If you want exact numbers (exactly 10 birds for instance), I would recommend getting a few extra CX to account for potential losses. CX can sometimes croak for no apparent reason. If you end up with too many at week 8, you can always gift/sell the extras to friends and family (we did, it was a hit!). Good luck!

I was with you right up until the bolded part. Cornish cross chicks come from the same hatcheries as layer or ornamental chicks. I guess all major hatcheries could be considered "factories", but they're pretty big on bio security and I don't see how CX chicks would be exposed to anything the other chicks wouldn't?

 

[modernsettlers]

I think it's a good idea to "quarantine" any new birds at least for a time. I would definitely recommend for ANY hatchery birds. Do you disagree? If so, why?

 

[DreamsInPink]

I like the idea of quarantining. I'd hate to bring something home to my current flock. How long do they recommend quarantining? Is it 30 days?

 

[aart]

I think it's a good idea to "quarantine" any new birds at least for a time. I would definitely recommend for ANY hatchery birds. Do you disagree? If so, why?

Any older birds, absolutely....hatchery chicks, not so much.
But I keep them in the brooder in the house anyway, if anything will 'immunize' chicks with a chunks of sod from my run starting the second week.

BYC Medical Quarantine Article
Poultry Biosecurity
BYC 'medical quarantine' search

 

[DreamsInPink]

@aart

So you don't think I'd need to quarantine the new stage of chicks I bring home from the co op?

 

[donrae]

I don't quarantine hatchery chicks. Maybe my trust is misplaced, but those hatcheries are businesses and they follow pretty strict biosecurity protocols. What diseases are you all worried about hatchery chicks passing on to your flock?

My hatchery chicks go into the brooder in the barn. It's not with the main flock, but that's just geography for me. I don't change clothes or wash hands, etc between care. Feeders or waterers can be interchangeable. When I hatch my own chicks, if there are hatchery chicks in the brooder they all get raised together. Maybe I've just been extraordinarily lucky, but I've not had any problem with disease from any hatchery birds over the years.

 

[modernsettlers]

I don't quarantine hatchery chicks. Maybe my trust is misplaced, but those hatcheries are businesses and they follow pretty strict biosecurity protocols. What diseases are you all worried about hatchery chicks passing on to your flock?

My hatchery chicks go into the brooder in the barn. It's not with the main flock, but that's just geography for me. I don't change clothes or wash hands, etc between care. Feeders or waterers can be interchangeable. When I hatch my own chicks, if there are hatchery chicks in the brooder they all get raised together. Maybe I've just been extraordinarily lucky, but I've not had any problem with disease from any hatchery birds over the years.

I guess you just have to do what works for you. Most likely you'll never have a problem, but even professional operations with strict biosecurity are susceptible to disease. The price of eggs didn't jump last year for no reason - http://money.cnn.com/2015/07/16/news/egg-prices-increase-avian-flu/

Just something to consider.

 

[aart]

Quote: That was in large commercial egg houses....not hatcheries.
Whole different ballgame...apples to oranges.

Most backyard folks don't have the facilities to do a true bio quarantine anyway.....
.....separate building 100-300 feet apart, separate equipment, changing of clothes and shoes.
Knowledge and execution of eliminating cross contamination usually makes it all moot.

 

[dmclucker]

We've been trying to do the sustainable meat thing. Building a plucker was the best idea we've used since getting chickens! Seriously, processing day is pretty laborious, so every other month sounds like the best option. It's taxing in more ways than one, so NOT having to pluck by hand is a HUGE plus. We built a "whizbang" style plucker and now de-feather each bird in 15 seconds or so. End costs were around $400. That's a lot of money (even though you only pay it once)... so if you're only looking for short-term cost savings, buying chicken from the store might still be the best option, BUT if you plan on regularly processing chickens there is no better time/effort saver. Plus, $$ can be saved if you already have materials, which we did not.

When we were planning, I made a YouTube playlist of other pluckers or inspiration here:

there are lots of different modifications people have made that are just great and make the plucker even better.

Oh! Also, I wouldn't mix CX with your current flock, as they will be coming from "factory" conditions and who knows what they may be carrying at first. I've also had zero luck mixing chickens of different age groups, so a divider may be necessary if you raise them in your current run (which sounds big enough for 10 additional birds, for sure).

If you want exact numbers (exactly 10 birds for instance), I would recommend getting a few extra CX to account for potential losses. CX can sometimes croak for no apparent reason. If you end up with too many at week 8, you can always gift/sell the extras to friends and family (we did, it was a hit!). Good luck!

Thanks for the detailed reply!