I need your 'secrets' :) for 4-H meaties

[Pathfinders]

We've done meat birds in 4-H for many years now, and both my daughters have won CH or RCH a number of times. Never had a radio on, that's a good idea. One thing we've found is that Cornish cross birds are not very resistant to heat. We keep our brooders in the basement of our house, which is air conditioned. We try to make the transition to the outside pens before it gets too hot out, so they aren't shocked by the change.

Another trick we do (not everyone does) is add one plain, generic aspirin per gallon of water per day for them. Often meat birds will "flip" (flop over and die) because their hearts can't stand some sort of strain (they grow too fast!), and the aspirin helps them, just as it does humans with heart issues.

Not Tylenol, not Bufferin, not Exedrin, just plain old aspirin.

Cheers,

 

[chellebyerly]

seymojo, not all clubs are like this one. but this one is awful. For 100 years in this town, the richest people always won, no matter how bad their animal looked.

and your 100% right, its about the kids. But honestly, they dont want the competition. I am so fed up with it. I really am.

We all do have to buy our birds at the same time, from the same haterchy. They are all shipped in and then banded- so its a guarentee that we have the same birds for show.


The rules are:

weighed upon judging birds can be no less than 3 pounds, pen no less 9, no max weight.

bring 3 best birds to show

the judge will sift lightweight birds.

all have to be bought from a common breeder.

Thats it.

I did talk to the person in charge. She told me "you'll learn as you go- just get a radio"

I'll try to find the archives and see what champion broilers went for last year.

Thank you for the feed schedule. I will try to get my feedstore to order me that type of feed.

I really appriciate all y'alls help, Y'all have all made me feel like I can do this. At least I hope I can. LOL

 

[chellebyerly]

Thanks pathfinders! great idea!!

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

We also raise broiler for 4H. Here are few tricks we use:

Have the feeders raised so the feed is about the same heigth as middle of their chest. This helps strengthen their legs and increases activity.

We also have a box fan on the birds to ensure adequate ventilation and cooling.

We start our broilers on Turkey Starter then switch to a high quality broiler feed.

In addition we order only Cocks as chicks, no pullets.

Jim

 

[chellebyerly]

Lazy J,
ours will be here in January, then we show in March. Not snowy cold (usually... ) by any means, but it should be too hot either. (for me the march show is just stupid- animals dont like to breed in cold months. which is why my rabbits were so reluctenent on dec 17 to breed. it was cold, and spitting ice, and miserable. )
what is the actual temp they should be? I know the 'chick' temps, but once they reach a month old or so old, should they be in the 70* range? or higher. I can (and will have to, our temps fluctuate so wildly here) keep a fan and a heat lamp out there at all times. that shouldnt be a problem, just use which ever one I have to at the time.

I honestly dont know what we will get sex wise. LIke I said, I just paid my money, they order all the birds at once, they band them when they come in, (and with the PITA I have been I am afraid I will get the sickliest 50 there is... LOL ) and then hand them out. Like I might get birds 176-225.

Turkey starter- okay, I will check into that.

Thanks so much!

 

[Germaine_11.20]

lurking

 

[95yj]

my 4h bird club was always a show bird only club, last year 4 or 5 families raised some cx's and processed them together. We didn't judge the meats, though honestly mine were the cleanest and biggest from being tratcored around my yard in the rain, we show real show chickens, oegb's, silkies etc. I found this project incredibly sad, because it showed me what kind of havoc mankind has wreaked on chickens, my cx's were given green grass, bugs, table scraps and everything else chickens love, things my oegb's would kill for, but i never saw the cx's even look at the grass or peck at the bugs. my "real chickens" the oegb's would gladly give up crumbles to forage yet even if they were starving the cx's wouldn't even look at anything green. It also taught the younger kids a dangerous lesson, make the chickens gain weight as fast as possible, it doesn't matter how so long as it works. From the things people are saying on this thread it sounds like other people are having the same experiences as me. If we raise our chickens like this, whats the point, don't we raise our food at home so that we have a humane and healthy alternative to the industrialy raised meat, but if its raised in the same manner, whats the point? This year i'm going to hopefully get some freedom rangers that might eat grass and bugs, and i'm attempting to start a dual purpose sustainable flock of bobwhite quail. I would love to try to start a sustainable chicken flock but i don't have the space and i'll be out of the house in a year or two.

 

[95yj]

btw, i used turkey pellets, lots of space, plenty of sunlight and movement and mine got massive.

 

[chellebyerly]

95yj, I agree, this is basicly teaching the kids to raise a commercial chicken. the no weight limit makes it that way. I mean if I walk in there with 3 35lb chickens acording to their rules, I have won the jackpot right?? No matter that I had to force feed them, stroke their bellies, do a raindance, and inject them with gamagoblin shots and stem cells everyday...

Every other animal has a minimum and maximum weight. thats just the way it is. rabbits have to be between 3-5 pounds. steers, pigs, all of them have weights they have to meet.

I am not sure I will ever do chickens again, its not what I want to teach my kids. But sadly, there was no information to be gotten before I paid my money and signed up. I was just told "you'll find out when we sign up" .

I am still looking for last years prices, but our newpaper doesnt have an archives that I can find online. I'll have to go up to the library and see if I can get it... do they still do microfilm?? LOL

 

[chellebyerly]

oky-doky...

Last Years Grand Champion broiler:
$2150.00

Reserve Champ 1400.00

3-5th places all got 1000.00 and 6th place got 700.00
7th got a grand again,
8th got 800.00

1,000.00 for 10th, 11th and 12th.

12th 1200.00
13th 800.00

700.00 for 15
960 for 16th

700.00 for 17th
1,100 for 18th.

19th says 7 grand, maybe thats a misprint... (although around here, I wouldnt doubt mom and dad would go up against grandma and grandpa and get it that high. LOL

20th was 700.00

And thats all that was auctioned.