Meatie Time! Updated-Everything is okay

[bigredfeather]

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They seemed pretty typical in size. There were a few runts, but then there always is. Their legs seem thinner, which worries me a bit. I did lose the two I thought I would. I am anxious to see how they perform as well. Shipping ended up being $31 which pushed the price higher than I thought, but they're still cheaper than other places.

I will keep you posted on their progress. In the past, I have always butchered at 8 weeks, but I am only going to do 7 weeks this year. It will be interesting to see how much difference a week makes. I typically have around a 5 pound dressed average.

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

Not sure how the pricing pans out from Murray Mc Murray but we did some last year and the males dressed out at about 4.75 pounds - but I have to qualify that this was our first year and we were not feeding right. It said to take food away in early afternoon and we probably did a little too early. We have a better handle on it this year. We also ordered again from McMurray and lost only two out of 28.

All the birds from McMurray were uniform in size (both years) with little to no difference as chicks between males and females. Last year we butchered males at 7 weeks and females at 8 weeks. The one week did make a difference, but then again we also kinda figured out the feeding thing within the last two weeks.

I too would enjoy seeing this thread go for a while to learn how other people raising meat birds do it and share success and hopefully few failures.

Sandee

 

[Soccer Mom]

Well, I really wouldn't recommend doing it as early as I do. It isn't my choice to get broilers in January, but my son raises them for 4H and the county fair was in February. The upside is that we get the chicks really cheaply. The down side is that we raise them in our garage.

I'll do another batch in the summer. They won't be nearly as cheap, but are so much less work out in the tractor.

 

[SteveH]

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Its kind of a shame the hatcheries don't usually specify which strain of meat chicken they retail , and I can't help but wonder if they don't hatch whatever egg they manage to get the best price on if they don't produce their own eggs .
Something I've been wondering about ; is it possible that the inconsisties in growth you are experiencing are due to raising a bird , bred for confinement feeding , in pasture pens where the high protein diet that they are bred to thrive on can be thrown off by those individuals willing to browze on grass as a substantual part of their diet ?

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

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Just so I understand please . . . what do you mean by this?

 

[the simple life]

I got 100 meat chicks today as well. Its the first time I have ever ordered from Cackle Hatchery, I probably would have stayed with Welp but the guy at the feedstore ordered them from Cackle so I guess we'll see how they do and if there are any comparisons to be made between them and Welp.
I actually still have a batch from Welp growing out right now, they are 4 weeks.
The only other place I have ordered from is Ideal and I think it was similar to the experience I had with the birds from Welp.
Right now Cackle is charging $114.00 for 100 straight run chicks and Welp is charging $121.00 for the same.

I don't know if the weather will make any difference since it will be getting warmer but I have been processing at 9-10 weeks and getting 6-7 lb birds.
I would say 90 percent of them are 6 1/2 lbs at that age and there are a few that were 7 and then one or two that were 8lbs.
All and all I have been pretty happy with their weights.
I won't process any sooner than that because I don't want a 4-5 lb bird. It won't feed my family and I don't want to cook two each time I make dinner because its a waste of money. I would rather pay to feed them a couple of more weeks and get a good size bird than cook two because I pay someone to process for me and I have to figure that cost in, its cheaper to feed for two extra weeks.

I can't wait for the warmer weather so that I can start putting the chicks into the outdoor brooding pens sooner.
I have some chicks that I hatched a couple of weeks ago in the brooder and then I have some chicks I got from the school because I give the science classes eggs to hatch and then they return the chicks to me after the hatch.
They contacted me today about getting several dozen more eggs for the kids to hatch so things are going to get a bit crazy in about a month with all the new cluckers.
I am also getting some Bourbon Reds, White Holland and Broad Breasted White poults next month.
I can't wait for the new coops to go in, the weather has been throwing off the plans but that is all suppose to change this weekend.
We are suppose to have some nice sunny weather.
I am getting a new larger chicken coop and a larger shed for my goats. One of the does gave birth to twins last month and they are ready to move up.
It will be nice to be all done brooding and everyone in their regular housing soon.
I am not going to do any more meatbirds after I process these in May. Its way too hot and it smells ridiculously once June hits.
I cannot even imagine the stench of meatbirds in the summer heat so I raise them in the fall/winter.
That is why I have been doing the batches by the 100s so I can put them in the freezer and have enough until the fall.

 

[Overeasyplz]

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Wow that is a great price for broilers! that is a very good deal. How many do you have to buy? Sometimes if I wait long enough the feed store gets tired of feeding them and marks them way down. A lot of people pass up this beautiful meatie because they just don't know how to raise them right. Sad, but more for me!

 

[bigredfeather]

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I wish I would have waited one more week. I lost 20 of them over the weekend. I'm pretty sure the problem is too many chicks and not enough heat lamp warming area. I only have 2 heat lamps in a 5'x9' brooder. Probably should have 3 or 4. Most of the dead ones are flat from being squished. This morning they were sitting outside the ring on the lamp, and all seemed lively. The ones that died were much smaller than the ones that remain. Maybe something to it. :dunno.

 

[bigredfeather]

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This has become a problem. I lost 7 of them this weekend. Before they died, I noticed they are sitting back with there feet out in front of them like I have seen them do a week before butchering. Their legs aren't keeping up. I have been giving them vitamins/minerals, and it isn't helping. I saw one of them panting like they sometimes do before they flip. I think I'm finding out why they are so much cheaper at Central. I need to order more this week for my next batch, but I'm not going to order from Central again. I should have known better. I knew there had to be a reason why they were 30 cents cheaper.

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

All our meaties are good and seem to be growing well and all about the same size. However, we had one this weekend that was not doing so well. It was puffed up, choking/breathing really hard and looked like it was on its way out. Well, we isolated it and it's rear-end looked really swollen and big (the vent was clear). Went back out and it had made a big poo and was all better. Wondering if the feed we are using is not a good one for them. Mc Murray recommends a 26% to 28% protein (we think that is for growth) and we can only find 21% in our area. We are giving grit and plenty of water.

Anyone else having problems like this? We had no problems with this last year.

Sandee