Meat pen for fair 13 weeks. Will they survive?

[LibbyR]

My Cornish Roasters which are supposed to grow 2 weeks slower than Cornish X Broilers will be 13 weeks at our county fair. I’m just wondering if they will survive until the end of the week. Is there anything I can do to keep them from getting too heavy and having heart attack’s there? I will be taking pullets due to them looking and seeming more hardy. They are currently 10 weeks and I’ve not weighed them so I don’t know weights.

 

[snow5164]

I’d stop feeding grower and switch to finisher it has less protein , I have grazers they grow slower too. Good luck

 

[LibbyR]

I’d stop feeding grower and switch to finisher it has less protein , I have grazers they grow slower too. Good luck

Currently feeding them 20% Purina Flock Raiser. They’ve only had one bag of 22% Meatbird feed thankfully. I’m going to get 18% next time. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[ronott1]

I have read to put the water at the other end of the pen from the feed. That makes them move around to get some exercise

 

[Parront]

Your meat birds will be ok, let them out on the grass for a little exercise! (ronott11 knows about that)
Have them in the dark for ~12 hours/day if you can. They will eat less, sleep more, and the leg bones will have time to grow. Birds in the dark 12 hours will not sexually mature, either. Better for the fair!

 

[LibbyR]

Your meat birds will be ok, let them out on the grass for a little exercise! (ronott11 knows about that)
Have them in the dark for ~12 hours/day if you can. They will eat less, sleep more, and the leg bones will have time to grow. Birds in the dark 12 hours will not sexually mature, either. Better for the fair!

No sun at all?

 

[CannedMonster]

No sun at all?

It’s summer so we’re getting more than 12 hours of daylight.
You should be able to let them have some sun in the late afternoon/evening.

 

[Parront]

No sun at all?

Sun for 12 hours, dark for 12. If you can, keep them in a dark shed -- no windows -- to keep them from wanting to eat and mate. Less than 14 hours per day will keep pullets from laying. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...uire-14-hours-of-light-to-keep-laying.101378/
When they are not laying, they are growing. Meat birds do not need to mature to lay eggs. 13 weeks is not very old, no need to have a lot of light.
My African Grey parrot is in the closet 12 hours a day, no light at all. She calls me at bedtime, and says "let's go". Birds like to nest at night in the dark

 

[LibbyR]

Sun for 12 hours, dark for 12. If you can, keep them in a dark shed -- no windows -- to keep them from wanting to eat and mate. Less than 14 hours per day will keep pullets from laying. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...uire-14-hours-of-light-to-keep-laying.101378/
When they are not laying, they are growing. Meat birds do not need to mature to lay eggs. 13 weeks is not very old, no need to have a lot of light.
My African Grey parrot is in the closet 12 hours a day, no light at all. She calls me at bedtime, and says "let's go". Birds like to nest at night in the dark

Okay thank you. I was told that they needed sunlight but I guess I was told wrong. My shed has no windows but gets awfully hot when closed even with a fan on. I will try to keep them in the dark more for the next 3 weeks.

 

[snow5164]

I wouldn’t keep them in the dark , they do need sunlight.these aren’t Cornish hens they are slow growing hybrids .
That’s just cruel , feed a lower protein , I have food at one end and water at the other end , but again this is with Cornish hens that stop moving , these birds are active, at least mine are .

Do what you feel is right , but remember these are not Cornish cross .