Lets talk feed

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
What were your dressed weights at 5-6 weeks?

2.74 lbs, no skin, but with neck and giblets at just under 5 weeks, and then 3.42 lbs each at just under 6 weeks, without skin but with neck and giblets.

I honestly thought they should have been bigger than that, but I was still happy with it. I went through not quite 3 50lb bags of feed total. It seemed to me like they should have eaten more than they did. They had access to it from sunrise to sunup. I blame the hot weather, it seems like they mostly just layed around and panted, and I think they would have grown and eaten more had it been cooler. But, my net cost was like $1.32 a lb, so I'm happy with this first trial balloon.

Reason I asked is because IMHO you didn't gain anything using that 28% protein feed. THose are the weights you would have seen with a 21-23% feed. If you would have fed a 50% protein feed they would have been the same weight in that time. Seems alot of people think the higher the protein, the faster they will grow, but that's just not the case. They can only use up to a certain percentage of protein, and anything above and beyond that is a waste of money.

 

[PikeCo]

I know that some of you may disagree with me on this issue, but this is my fourth year raising broilers for show and I have had way better results with higher protein feeds. Our Cornish X are only five weeks old right now and they are 7-8 lbs. live weight. I don't know how much of that is determined by feed type though. Every year we have increased protein levels, and it seems to me that we may not be gaining a lot of total weight, but we are getting way more muscle and liveliness than previous batches. We started with 30% for the first three weeks, then mixed feed to wean them down to 22.5% by five weeks. However, I feel that 18-22% would be sufficient for birds being raised for home use. To me, it depends on what your purpose is. We show, so cost efficient isn't our main goal. High percentage feed is expensive. We have raised batches on 18% and got nice big birds out of it. I believe in higher protein levels, but for my dinnerplate, anything that has enough protein, and is cost effective would be my choice. The cost of the protein would be my main objective like Arielle stated. Our twelve birds have gone through 150# in their five week lifetime. The money you save can add up quickly. I love to hear about everyones personal experiences.

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

So, if I stay with the 18% feed should I still be restricting or can I give it free choice? Today I took food away from them for a couple of hours after we moved the tractor but then I just leave it in with them. Am I doing wrong? I have only been doing this for a couple of days.

 

[PikeCo]

18% is a little on the low side, so I would give them free choice. Just my opinion, but I feed free choice all the time. Ours still chase down bugs when they see them. I don't think anyone has all the answers, but if you feed them good, and care for them like you obviously do, you should be fine. There is a science behind it all, but I am sure that your instinct to give them what they need will be sufficient. If they act starved when it is taken away, just give them more. That is just my thought on it. I would never push mine as hard as I do if I had more than six weeks to grow them before show. Good luck with them!!!

 

[Denninmi]

Quote:
Quite possible, probably even likely. However, the cost difference wasn't that much, about 3 dollars a bag, and my feed store only had 2 choices of starter feed, 18% pullet starter and the gamebird starter. Since I have to buy the gamebird anyway for my quail and turkey poults, it was just simpler to do t. hat for the chickens too and not mess with it. I guess I could always have bought a bag of the other and mixed it 50/50, that would have given me 23% protein. That sounds like what I should do with the fall batch of meaties I hope to raise.

 

[Dogfish]

They should be fine with the 18% for a few days.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

After three weeks, mine get a 16% ration and finish just fine. Like Jim stated, it's not the protein that really makes the deciding factor in the quality of feed but instead the essential amino acids. I believe there is two vital ones that are crucial for peak performance.

 

[TDM]

Quote:
I actually free range my cornish cross with my layers, and thus they get 16% layer feed. Another fellow bought cornish cross at the same time from the same feedmill, and only keeps his in a pen and feeds them 23% broiler. His birds are significantly larger than mine.

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

Quote:
How do you ensure that you meet those 2 vital essential amino acids? Honestly, I would rather have small healthy birds opposed to large unhealthy ones although I would really love to have large healthy ones!!

This whole feed thing confuses the hell out of me.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

As long as you buy a premixed bag of vitamins you will be fine, it's getting the mix right.

Jim would be more fit to answer that question, same with the layer feed. The 16% layer feed isn't the same as a 16% broiler feed... not exactly sure what the difference is but I do know it's much higher in calcium. Again, I'm not a feed guy. I just learn things from others advice and my own trial and error.