Letting my broody raise 20 meaties. Now I have a rooster raising 50 CX chicks~new batch!

Will try to do so this weekend....lots going on here! I've got a new broody and she will be raising my 20 laying chicks that will arrive June 7th. Had to get the broody pen ready for that...can't wait to see it all over again! This place will be covered in chickens before long!
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I have 23 hens, one roo, 20 meat chicks and then will add 20 layer chicks......more than I've ever had before at one time in my adult life.

Of course, the meaties will be going to freezer/canning camp in June/July and some of the older laying hens will be joining them as early as two weeks from now. This will make room for my new chicks, I'm sure.

This fall, I plan to get more meaties!
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They seem to thrive in cool weather and they will provide more warmth in the coop.
 
I took new pics of some of the CX this morning but they don't seem to have grown much since last week or so, except their breasts are heavier and they seem to have to lie down more often when its hot out. I've noticed that they are really active while free ranging in the morning and evening but are lying about a lot during the hottest part of the day.

I'll try to keep pics posted if I note a change in size...right now they are just maintaining, look very clean and healthy except for a messy butt here and there.

Here is a pic taken this morning at 6 wks. of age, and you can see their size in proportion to my 2 yr. old Partridge Rock roo. They really love free ranging in the cool morning air but become less eager to exercise in the hot midday. Those larger creatures are my Katahdin sheep trying to get in the pic...they are such divas!


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I've decided to put up a fan in the coop for these hotter days and maybe place a frozen water bottle in their waterer to keep it cooler. They consume enormous amounts of water!

I cut their rations with crimped oats, BOSS and cracked corn and am starting to feed enough in the evenings that they will have a small amount in the mornings as leftovers. Thought this would keep them from being so very hungry for evening feeding....will monitor to see if this makes a difference. I don't want to start feeding even heavier just because their bodies are kicking it into high gear. If they are having trouble walking due to heavy breasts on the feed they are now consuming, imagine if I increase that!

They are no longer under Mom supervision and I can no longer tell which hen was their mommy. I now have a New Hampshire Red on a small clutch of eggs, awaiting my layer chick arrival on June 7th...at which time another lucky hen will be raising 20 chicks!
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The fact that they can actually free range if given a chance is giving me the push I need to try them this fall. Being in Florida, I can probably get a way with getting them in October to take advantage of the cooler weather. They look really great, and happy.
 
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I second that. This experiment of yours is inspiring. The birds look so healthy and it sounds like it has been much less stressful on them than typical methods. Easier for you too I'm guessing.
Now if we could just get one scientist to develop a hormone injection for chickens that would send them into broody state at a convenient time....mine are never broody when they have chicks at TSC.
 
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I second that. This experiment of yours is inspiring. The birds look so healthy and it sounds like it has been much less stressful on them than typical methods. Easier for you too I'm guessing.
Now if we could just get one scientist to develop a hormone injection for chickens that would send them into broody state at a convenient time....mine are never broody when they have chicks at TSC.

Me too!
 
Sheer coincidence! It would be so great to have been able to present these chicks to my broody when she was first sitting in April so I could have taken advantage of the cooler weather.

I always get a broody or two in April/May. I'm wondering....has anyone ever just nabbed a fat hen off the roost at night, transferred her to a broody pen and nest, inserted new chicks under her and seen what happened in the morning?

It would be worth the experiment the next time one bought chicks to see if this hen could be fooled into adopting chicks even when she is not hormonally inclined to do so! If it looked like it wasn't going to fly one could return her quickly to her flockmates, no harm, no fowl....er..foul.
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I plowed a garden patch this evening and one of these meaty chicks was daring enough to practically scramble under the tiller throughout the whole process, snatching bugs and worms like a madman! I couldn't believe it wasn't afraid of the machine and the silly thing's breast was nearly dragging the ground by the time she was through...totally engorged!! She was the last chicken out of the coop for the night and she even followed me into the shed when I put up the tiller....I can just imagine what she was thinking...."Its just a big, red treat machine that spits out bugs and worms!!!"
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Funny little chickens, these meaty birds.
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You tried this??? I was wondering if anyone had ever done so.....appears they have. Well, never hurts to dream, huh?
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I'm glad you all like this thread! I had noticed that there weren't many pics of meaties on the meat bird thread and I can only imagine it is because they aren't real pretty with their sparse feathering, messy little rears and thunder thighs.....OR...folks don't normally take pics of these birds because they are going to be eaten in short order.

Either way, its hard to get a feel for how big they should be at a certain age, and if one is on track in that regard, if no one posts progression pics. I imagine that mine are probably smaller than meaties of the same age that have been in close quarters and fed continuously....not sure.

We gave them a fan in the coop and an ice water bottle in their water....the laying hens are now marching and carrying tiny signs that say, "NO FAIR!" "Special treatment for meaties is WRONG!" "NOW we get perks???"
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I would pay attention but I never can read their little chicken scratches.....
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