I wish I had known!!

[ChemicalchiCkns]

Help someone else Butcher, or at least Kill, some, unless you have already. Killing is hard.

 

[RoosterML]

Help someone else Butcher, or at least Kill, some, unless you have already. Killing is hard.

We all have to eat. Live good die fast. What else can a chicken ask for.

 

[RoosterML]

Yes we were going to do the chicken tractors so perhaps I won’t supplement light either. Thank you!!

I think you will really enjoy the tractor. Just be careful when moving it as to not injure one. Always good to have an extra eye on things when it comes to moving it. For what it’s worth I don’t think I would raise meat birds if I didn’t raise them in a tractor. After about 4 weeks you’ll understand stand why. I process at roughly 9 weeks. The birds really start looking uncomfortable at that point.

 

[Gerty0630]

I've raised both.

My system for raising CX is this: For the first two weeks, I do not limit food at all. Starting at week 2, I start limiting food, until I get to a point around week 4, where I am only feeding them twice a day -- all they all they can eat for 20 minutes, each morning and evening. In between, they get to roam about a large yard, and I usually dump a little extra extra low calorie food like produce and weeds in there, to encourage movement and foraging.

I butcher in stages, starting at week 8 or 9 and ending at 13 weeks. I start by taking out the largest and any that look like they are walking a little slower then the others. I've never had one drop dead on me, and no broken legs either. I'm sure I could have let some of them go even longer than 13 weeks if I had wanted. They key is limited food and plenty of exercise.

The Rangers are easy. They really won't over eat like the CX and you don't have to do anything special with them food wise.

Oh great that helps a lot!!! Thank you!! And holy cow on the 10 pounders!!!!!!

 

[Morrigan]

I think you will really enjoy the tractor. Just be careful when moving it as to not injure one. Always good to have an extra eye on things when it comes to moving it. For what it’s worth I don’t think I would raise meat birds if I didn’t raise them in a tractor. After about 4 weeks you’ll understand stand why. I process at roughly 9 weeks. The birds really start looking uncomfortable at that point.

I wish I had a tractor as I could see how that would make things easier, but I don't. My lot is too rocky, too sloped, with too many predators for that to work. I do have a big yard and good compost system to deal with the droppings. I did have to clean out/refresh the straw in the coop where they slept every day from about week 5 to dispatch date.

 

[ChemicalchiCkns]

We all have to eat. Live good die fast. What else can a chicken ask for.

That does not make it easier for all persons, and a botched killing is an inhuman one.

 

[RoosterML]

That does not make it easier for all persons, and a botched killing is an inhuman one.

If anyone who has processed chickens says they haven’t botched a killing they are likely full of it. I had to wack a chicken twice once but I am pretty sure the first one did the trick but head was not removed.

 

[ChemicalchiCkns]

It is true that accidents happen, that is not an indictment of any one.

 

[americanchicks]

I like raising meat birds. I have raised both cornish and rangers myself. Here is my recipe for raising meaties.

With the CX I took away the feed at night. Only with the CX no need for the RR. Medicated feed I only used for the first few weeks. Then its un-medicated 20-24 % protein feed. For the final 2 weeks I feed all flock pellets with cracked corn and oat meal. I find it gives them just a little more fat and a wonderful flavor. Plus they get to eat well before the big day.

I found both breeds got around well. Yes the CX took more breaks. Never went over 12 weeks with the CX. They dress out 9 or 10 lbs. RR I waited 12 to 14 weeks. I Like the RR best. The breast are smaller than the CX but they have large thighs and the flavor throughout it awesome.

if using a kill cone while dispatching keep a hand on the bird. They can easily flop out, More likely if they are large. I now wrap them in a towel putting the head in a bucket. Doing the chickens never really bothered me. The pekins are another story. For some reason ducks take forever to die

 

[cassie]

Looking for “I wish I had known” advice for a first time meat chicken raiser.

i have a regular layer flock, so I am not looking for newbie chicken advice.

I will feed them 20-24% medicated starter feed.. available 24 hours a day. Heat lamps (since it’s still cool where we live).Supplemental light to allow them more time for feed. They’ll have a large area to free range during the day.

ive read that the birds can grow so quickly their legs don’t have the strength to hold them potentially. I want happy healthy birds.. I don’t need them to be as big as possible, as quick as possible. We have Cornish and rangers coming and while I’ve read then can be processed at 8 weeks I don’t mind processing at 12 if it means they’ll actually be able to walk.

thanks in advance for any tips!

Just a comment. I raised several batches of Cornish X and was successful at it. They do have their quirks and you are not willing or able to accommodate them, you are better off raising something else. I fed them broiler feed (starter/grower/finisher) when I could get it and turkey feed (starter/grower/finisher) when I couldn't. They had feed available for twelve hours. I had the feeders and waterers hung on chains so I could adjust the height. They had to stand in order to eat and drink. The feed was at one side of the pen and the water at the other so they had to walk a bit to get from one to the other. I put Broiler Booster, a vitamin supplement available from Murray McMurray in the water. It seemed to help. Occasionally I had a chicken that had trouble walking, but not often, and that chicken was processed ASAP. I liked big roasters so I kept my chickens longer than most people. I processed them when they dressed out in the 10 to 12 pound range. The largest one dressed out at 16 pounds. I don't suggest anyone do that though. I don't remember now why I put off processing that chicken so long but he was by far the tastiest roast "turkey" I ever cooked. Anyway, this worked for me.