Last of this first batch went in today

[4H kids and mom]

Live weight on all 12 was between 10 and 12.5 pounds. I'm eager to see what we get back, as in processed weight. I'm guessing between 8 and 10 pounders.

The largest (one we'd saved from the last time) is gonna get a beer can up its butt and slow roasted on our grill tomorrow night!

New chicks are being shipped Wednesday, and we begin it all again!

 

[Yonaton]

Mmmmmmmm!!! Beer can chicken! Got me droolin'!

 

[mommahento5]

So how long did it take them to get to that weight? Mine are at about 5 1/2 lbs live now, and just trying to gauge how much longer we have to keep feeding these little piggys!!

 

[4H kids and mom]

We grew these last twelve up to 11 weeks old (one in the bunch was 12 weeks old and thats the big boy who weighed 12.52 lbs on our digital scale before we took him in). Our last batch (ten of them) went in at 8 weeks, weighed 7-8 pounds live, and were 5-6 lbs finished. We're having 50 more delivered on Thursday and starting all over again!

 

[missusduray]

I am thinking about raising some meat birds and i was wondering what kind of setup that you have for them. Any advice would be great.
Kristyne

 

[hinkjc]

That is great weights on your birds 4H. We are going to do our butchering this weekend for the first time. We usually take them to someone, but he has an injury and can't do them this year. So we will give it a go.

Kristyne, we raise ours in chicken tractors on pasture. Start them in a brooder for 3 weeks, then out to pasture and fed rations for the rest of their time. They are moved daily onto fresh grass, as they are quite stinky and pooping machines. Our tractors have wheels, so makes for easy moving, when the chunkies cooperate. By 6 weeks, you can start butchering, but some wait a little longer for better size. It all depends on your family's needs for meals.

Jody

 

[missusduray]

Thanks Hinkjc,
What kind of space do the meat birds need?
Kristyne

 

[hinkjc]

Our tractors are 4 X 8 foot, and we have 15 birds in each, so about 2 Sq feet per bird for their short stay here.

Jody

 

[4H kids and mom]

Picked up our birds yesterday and they all weighed between 7.52 and 9.58 finished weight!

I was pretty close guessing 8-10 pounds! Man, they look like little turkeys! Mmmm! We thawed the 'monster' one and are cooking it up today.

We raised our 22 of them in a pen 10 feet long by 5 feet wide. Took half (well, 10) of them in for processing at 8 weeks, left the remaining half to grow to 11 weeks. We've just ordered (expecting them tomorrow) 50 more and are busy expanding the 10x5 pen to a 10x10 pen. The 50 we are getting are Straight Run this time (did all cockerels last time) and we plan to take the hens in when they weigh a few pounds for some little Cornish Hens and then raise the cockerels up to good size. Might divide them again, so we get some smaller and some bigger birds, because we do plan to sell some of that lot and some people just cant eat a big monster bird.

lol

 

[SJM]

You got me drooling here. We have 25 birds now that are about 4 weeks. I hate it but whenever I look at them I start licking my lips.