meat chicks

[bluebirdfarm]

hi, we have had 4-5 of ours die , i think it was a leg problem ? since we have 100 of them , maybe they could not walk and got under a pile . i think one or two may have had a heart attack , which from what i have read is copmmon since they grow so fast. yours may have had a heart attack , heat is bad for them , too. i am hoping that we don't loose too many more befroe july one , when we butcher them.

 

[MaryT]

Quote:
Looks like we are in the same boat July 1 is our butcher date too!!

 

[bluebirdfarm]

oh that is too much 1 how many do you have . I am getting a good old boy to help , he claims he can skin one in 4-5 minute s!!! LOL, we'll see. he did mention that i have to gut them, yuk.

 

[MaryT]

Quote:
We have 26 and it will be our first time processing so it is going to be very interesting adventure......

Well my hubby says He will do the initial after that it is my job!!! Although I know he will help, if I want skin I will have to defeather it myself!!!! Hopefully all goes well..... and that it dosen't take to long ..... I can see it , we go out in the morning and at night we are still out there working on that first chicken .......LOL

 

[SimplyAbundantFarm]

MaryT... are you from Elkton, Maryland? Or another Elkton? If so...we're nearly neighbors! I live in Harford County just across the dam.

 

[Hotwings]

How much feed have you gone through with a 100 meat chickens!?

 

[bluebirdfarm]

well , lets see, i bought 200 pounds last friday and today i had to buy another "round" ( BTW the price went up 50 cents in the meantime) of 300 pounds.
we have used about 850 pounds in 4 weeks

 

[greyfields]

I would say 30 lbs of feed per bird to 10 pound live weight. So, you're looking at 1.5 tons total.

 

[bluebirdfarm]

thanx greyfields, i was calculating ( hear the wheels turning!!LOL) and i came up with the figure of almost 1 ton as what i will need to finish these birds off in 4 weeks .

 

[hdchic]

wow, look what I miss when I'm not around! LOL...Aussie, you may NOT keep them at my place!

My birds are going through about 100lbs/4 days. They are quite the eaters/poopers!!

The above picture is of an old whelping bed I had for one of my dogs...its 6x6 square, with 4' high sides...works well for my 45 birds...the next was taken when they were 3 weeks old...

I took the floor out and put down chicken wire, then I just lift it up (without the chicks) and shovel out the poop about once a week. Works great except moving them out and back in again after cleaning. Whew!