Meat bird pics, or who says cornish x won't eat grass??

[ssledoux]

Here are a few pics of my barred silver meat birds (about 5 weeks now), and my cornish x (about 3-3.5 weeks now).

Here are some lazy silvers taking a rest from running the pasture.

Here is a close-up of one of the barred silvers.

Now here are some of my cornish x out in their pen enjoying the gorgeous weather!

I think I actually have enjoyed the cornish more up until now because they just aren't as frisky and aggressive. I find the barred silvers fight a lot (all roosters), whereas the cornish are just too lazy to do that. However, my cornish do enjoy being out and eating grass. They flap their wings and jump around and seem to enjoy it. I just like their temperament a little better.

 

[willheveland]

I like them big sturdy legs. Will

 

[farmgirlie1031]

I have one Cornish. She loves to free range and eat grass. She is 11 months old now but I am not sure how much longer I will have her around. She keeps getting egg-bound. I get her better and then a few weeks later she is egg bound again. The Cornish are definately meant as meat birds and not pets/breeding stock. I wanted to keep her around to raise some Cornish X but no such luck with her. None of her eggs have been fertile.

 

[TimG]

Quote:
Does this mean your roosters don't like fat chicks?

 

[farmgirlie1031]

Quote:
Does this mean your roosters don't like fat chicks?

LOL No They like her a lot. I think it must be something with her egg laying issue. I'm thinking of maybe buying some more chicks and raising them up to try and get some that I can get fertile Cornish X eggs from.

 

[chicklips]

Cornish X will not breed true, if that is what you are trying to do.

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

All chickens eat grass, but they get very little nutrition out of it,if any. All our meat birds eat the grass but, how much extra do they really get ??

 

[Gallus_domesticus]

Quote:
Actually, chickens can absorb plenty of nutrients from grasses (for monogastrics anyway) due to the size of their cecae. The cecum, in a horse or chicken for example, works similarly to the rumen of a ruminant animal. Specialized bacteria break down the cellulose in grasses, and the animal can digest the by-products of this breakdown, as well as the bacteria themselves. At least that's how I remember it from my animal nutrition course at the local cow college!

How else do you think the whole "pastured poultry" set-up would work? Chickens on pasture require as much as 50% LESS (grain-based) feed, depending on who you talk to. These chickens are not 50% skinnier by any means, though they may have a slower growth rate.

Sorry to rant, but I've seen this comment made before and I hate to see misinformation spread around on BYC, especially by a commercial poultry producer! (just making the assumption based on your name)

 

[ssledoux]

Well, I do know this: the egg yolks from my hens that free-range and eat grasses are nearly orange. In comparison, my sister's eggs (whose ens are in a coop in her barn) look very similar to store eggs when you crack them open - pale yolks. That tells me that the grasses do SOMETHING, which leads me to believe that they would also do something for the meat birds.

The testing and studies done on free-ranging animals (including chickens and their eggs) showing them as being higher in Omega-3's seem to prove that the grass DOES have an impact on the meat and eggs.

Of course, I'm no scientist, but it just makes sense.

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

How else do you think the whole "pastured poultry" set-up would work? Chickens on pasture require as much as 50% LESS (grain-based) feed, depending on who you talk to. These chickens are not 50% skinnier by any means, though they may have a slower growth rate.

according to several experts, on prime legumes and optimum growth periods, Chickens can eat up to 30% of their calories in all the varied, living grasses, other plants, insects, etc., that they can find.

I have never heard a pastured poultry grower claiming to save 50% on his feed bill and getting good results. More like 15-25% at tops.

Actually the pastured birds that are on the grass most of their lives free ranging are usually quite a bit smaller then that of one that is grown in confinement. A person can get better results in a chicken tractor or pasture pen, but that is still a form of cage raising.

I'll try and find the study I read a few years ago on the pastured chickens actually expel more energy and calories foraging then they actually consume. Now this might not be true in chicken tractors as they are confined to one spot, but it is true with free ranging or day ranging chickens.

Sorry to rant, but I've seen this comment made before and I hate to see misinformation spread around on BYC, especially by a commercial poultry producer! (just making the assumption based on your name)

This is not mis information as they don't get it from the grasses as much as they do the bugs,grubs,worms,larvae eggs and legumes.

The point of pastured poultry is the freedom of the birds. They can forage for a treat. They can run and fly and get sunshine. They can do what ever a chicken wants to do in the day time. Which in return makes the muscles work more and then makes the meat taste better. What little they pick up from foraging goes in to the taste as well. Its an ideal on how a bird lives, and helps maintain the lands naturally with their great fertilizers and they even spread it too.

There is no such thing as a grass fed chicken.

Now on turkeys all this would be true on the feed bills and what not but chickens just are not quite that efficient.​