meaties are **3 weeks** today!

[backyardmenagerie]

Thank you everyone, I have your weights updated.
BigDaddy'sGurl, your guys had their 4 week birthday on Sunday, so I put an estimate as 21 oz average.
In His Service, Renee' and Averytds, your next weekly b-day is March 31.
For everyone else, there should be a date in your next box for when you'll need to weigh.

Thank you guys again, so much, for humoring me.

This is getting interesting, there are trends starting to show. Can't wait to see what everyone's finished weights are.

ETA: hope y'all have your reading glasses on! The forum seems to shrink the chart down quite a bit.

PS: This thread is getting pretty long, do we want to start a new one?

 

[LindsayB]

Lookin' good! Anyone notice a big size difference from the cockerels and pullets?

 

[Misty Oak Ranch]

Mine are nearly 4 weeks, and they are doing nicely. I'm guessing that they avg 1.75 lbs. They are an even mix, on grass with a heat lamp, it has hit 20 degrees at night and they are doing good. I've lost 2 in 4 weeks, both were runts that got pushed out of the way. They are active, I hope to let them start ranging this weekend.

Do they normally not get feathers on their bottoms and underbelly? I've noticed that they are kind of bare on the bottom, but other wise look ok, they are nearly fully feathered. This is the first time we have raised Cornish X's.

 

[LindsayB]

Mine are pretty bare under their belly and bottom area too. The should feather out down there by 5-6 weeks I think.

 

[tgrlily]

Quote:
Yes... about 4 ounces difference here. This week, anyway!

I love this thread!!! Thanks for the chart.

Hubby still thinks we're all goofy weighing them, though! Laughs at me when I have them on the scale. The little buggers just sit there & let me weigh them. Still no signs of distress. I think I'm going back to fully unrestricted. Hope it doesn't mess anything up.

 

[LindsayB]

Quick question for anybody! Its really windy outside right now and I have the tarp over my meatie chicken tractor...We are expecting some pretty good rain overnight. Should I bring them in the garage??

I'm kind of freaking out. I know the rain can't get on them with the cover over the pen. but what about the water that may get in from the ground. Our backyard doesn't flood or anything but the ground may be alittle wet under them.

What would you do?!

 

[backyardmenagerie]

Quote:
I'd stick them in the garage, personally. They're still babies, and I know mine have hardly any feathers. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Quote:
Mine seem to be in two groups right now, the 1 lbs, and the 1 1/2 lbs. I'm guessing my bigger guys are the cockerels, and the smaller ones are the pullets. The pullets also seem to be keeping their baby fuzz longer.

 

[LindsayB]

Right after I wrote that post I went outside and grabbed them up! I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if they were out there in a storm. Even though they are just meat chickens I still care about them! It was pretty funny though.....When they were babies I had them in a wire rabbit cage...I put them in it tonight and they were smashed! They have gotten huge! I had to leave 3 in the rabbit cage and then put the other 3 in our recycling bin.....oh the things I do to keep my animals happy...lol

 

[backyardmenagerie]

Quote:
lol, it totally makes sense to me! (and thank you!) I like knowing how each group of chickens gain, based on multiple factors. That way if I do it again, I have more than just my personal experience to draw conclusions from. From the trends I'm seeing so far, I will definitely be going with 20% or higher next time around. I wouldn't have known that it makes much of a difference if everyone didn't take a few extra minutes each week to weigh their chickens!
AND, knowing how my chickens are gaining tells me how they're doing, health-wise. I can see that they're gaining (and that all this effort isn't for naught!) and that they're not gaining to fast, so I don't have to worry about spontaneous deaths.
Maybe it's just the researcher in me. I like to have as much data as possible.

 

[jcfuente51]

HER 2 PICS OF MY BOYS THEY ARE 43 DAYS OLD

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