how to meatie take the cold

[Sam208]

I think about doing another batch after this one. I have to keep them in the shed do to all the coyotes,coons and all other things that like to eat chickens. I keep them good and clean (not really that hard ).

Well as most of you know we are going in to winter and is getter colder faster this year than i have ever seen.

I was wanting to know how meatie can do in the cold. They will have good bedding and heat with 3 light with 250 watts red heat lights. My shed they will be in is 8x12 is guess it will hold about 30 without cuseing any problems.


Has any body ever use welps for meaties?


thanks sam208

 

[bigredfeather]

I did a late Fall batch last year. It was a nightmare. I had them butchered a week before Christmas. The water freezing was the worst part. I had them in the barn as well. The birds really seemed miserable. They spent most of their day trying to stay warm despite having two 250 Watt heat lamps on them. IMHO it wasn't worth it. The only reason I got them is because Meyer had them on sale really cheap ($.76 each) They dangled the carrot, am I bit on it. Never again. Even doing a batch right now has been more work than in the Spring. Tarping and untarping the tractor everyday, and worrying about them being warm is much more stressful. After this year, I only doing Spring/late Summer batches. I would be curious to see how much electric is used in providing the addtional heat in colder times. Is really worth the additional costs? :dunno

ETA: To answer your question, I don't think they handle it very well.

 

[Sam208]

the title should read ( how do meaties take the cold)



thanks

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Not very good from my experiences... Northeast Ohio.... Cold, nasty, snowy..... not a good combo with pasture raised broilers.

Out of 1-10 they are like a 4 in cold weather. They just don't preform good.

 

[Sam208]

thanks

every thing i read i think i would reather wait and do another next batch spring.


sam

 

[seramas]

I use honey (1/2 cup per 5 gallon) mixed into their water in cold weather to increase the carobs (fuel for their furnace) to keep them warmer in weather below 25F.

This is one simple way to prevent piling, a disaster that occasionally happens in cold weather.

Cut a 3' sided triangles out of plywood. Putting a wooden block about 12" high in the corners then fasten (with a screw) the triangle to the block in the corner to prevent piling up. One corner of the triangle is up on the top of the block in the corner and the other two triangles corners are tight against the floor/walls. Be sure to have them tight against both walls so feet and wings don’t get caught in cracks between the walls and triangle. The slope of the triangle allows no piling up.

You might want to cut a pattern out in cardboard because your corners may not be exactly a 90 degree angle. I think you get the picture.

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
That's a great idea!

I recently made a similar modification to the corners of my tractor. I used a piece of sheet metal to "round" the inside corners. My piece of metal was roughly 12" long and a little short of the height of the tractor. I molded the metal to create a rounded inside corner and simply screw metal to the tractor.

 

[Countrywife]

We have our first meaties now, and it is going well. You have to take into account where you are though- it is better for us to have them now and slaughter in november than to get them in march and slaughter in may. It will be way hot in may, and in november we still average 60-70 degrees. So, I have them now, but I am coast carolina- won't get freezing cold until january, if then.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

60-70 in November.... I'm Jealous.....

It's a balmy 40 degrees in Ohio... but It's good working weather to say the least.

 

[Sam208]

well im in IL and it 42 out side rite now


sam