Meaties, The sequel

[hydroswiftrob]

I enjoyed raising our own meaties so much last year, I have decided it is time to do it again. Our freezer is empty, and we have been reduced to buy store bought chicken (which my kids call fake chicken). My skeptical wife at first last year has came around and was ready for this years batch over a month ago. The birds I raised last year, gave us many memorable family meals, including an awesome Mother's Day meal I prepared from a whole chicken.

I had a thread last year that I kept on my first experience found here: www.backyardchickens.com/t/635131/got-my-first-meat-birds-pic-heavy

I enjoyed keeping my weekly journal on here, so I thought I would do it again.

Kind of like last year, I was in the area of Tractor Supply and decided to go in for a peek at this years chicks and see what they had to offer. Big Mistake. Haha, who am I kidding, I was hoping they had some chicks saying, "Pick me, Pick me!" As it turned out, there were fifty, one week old Cornish X that had yet to be purchased. One week old chicks at TS mean 1/2 off clearanced chicks. Clearanced chicks that have been fed for a week, make me happy!

Introducing the next fifty freezer fillers. One week old Cornish X.

 

[Hollow Point]

Cool, I ordered 30 and they arrived at the feed store yesterday. Will take pictures later of temporary set up for them

 

[hydroswiftrob]

Cool, I ordered 30 and they arrived at the feed store yesterday. Will take pictures later of temporary set up for them

Is this your first batch?

 

[Hollow Point]

Is this your first batch?

First batch of meat birds. Going to run them in a little brooder I made last week for a couple of weeks then turn them loose in the chicken yard separted from the rest until they are big enough to butcher. If they start to get crowded in here, I have other large boxes to keep them in and extra heat lamps until they do make it to the yard.

 

[hydroswiftrob]

Looks like you are off to a good start! You will never want to go back to store bought meat.

 

[redsoxs]

I agree with hydroswiftrob - I don't know that I can ever buy store chicken again. Such a better taste being homegrown, not to mention the satisfaction of knowing I raised it myself.

 

[Hollow Point]

Anyone ever just use regular chick starter versus broiler starter? I did with these, chick starter is $17.00.a bag while broiler starter is $25.0o a bag

 

[hydroswiftrob]

I use Dumor chick starter/grower the entire time. At four weeks, I start adding some 28% game bird slowly to the feed. By the eighth week, I have my mix ratio at 24%. People have blasted me for my protein ratio on here, saying it is too much, but I didn't lose one bird last year. At eight weeks mine were still very active, but very big. I also fed them meal worms everyday as treats and those things are like 50% protein.

As I said, don't take my advise, I have been blasted for it, but I won't change a thing that I did because it worked. If I ever encounter leg problems or chicks killing over, I will reassess my technique.

 

[Hollow Point]

So far 2 out of my 30 have kicked the bucket already. This starter feed I am using is medicated with 18% protien. I know anytime I medicate any of my livestock we have always waited at least 14 days before butchering, so after these chicks get to about 3-4 weeks I may swap out feed to regular chick feed. Do you think 18% protien may not be enough for a conish x? Have always used on my egg layers, but these I want for the freezer. It is not a problem for me if they are not 6-8# in 6 weeks, just don't want to wait to long and let the heat catch them cause it does get on down here quick.

 

[hydroswiftrob]

If it were me I would bump it to at least 20%, but I have never, one single day, given either my layers or meaties, medicated food. I am about to lose one of my 50. I am marking it up to failure to thrive, but it has been trampled and is a weakling. It was smaller than all the other chicks when I bought them, so it doesn't surprise me.

50 birds= 50 lbs of feed down, 15 gallons of ACV water down, all in one week.