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

[Beekissed]

I'm so glad! I should tack my new meaty project on this thread because now I have a broody WR rooster raising my 50 CX. It has been strange and kind of sweet to see how he cares for them....I'll post pics and all.

 

[vfem]

Thanks for directing me over this way, I know I read some of this back when you first posted in 2010 but forgot where to find it or who posted it.

We'll have the meaties in the pen here with the broody for a few weeks... then hubby wants to put together a simple tractor coop with tarp cover to move them around the yard. I think they'll be healthier for it and we may be able to get them all healthy and up to about 10 weeks old before we cull anyone. Fat & happy is what I'm hoping for. Trying to by pass any leg issues early on.

I also wonder about how good does the meat taste on the pastured cornish? Does it really effect the flavor enough? What are your thoughts on the finished product?

 

[Beekissed]

It's great! I don't know how much actual pasture they will get in a tractor, as they tend to poop a lot and trample the grass before they can get much benefit from it or the bugs therein, but it's better than being kept in a pen...at least they would get a clean floor every day, huh?

 

[SIMZ]

Beekissed, when are you planning on processing your cornish X?

Also, thanks for the idea of letting a broody raise them. We have a broody on eggs that are due to hatch the same day my son's 2 Cornish X arrive. Since we're a little short on brooder space right now we might try to put them in there with her other chicks.

 

[Beekissed]

Not a bad idea....and I'd avoid feeding free choice after you are done with your chick starter. If you currently feed your layer flock free choice and you combine your meaties with them and feed them the same, they will be at your continuous feed instead of foraging. If you are in a pen/run situation, I'd feed twice a day and remove the feed at other times...that is, unless you want birds that will soon not be able to walk.

I process mine at 10 wks. They got big enough at 8 wks. last time and I left them for awhile to see if they were going to grow...meant to butcher at 10 but didn't get around to until 11 wks. This group will be processed at 8-10 wks depending on their growth.

I'm doing a processing workshop here on June 2nd, so that will be around 10 wks.

 

[gg706]

Hey BEEKISSED, This is a GREAT thread....I learned so much! I want to raise up 20 CX this fall....I am hoping I can come up with the gumption to do it. This would be my first experience "processing" my food. I have not been exposed to to any parts of processing animals. I appreciate all the photos you took the time to take and post for me to learn. THANK YOU!

 

[Beekissed]

YW! Please...everyone who would like to post their broody/meaty experiences, feel free to add to this thread...it would be kind of nice to keep it going with everyone else's experiences, methods, and results as I'm sure they will be more varied than mine.

I'll be posting my new CX experiment here in a few days...I had a broody roo but, unfortunately, roos being guys~it didn't work out like when working with a natural mothery nurturer. He went all sexual on the chicks and tried to breed one. Caused a little damage but nothing serious....he is slated for trying out my new plucker tomorrow.

 

[AnotherSusan]

This is so funny to me! I lived in Fairbanks during high school and took a taxidermy class. I was a girl and my family did not hunt and I could not get anyone to give me a grouse or ptarmigan so my Dad took me to a guy that sold live chickens. The man was freaked at the idea of doing taxidermy on a chicken and would only sell me a deformed bird that had it's feet turned backwards. When I mounted her I turned the feet the right way. I mounted her on a piece of diamond willow I found. She looked great until my little brother wanted to see what she looked like inside and cut her in half to look. After that, the boys in the class supplied me with all the animals I needed. I never mounted another animal after that class, but without that chicken, i would probably have quit.
Thank you for helping out another taxidermist.

I'll have to take a gander on youtube and see. I am skinning this first batch for a taxidermist that has a project. I am plucking the next batch.

 

[gg706]

YW! Please...everyone who would like to post their broody/meaty experiences, feel free to add to this thread...it would be kind of nice to keep it going with everyone else's experiences, methods, and results as I'm sure they will be more varied than mine.

I'll be posting my new CX experiment here in a few days...I had a broody roo but, unfortunately, roos being guys~it didn't work out like when working with a natural mothery nurturer. He went all sexual on the chicks and tried to breed one. Caused a little damage but nothing serious....he is slated for trying out my new plucker tomorrow.

Men, men, men...the testosterone ALWAYS gets in the way! "slated to try out the new plucker tomorrow"

I love it!

 

[galanie]

LOL Yeah I was thinking of putting Mr. Pucker in the plucker and calling him a... dead pucker?