Meat chickens getting a early start.

[Carymcmillin]

Cornish Cross hybrids...slaughtered at about 8 weeks??
Are you in Northern or Southern MI...could be a big diff in temps.

Southern, I will be building a new coop this year. I plan on one that can handle 20 birds and dirt floor so that I can clean after season and use compost for garden. I am looking to find a way to use for the rest of the year. Any ideas?

 

[DobieLover]

I raise white Cornish, 15 at a time. I will start another 15, 6 weeks after my early birds. I can get the early birds out of the coop by the time my chick's are ready to go into the coop.

I think you mean Cornish Cross, not Cornish. Big difference. They grow so freakishly fast that they won't fit under a heat plate after 2 weeks. You will need a different heat source.

 

[Timmy59]

I saw that and wished we had the new coop built already.

I an SOOO happy with the slo gro's I've said it before, I say it again I am SOOOOOO happy with the slo gro's… Did I mention how happy I am.. lol.. Tough, hearty and HEAVY and 7-8 eggs in this frigid front.. I'm not too keen about hauling hot water in this frigid front though..

 

[Timmy59]

I think you mean Cornish Cross, not Cornish. Big difference. They grow so freakishly fast that they won't fit under a heat plate after 2 weeks. You will need a different heat source.

Get a sweet passive Dobie they can cuddle up with..

 

[DobieLover]

sweet passive

I'm not sure what this is.
I don't brood chicks any longer. I let my hens do it.
I believe the OP is looking for suggestions on heat sources for an early batch of CX chicks in a colder northern climate. I was just pointing out that a brooder plate would not be a good choice due to their growth rate. I also don't think a panel heater would work for the same reason.

 

[iwltfum]

I am looking to find a way to use for the rest of the year. Any ideas?

You're looking for ways to use the building the rest of the year? I store broiler supplies in my broiler brooder shed for over the winter. Waterers, feeders, feed scoops, buckets, hanging feed scales, etc. Stuff I only use for my broilers and want to be able to find quickly when I get my first batch in the spring. I drag my other brooder over to my barn to store hay and goat feed in for when the goats are in their winter area. Never an idle shed around here

 

[Carymcmillin]

I have been looking into possibly using for Winter greenhouse. I can put a clear roof on. Raising a winter crop of veggies in Michigan is always a treat and they should be ready to harvest before the chick's arrive in early spring. I am looking into solar for power source so that would give me a lot of flexibility in heat and water during the winter. Still in the development stage and convincing Cyndy, my wife, that I have not lost it!

 

[iwltfum]

I have been looking into possibly using for Winter greenhouse. I can put a clear roof on. Raising a winter crop of veggies in Michigan is always a treat and they should be ready to harvest before the chick's arrive in early spring. I am looking into solar for power source so that would give me a lot of flexibility in heat and water during the winter. Still in the development stage and convincing Cyndy, my wife, that I have not lost it!

Ive thought about using a high tunnel for winter chicken housing, but havent gotten around to setting it up. Have a few friends raising winter laying hens in high tunnels. Usually they are left empty or cover cropped in the summer because harvestable plants always seem to need to be in there a little too early or a little too late. If you are operating by any kinds of health standards, you should not harvest anything from ground that chickens have run on for at least 90 days after the chickens have been completely off that ground. So that really limits the options in terms of raising chickens in nonmovable high tunnels in my climate. Since the growing season is only about 100-120 days to begin with.

As far as I know, electric heat is not ideal in combination with solar. There are very few options for low wattage electric heaters that are worth anything.

 

[3KillerBs]

I am looking into solar for power source so that would give me a lot of flexibility in heat and water during the winter.

You'll need to be VERY sure that the solar would be capable of handling your needs. Here in North Carolina I've been having to bring my solar-powered fence energizer in for a plug-in charge about once a week since November and my days are longer at this latitude than your days are.