Meat chickens

[kfacres]

Quote:
What eats more? A bird that eats twice as much feed... or one that takes twice as long to butcher?

I am pretty sure a bird that takes 2-3 more weeks doesn't eat twice as much food, but I guess we will just have to see exactly how much these birds eat... I am not into raising birds that eat themselves to death... To each his own... I prefer to raise a bird that will forage and not just sit in front of the feeder..

that's fine for you..

I personally, prefer couped 100% of the time birds- that eat more, faster, and of which are ready to eat sooner...

The sooner, the better.. the less chance for problems to arise...

 

[CarriageStone]

Quote:
I am pretty sure a bird that takes 2-3 more weeks doesn't eat twice as much food, but I guess we will just have to see exactly how much these birds eat... I am not into raising birds that eat themselves to death... To each his own... I prefer to raise a bird that will forage and not just sit in front of the feeder..

that's fine for you..

I personally, prefer couped 100% of the time birds- that eat more, faster, and of which are ready to eat sooner...

The sooner, the better.. the less chance for problems to arise...

I tend to agree with kfacres.

In response to jessica, it amazed me how much feed our CX's went through on weeks 6 & 7. It was a significant jump over the prior weeks rations. SIGNIFICANT. At seven weeks we processed and averaged 4-1/2 lbs. per dressed carcass. I've processed some Delaware, Speckled Sussex, and BCM roos from good lines as well. For my money and time, I'm sticking with the CX's. Far more efficient and for better breast meat -- which is what our family tends to eat the most.

 

[jessicayarno]

Quote:
that's fine for you..

I personally, prefer couped 100% of the time birds- that eat more, faster, and of which are ready to eat sooner...

The sooner, the better.. the less chance for problems to arise...

I tend to agree with kfacres.

In response to jessica, it amazed me how much feed our CX's went through on weeks 6 & 7. It was a significant jump over the prior weeks rations. SIGNIFICANT. At seven weeks we processed and averaged 4-1/2 lbs. per dressed carcass. I've processed some Delaware, Speckled Sussex, and BCM roos from good lines as well. For my money and time, I'm sticking with the CX's. Far more efficient and for better breast meat -- which is what our family tends to eat the most.

Like I said to each his own.. You raise CX because that is what's right for you and I am choosing to raise a slower grower, because that is what's right for me.. Some people choose to spend a little extra money and time to not have to worry about leg and heart problems... I was upset to find those birds dead when I walked out there, not to mention the one that I had to cull because it couldn't breath... After dumping all of that money into their feed they (5) died at 6-7wks... I know people either love them or hate them. I don't hate them I am just choosing not to raise them..

 

[kfacres]

Quote:
that's fine for you..

I personally, prefer couped 100% of the time birds- that eat more, faster, and of which are ready to eat sooner...

The sooner, the better.. the less chance for problems to arise...

I tend to agree with kfacres.

In response to jessica, it amazed me how much feed our CX's went through on weeks 6 & 7. It was a significant jump over the prior weeks rations. SIGNIFICANT. At seven weeks we processed and averaged 4-1/2 lbs. per dressed carcass. I've processed some Delaware, Speckled Sussex, and BCM roos from good lines as well. For my money and time, I'm sticking with the CX's. Far more efficient and for better breast meat -- which is what our family tends to eat the most.

atta boy... or girl...

Now don't get me wrong folks- I'll butcher a DP roo any day of the week... but that's not where my heart is, and it's for sure not something I'm going to write home about... I consider all DP birds to be stew birds, just me though I guess.

 

[jessicayarno]

All Girl thank you

 

[kfacres]

Quote:
I was refering to Carriage Stone... wasn't a doubt in my mind you were a girl...

atta girl to you!

 

[kfacres]

I just wrote a post on another post... and I think it can apply very well in this one too, or atleast most of it... copied below...

What people don't understand, especially when they're talking about CX, or meat birds in general... Is that when an animal is allowed to exercise, muscles get used.. The more a muscle gets used, the stringier, and tougher it becomes. Why do you think the loins are the most tender, or the TENDERLOINS? They're extremely hard to flex, whereas a shoulder on the other hand.. not only is the most used, but it's also got more seam fat, and muscle junctions... Anyways, back to chickens...

What people don't realize, is that the longer they're meat bird is allowed to live, the tougher, stringier, and overall palatability is being compromised. These people preach free ranging, and limited feed... I don't know about you, but I'd much rather eat a fat butterball that didn't move all day, and was constantly full of corn and high protein grain to generate IMF, or Intra Muscular Fat... Which directly leads to flavor, and a positive eating experience... The same for marbling in beef.

It's like comparing veal to deer... What's lean, and most likely better for you? Or what's kept in confinement, not allowed to move, fed crazy fatty diets.. and taste like heaven, in a fork cutting experience??

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
I tend to agree with kfacres.

In response to jessica, it amazed me how much feed our CX's went through on weeks 6 & 7. It was a significant jump over the prior weeks rations. SIGNIFICANT. At seven weeks we processed and averaged 4-1/2 lbs. per dressed carcass. I've processed some Delaware, Speckled Sussex, and BCM roos from good lines as well. For my money and time, I'm sticking with the CX's. Far more efficient and for better breast meat -- which is what our family tends to eat the most.

Like I said to each his own.. You raise CX because that is what's right for you and I am choosing to raise a slower grower, because that is what's right for me.. Some people choose to spend a little extra money and time to not have to worry about leg and heart problems... I was upset to find those birds dead when I walked out there, not to mention the one that I had to cull because it couldn't breath... After dumping all of that money into their feed they (5) died at 6-7wks... I know people either love them or hate them. I don't hate them I am just choosing not to raise them..

I have raised both CX's and FR. I just picked up our 11 FR's from the processor's and I'm glad it is over. The carcass weight was 4 1/2 lbs for the smallest girl to 6 1/2 lbs on the largest boys. I feed Purina Start and Grow non-med. 24/7 for the first 3 wks while they were feathering. At 3 weeks, I put them outside and started feeding them 12 on 12 off. Most of the day they would free range, once I let them out. At 10 1/2 weeks I switched their feed to Dumor Start and Grow 20% protein, Put them in their tractor and fed them 24 hrs again and let them only free range when I came home from work for a couple hours. The last week and 1/2 was really annoying with them, every time I let them out, they would make a mad dash to the layer coop and try and eat all the layers food as fast as they could, even though they still had feed. The carcass's looked great, no fat on them. I liked that. The part I didn't was...they were around too long, and I still got the same weight as a CX. I do the same with the CX's and they free range a little too. I never put food and water close, they have to walk to each of them. I will be doing CX's next go around at the beginning of 2012.
Michele

 

[jessicayarno]

Okay I have raised slower growers and I myself like the flavor much better... Just because you didn't like your experience with the slower growers doesn't mean that other people won't... I don't allow my meat birds to hang with my egg layers, they are in two seperate areas in my pasture and funny thing is, i let one of my customers try one of the red broilers from my last batch and she said she couldn't really tell the difference in texture and flavor.. I didn't allow them to free range they were in a run and had access to grass and bugs. None of the birds were tough and stringy, maybe it's because I know how to cook, dunno.. Kfacers, your opinions are your opinions.. I am not sitting here trying to get you to like one over the other and I don't understand why you are... Some people raise all different kinds of meat birds (ie. ducks, turkeys, DP) because that is what works for THEM... You really should stop trying to cram your opinion down other people's throat, especially mine... I am a loud neck and I don't shut up when it comes to TROLLS like you.....

 

[kfacres]

Quote:
Go ahead, and report me- I'll do the same to you...

What i can't figure out, is why on every post i make, begun by somebody completely different.. you get on and contradict what I have to say? Sounds to me like your trolling and trying to start somthing.