- Thread starter
- #61
these are the pics of the Cornish X with their adopted mama. first day on pasture.
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MEAT BIRD'S " TELL US HOW YOU DO IT"
- Thread starter bruceh
- Start date
WOWZA, Bruce!!! They look beautiful and she is one pretty hen! They sure are filled out and clean...looks like you are going an excellent job on these meaties and the FF seems to have worked its charms as well. They look so happy out on the grass....cannot believe that you had those birds in brooder that long and they still came out looking clean and lovely.
I can't believe she still wants to mother such big chicks...they don't even look like chicks anymore!
I can't believe she still wants to mother such big chicks...they don't even look like chicks anymore!
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- Thread starter
- #63
bee,
in fact tonight when i went to close the pen some of the cx chicks were roosting with her on the dog house. what a sight. i am so proud of them. they are scratching the dirt for stuff. the hen lets them be themselves. the only time she steps in is when the other birds peck a little to much at a chick. she kinda gets between the chick and the other bird. the hen is a watcher.
in fact tonight when i went to close the pen some of the cx chicks were roosting with her on the dog house. what a sight. i am so proud of them. they are scratching the dirt for stuff. the hen lets them be themselves. the only time she steps in is when the other birds peck a little to much at a chick. she kinda gets between the chick and the other bird. the hen is a watcher.
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- Thread starter
- #64
week 6
this week i lost 1 bird. i thought she was not right. her eyes were not bright and she was isolating. her crop was full of air , not fluid. when i opened her up her gizzard was full of feed as the intestines. all organs looked fine. should have i have waited to see, maybe. i did find a small cut in the gizzard. so i am down 1 bird. i did cook the bird the weight was 3/4 lb. dogs and the cats got a treat. these birds are growing very slow. i am not sure if it is the strain of the bird or the ferment feeding. i went to the mt -di's web site. at 6 weeks they should weigh roughly 4.5 lbs ( males ) 2.5 ( females ) these birds are all less than 3 lbs. my last batch from mt healthy were over 5 lbs at this age. i will say the feathers on all the birds are shiny and glossy.
so here is this weeks statistics: the 1 bird i culled 4 days ago and counted in this weeks update.
total to date:
cost of chicks - $ 48.00
starter food - $ 5.00 ( 5 lbs )
mash 16% - $ 34.10 ( 155 lbs x $ 0 .22 per pound )
alfalfa - $ 1.36 (4 lbs x $ 0.34 )
total cost for feed and chicks = $ 88.46 / 32 = $2.76 per bird
feed cost to date 42 days = $ 40.46 /32= $1.26 per bird
cost per day in feed = $40.46 / 42 = $0.96
amount of feed used to date = lbs 164/32 = 5.13 lbs per bird
misc cost : ( variables )
pine shavings @ $6.00 x 3 = $18.00
apple cider vinegar = $10.89
total misc = $28.89
total investment to date:
chicks $48.00
feed $ 40.46
misc. $ 28.89
total $ 117.35 / 32 = $ 3.67
if you don't add the misc cost the cost would be :
chicks $ 48.00
feed $ 40.46
total $ 88.46 / 32 = $2.76 per bird
my personal belief is that all the extras add up but not necessary. however i grow my birds slower and healthier. i have only had 2 deaths in 75 Cornish x. the deaths were caused by a drowning and the other i slaughtered i grow my birds to 13 weeks and achieve huge weights . my last batch weighed in at 8 to 11.4 lbs dressed.. the jury is still out in these birds. we will see.
i do know that my feed bill on fermented feed is about 30% less than with dry feed and i am feeding 7 more birds. i feel the birds are about 1.5 lb less than the last batch from mt-healthy for the same growth time. i account this to 1. being a different strain of cx 2. delaying them out on pasture by 2 weeks .3. different type of feeding. only time will tell the outcome.
according to mt-di weight schedule it appears my birds are a week behind in weight.
this week i lost 1 bird. i thought she was not right. her eyes were not bright and she was isolating. her crop was full of air , not fluid. when i opened her up her gizzard was full of feed as the intestines. all organs looked fine. should have i have waited to see, maybe. i did find a small cut in the gizzard. so i am down 1 bird. i did cook the bird the weight was 3/4 lb. dogs and the cats got a treat. these birds are growing very slow. i am not sure if it is the strain of the bird or the ferment feeding. i went to the mt -di's web site. at 6 weeks they should weigh roughly 4.5 lbs ( males ) 2.5 ( females ) these birds are all less than 3 lbs. my last batch from mt healthy were over 5 lbs at this age. i will say the feathers on all the birds are shiny and glossy.
so here is this weeks statistics: the 1 bird i culled 4 days ago and counted in this weeks update.
total to date:
cost of chicks - $ 48.00
starter food - $ 5.00 ( 5 lbs )
mash 16% - $ 34.10 ( 155 lbs x $ 0 .22 per pound )
alfalfa - $ 1.36 (4 lbs x $ 0.34 )
total cost for feed and chicks = $ 88.46 / 32 = $2.76 per bird
feed cost to date 42 days = $ 40.46 /32= $1.26 per bird
cost per day in feed = $40.46 / 42 = $0.96
amount of feed used to date = lbs 164/32 = 5.13 lbs per bird
misc cost : ( variables )
pine shavings @ $6.00 x 3 = $18.00
apple cider vinegar = $10.89
total misc = $28.89
total investment to date:
chicks $48.00
feed $ 40.46
misc. $ 28.89
total $ 117.35 / 32 = $ 3.67
if you don't add the misc cost the cost would be :
chicks $ 48.00
feed $ 40.46
total $ 88.46 / 32 = $2.76 per bird
my personal belief is that all the extras add up but not necessary. however i grow my birds slower and healthier. i have only had 2 deaths in 75 Cornish x. the deaths were caused by a drowning and the other i slaughtered i grow my birds to 13 weeks and achieve huge weights . my last batch weighed in at 8 to 11.4 lbs dressed.. the jury is still out in these birds. we will see.
i do know that my feed bill on fermented feed is about 30% less than with dry feed and i am feeding 7 more birds. i feel the birds are about 1.5 lb less than the last batch from mt-healthy for the same growth time. i account this to 1. being a different strain of cx 2. delaying them out on pasture by 2 weeks .3. different type of feeding. only time will tell the outcome.
according to mt-di weight schedule it appears my birds are a week behind in weight.
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Mine were a week behind the standard wts as well, Bruce....until the end and then it all came together. I wasn't worried because I fed in such a way that I WANTED them to be a week behind and even more. I wanted that slow growth so that they could develop strong bones and good organ health and it worked. I think you are right on track!
- Thread starter
- #66
i agree bee. the onlt thing that bothers me is winter is coming. fermented feed in these cold temps may not work.
Why layer? Do meat chickens need the extra calcium?
I don't think one needs to count labor costs unless they are trying to run a business to make a living. At some point there is a cross over between doing what you enjoy and making enough money to justify the work and working your tail off to make much less than if you were asking "You want fries with that?" all day
Great thread, though for me purely academic. With an emotional vegetarian in the family, I can't eat anything I raise and neither can anyone else on the planet.
Bruce
Fast growth of young bones....you tell me, do they need the calcium?
Liquid and frequent stools that cause loss of electrolytes, of which calcium is one, which consequently is important in muscle function or the lack thereof. As in the heart muscle. Birds that are prone to "flip"..another word for heart failure.. and those that are prone to weak legs and lack of mobility....tell me if promoting good muscle function is probably a good idea?
Yeah...I don't mind the added calcium in the feed and it's cheaper than broiler rations.
Yeah...I don't mind the added calcium in the feed and it's cheaper than broiler rations.
- Thread starter
- #69
i will post the weekly report this evening. this post will include broiler rations and layer mash. going to be an interesting post.
Fast growth of young bones....you tell me, do they need the calcium?Liquid and frequent stools that cause loss of electrolytes, of which calcium is one, which consequently is important in muscle function or the lack thereof. As in the heart muscle. Birds that are prone to "flip"..another word for heart failure.. and those that are prone to weak legs and lack of mobility....tell me if promoting good muscle function is probably a good idea?
Yeah...I don't mind the added calcium in the feed and it's cheaper than broiler rations.
Makes sense. Maybe they should also join the local gym to promote good muscle function. They can go for the 1 month trial membership. They'll be close to market ready by the time the free trial is up
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