How to start my Meaties???

[chickenfeverforever]

I dont need my meat birds to be organic....But as close to it as possible would be nice. Hatchery states I should feed regular chick feed thats medicated for the first 3 weeks and then to swtich to a broiler feed till butcher which should be between 7-9 weeks. So my questions are...

1. Is the right?
2. Should I feed them regular medicated chick starter for 3 weeks?
3. How long with the medication stay in their system? Really dont want to eat medicated birds.
4. Is 22-23% high enough? Thats all my feed store has.


Thanks.

 

[classicsredone]

Where are you getting the birds? If it is available, you can get them vaccinated for coccidiosis. Vaccinating will help you avoid medications in the feed. The medication actually blocks thiamine, which prevents coccidiosis. I think you'll get a lot of opinions about it, but I chose not to use medicated feed and went with the vaccine. There might be some deficiency issues with thiamine being blocked, but it may not be an issue with fast growing hybrids. I wish I could help more than this...hope it helps a little.

 

[LadyinRed]

Quote:
I'm not sure if I did it right but my meaties never had medicated feed, Went on normal chick food with the rest of my silkie chicks which was 20% Then I just let the little pests grow as long as they wanted to. I did not have a single loss. My meaties were fat but healthy birds that enjoyed running, flapping their wings and overall gourging themselves when I moved them to 22% layer food at eight weeks because they were too big for my brooder. They free ranged in clover with my silkies though they enjoyed just laying in the middle of my barn isle. Processing at 12-13 weeks of age.

I Processed two today and I must say that internally I don't think any of my other birds has looked so healthy aside from a pocket of air in the abdominal cavity in one. the breast was easily four inches thick on my smallest. The skin was slightly yellowy but I did not feed large amounts of corn or marigolds so it was not as yellow as it could have been. Had to use a turkey fryer to boil water to dunk them in. Overall the only thing is that I need a larger pot to cook these darn birds in.

Tomorrow I butcher the other two if I can pick the big one up. They are quite fast for meaties and actually hard to catch ontop of being so massive I cannot just run and scoop them up like I can with my sweet silkies.

My cornish x obviously had NO leg deformity's though they do have legs set so wide apart they waddle. And apparently the only one with heart problems is me from chasing them down then carrying them one by one to the butchering spot. I hope you have as enjoyable an experience with your little fat meaties and I hope my first time with all this was a little bit of help.

 

[PotterWatch]

We don't use medicated feed or get the cocci spray done at the hatchery. I know that meaties can be susceptible to cocci, but we haven't had any issues with it so far and we raise our birds organically so even if we wanted to, medicated feed or the spray would be out of the question.

We feed an organic feed that is 22% protein from start to finish. So far, it has worked well and given us some good looking birds of a good weight.

 

[chickenfeverforever]

Quote:
Okay so for you, You have been feeding a 22% adult/broiler feed from start to finish? or just a 22% layer feed? How long do you wait to butcher with this method? Sadly 90% of my meaties died. Half were DOA and the rest died within the first 6 hours of picking them up from the post office. I assume its from the heat during shipment. They are replacing them. Only they will have to change the number so I will have to call in Tuesday morning and have them change my loss from 16 to 21. Hopefully these birds will do better. So is it safe in assume that Cocci is the only thing the medicated feed is for? If thats the case, I will not be feeding the replacement birds with a natural 22% broiler feed from start to finish.

Thanks so much. Any other tips or advice would be great as well.

 

[FeedYourself]

Quote:
I would recommend you read-- https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=436974 and then read -- http://www.welphatchery.com/cornish_rock_care.asp

My first year with meaties is just about to end (at least round 1). Without these resources, I would have had to learn lessons the hard way.

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

Quote:
Okay so for you, You have been feeding a 22% adult/broiler feed from start to finish? or just a 22% layer feed? How long do you wait to butcher with this method? Sadly 90% of my meaties died. Half were DOA and the rest died within the first 6 hours of picking them up from the post office. I assume its from the heat during shipment. They are replacing them. Only they will have to change the number so I will have to call in Tuesday morning and have them change my loss from 16 to 21. Hopefully these birds will do better. So is it safe in assume that Cocci is the only thing the medicated feed is for? If thats the case, I will not be feeding the replacement birds with a natural 22% broiler feed from start to finish.

Thanks so much. Any other tips or advice would be great as well.

I also feed 22% Meatbird Crumbles from start to finish with a 12/12 restriction after the first 7 days. I don't feed medicated feed and yes, that is the only reason it is medicated. I did have mine vaccinated and I also heard that the vaccine is okay for organic growers. We have had really good luck so far but did have one that we had to butcher at 5 weeks because it couldn't stand anymore. It was definitely one of my smallest birds too so I'm thinking they must just have a genetic thing that hits some of them. Good luck with you meaties!!!

 

[PotterWatch]

Our feed is from Modesto Milling and they call it a chick starter and poultry grower crumble. They have a finisher pellet for broilers but we haven't used that. We butcher our birds anywhere from 7 to 8 weeks.

Sorry you lost so many birds. That stinks!

 

[chickenfeverforever]

Ok. Well the 4 I have left have been on medicated feed so I guess I will just leave them on it till the new ones arrive and they I will start them on a 22% broiler feed as soon as the new babies get here. I will leave feed out all day for the first 2-3 weeks and then I will do the 12/12. With this method, Do I just leave the feeder in with them for 12 hours and then remove it for 12?

 

[chickenfeverforever]

Ok. Just bought them some starter/grower feed that is 24%. I will start them on it tomorrow. So I just keep them on 24% the whole time or do I even want to reduce it to 20 or 18%??