MEAT BIRD'S " TELL US HOW YOU DO IT"

[Beekissed]

Just easier to feed the darn feed and free range, control feeding so that they are not overeating early on and promote good health. Why would anyone want to eat meat from unhealthy birds so that they can claim they are growing their own because it's healthier?

 

[Fowl_Odor002]

i use an axe to whack their heads off
then i hang them upside down to bleed out

old school... just like grandpa

 

[bruceh]

week 7 updates on cornish x.
as reported in the previous week i lost 1 meat bird. did not die on it;s own i killed it. so now 31 birds.
this week was a big learning expirence for me. i went off the fermented feed and went to a high protein and layer mash combo.
this was a disaster the birds went through 77 lbs of feed. the waste from the birds was is bad that it will take me a couple hours to clean their area. i also slipped and fell in their runny poop. the birds performance was not at all good. they would not leave the pen to free range. this is not my idea of a healthy bird. to me i felt like i was doing nothing short of a broiler house. so i have come up with a feed formula for them. time will tell that answer.
the birds will be feed at 3-5 pm 1x to encourage free range. the ration is now a 18.47 % protein.


so here is this weeks statistics:

total to date:

cost of chicks - $ 48.00

starter food - $ 5.00 ( 5 lbs )

mash 16% - $ 42.90 ( 195 lbs x $ 0 .22 per pound )

high protein 22 % $ 15. 40 ( 35 lbs x $ 0.44 per pound )

alfalfa - $ 2.04 (6 lbs x $ 0.34 )

total cost for feed and chicks = $ 113.34

feed cost to date 49 days = $ 65.34

amount of feed used to date = lbs 241 lbs



total investment to date:

chicks $48.00

feed $ 65.34

total $ 113.34 + $ 28.89 variables = $142.23 / 31 = $4.59 per bird

i am going to have to calculate the difference in feed usage because of feeding 31 birds instead of 32. i will report back in a couple days with a more accurate description.

 

[Celie]

I took advantage of Meyers special and bought 50 Cornish X @.83 each, with shipping it came to $63.44. Received 52 chicks, but 1 was DOA and 1 died within a few hours. Don't know why. Cost of birds 1.27 each. I had hatched 60 layers 4 days before these came. upon arrival last Friday, the layers were twice the size of the Cornish. I started them all on 17% protein Starter, At 3 weeks, Everyone will be going to the barn, together. My 3rd bathroom is presently my brooder room. they have pine straw on the floor. 2 of the possible 8 small florescent bulbs on 24/7. no red or heat bulbs, but the dehumidifier keeps the room toasty and dry, as these meat birds are like ducks, very messy. I received 1 male and 49 females. I would have liked all male or at least straight run, but it was hatchery choice special, so it is what it is. I will have to raise them 2 weeks longer, which for me means 12 weeks. I have 3 females and 1 male Cornish X from last year, so I may keep the male and a few females and see what happens if I cross AI these birds. They are now from the same hatchery, so I don't expect inbred offspring. I may separate them when they go out at 3 weeks and put 1/2 on FF and 1/2 on 22% grower as recommended by the hatchery? If I do this, I can only free range every other day. I am cleaning their waterers every day and refilling them several times a day, as these birds sure drink a lot. I am using an extra dogie waterer that holds about 2 Qts. I have 3 feeders for the dry game bird starter as FF is too messy for indoor use. I am now at day 4 and the Cornish have caught up with the 8 day old layers. I have put vitamins and electrolytes into their water every day and will continue to do so until they can go out into the fresh air and sunshine. I hope some of my hens will be motherly like Bruse's is!! I will be posting at least weekly until slaughter, unless something occurs, meanwhile. I do not use artificial light after they go outside. I try to let them in as natural conditions as possible. I do have a metal barn, that has hexane panels in part of the roof that lets in defused light, but when God turns out that big light in the sky, it;s dark until it goes back on the next morning. So far feed cost is minimal as I am on the first bag.

 

[bruceh]

I took advantage of Meyers special and bought 50 Cornish X @.83 each, with shipping it came to $63.44. Received 52 chicks, but 1 was DOA and 1 died within a few hours. Don't know why. Cost of birds 1.27 each. I had hatched 60 layers 4 days before these came. upon arrival last Friday, the layers were twice the size of the Cornish. I started them all on 17% protein Starter, At 3 weeks, Everyone will be going to the barn, together. My 3rd bathroom is presently my brooder room. they have pine straw on the floor. 2 of the possible 8 small florescent bulbs on 24/7. no red or heat bulbs, but the dehumidifier keeps the room toasty and dry, as these meat birds are like ducks, very messy. I received 1 male and 49 females. I would have liked all male or at least straight run, but it was hatchery choice special, so it is what it is. I will have to raise them 2 weeks longer, which for me means 12 weeks. I have 3 females and 1 male Cornish X from last year, so I may keep the male and a few females and see what happens if I cross AI these birds. They are now from the same hatchery, so I don't expect inbred offspring. I may separate them when they go out at 3 weeks and put 1/2 on FF and 1/2 on 22% grower as recommended by the hatchery? If I do this, I can only free range every other day. I am cleaning their waterers every day and refilling them several times a day, as these birds sure drink a lot. I am using an extra dogie waterer that holds about 2 Qts. I have 3 feeders for the dry game bird starter as FF is too messy for indoor use. I am now at day 4 and the Cornish have caught up with the 8 day old layers. I have put vitamins and electrolytes into their water every day and will continue to do so until they can go out into the fresh air and sunshine. I hope some of my hens will be motherly like Bruse's is!! I will be posting at least weekly until slaughter, unless something occurs, meanwhile. I do not use artificial light after they go outside. I try to let them in as natural conditions as possible. I do have a metal barn, that has hexane panels in part of the roof that lets in defused light, but when God turns out that big light in the sky, it;s dark until it goes back on the next morning. So far feed cost is minimal as I am on the first bag.

just a suggestion. use a lower protein than 22%. slow the growth rate down some. you will have less losses due to flip.
at 22% the birds will get big fast and have leg and heart issues. you think you got poop now. at a 22% feed most of the protein will squirt at the other end. also use calcium for better bone strength. i use unpasteurized apple cider vinegar in the water helps regulate them.
i am just trying to help you have good results.

 

[TamTurkey]

We use a High protien 30% starter then go down to 22% by week 2 Then by week 5 we are using a higher fat finisher but we have comepition market Cornish rock x. The sole purpose we have is to make them as big and square as we can in a 6 week period. Ours have light and music 24/7 have controlled temperature enclosed coop and even have alarms set to wake them up to eat. We do electrolights only when they have been stressed like when we clean the pen or pick them up or if there for some reason has been a big change in temperature. Pushing them too hard too fast yes you can get leg problems weak bones with lots of meat equals broken legs. but because our fatties are allowed to be pretty lazy once the get the weight on them we take the few that we lose as just part of it. Here are some picks of our 5 week olds




Below is the breast of a couple of them at 4 weeks




We don't look at the beast again until they are ready to show as they don't particularly care for being hung upside down by their feet and we can't afford to stress them out in chance of losing a fatty. We will be processing these at the end of the week. I will let you know exact weights then.

 

[TamTurkey]

Oh and weeks 2-4 We have a personal trainer come in 24/7 to make them work out....

 

[Celie]

just a suggestion. use a lower protein than 22%. slow the growth rate down some. you will have less losses due to flip.
at 22% the birds will get big fast and have leg and heart issues. you think you got poop now. at a 22% feed most of the protein will squirt at the other end. also use calcium for better bone strength. i use unpasteurized apple cider vinegar in the water helps regulate them.
i am just trying to help you have good results.

Thanks, Bruce, I appreciate the advice ! The birds are not on medicated feed either. I have a problem with medicating anything that is not sick. The whole purpose in raising our own food is NOT to use anything that is not natural or has antibiotics ! If we eat animals that have been eating medicated food, we are being medicated and if we get sick it will take stronger and stronger antibiotics and longer to get well ! The chicks are changing from yellow to white feathering and coming along nicely. Since we got all females, we know it will take a couple of week longer, so we will keep posting. I plan to put them into the barn at 3 weeks and start them on ACV and FF then. They will be inside the barn, and inside a 10'x10' chain link fence type dog kennel. I hope I can acclimate them to the 40 something night temps we are getting by then. I have found that the hot weather temps. here in Southern Louisiana are harder on these little fatties tan is the cooler temps and with 50 of them plus the other flocks in the barn, there should be enough body temperature to keep them warm. In November the days can get well into the 80's while the nights drop to 40's, so we will see.

 

[loanwizard]

Somebody tell me why I should try a batch of Cornish. I have raised hundreds of Freedom Rangers but thought about some Cornish. Can you raise them in 6 weeks during the winter since they don't range anyway?

Shawn

 

[Celie]

We use a High protien 30% starter then go down to 22% by week 2 Then by week 5 we are using a higher fat finisher but we have comepition market Cornish rock x. The sole purpose we have is to make them as big and square as we can in a 6 week period. Ours have light and music 24/7 have controlled temperature enclosed coop and even have alarms set to wake them up to eat. We do electrolights only when they have been stressed like when we clean the pen or pick them up or if there for some reason has been a big change in temperature. Pushing them too hard too fast yes you can get leg problems weak bones with lots of meat equals broken legs. but because our fatties are allowed to be pretty lazy once the get the weight on them we take the few that we lose as just part of it. Here are some picks of our 5 week olds




Below is the breast of a couple of them at 4 weeks




We don't look at the beast again until they are ready to show as they don't particularly care for being hung upside down by their feet and we can't afford to stress them out in chance of losing a fatty. We will be processing these at the end of the week. I will let you know exact weights then.

Yes, they literally are growing right out of their feathers, but that should make plucking quicker!