Meyer Broiler Special Grow-a-long?

[SIMZ]

Here are a couple venturing outside today. They're 4 weeks old.

 

[DogandPonyShow]

I was shown this by an old timer chicken farmer. He actually said to pick the bird up by the head and let the legs dangle. If the legs stay down, it's a boy, if they are drawn up and held there, it's a girl. I told him I was looking for a way to tell with baby chicks, and he showed me this method. It has proven right for me for 4 years now. I also called Meyers the last time I ordered meaties because they told me the day old chicks I would be ordering would be straight run, and this method told me they were all females. Sure enough they told me they had shipped all females to me even though I had ordered straight run. Their paperwork they had confirmed this. They were surprised to hear that I know they were all female. They said you could not sex a bird like that. Of course they also said I could not keep a CornishXcross past a couple or three week either and I have a rooster and 3 hens in the barn right now that are a year old !

I'm going to have to try this - I'm pretty sure mine are straight run. Lost one the first night, but the remaining are healthy and chowing down. I'll probably set them outside for an hour or so tomorrow since it should be warm, and then I can strip the brooder and rebed fully.

 

[Celie]

Sey it usuallly takes a couple extra weeks to grow the females as they grow much sloooooowwwweeerr !

 

[wsmoak]

Picture day was a bit late this week, so I think this is about 2.5 weeks:



The Herpstat is set as low as it will go at 50 degrees, but we've been in the 50's overnight lately so the light isn't even coming on anymore. I'll give them a few more days to feather out, and then it's out into the yard with them!

Brooding them in the tractor has worked _great_ -- no smell in the house, and very little smell out where they are in the garage. If I smell anything I just stir up the shavings and toss in some more. Think 'deep litter method' -- I don't remove any shavings, I just keep adding them. I thought they would draw flies, but they really haven't.

Other than the three early casualties, I haven't lost any. Of course I'm now starting to get nervous about them growing too fast. I believe the Meyer website says to only give them food 12 hours a day after 3 weeks, so I'll start that next week.

-Wendy

 

[SIMZ]

They're looking good, Wendy!

This is our first time with Meyer broilers, and it seemed that they were growing much slower than our usual meaties. Yet, this week they have really taken off and are really looking good! We're very pleased with Meyer's broilers. We'll be processing about 25 next week and we'll see how they do. Even though we have 3/4 female they're still doing great for 5 weeks!

 

[wsmoak]

Yesterday I moved them out into the yard, and they are enjoying scratching in the grass and dirt.



Moving the tractor was not *quite* as simple as flipping down the wheels and rolling it out. It had 3-4 inches of shavings packed in the bottom, and limited access from the top. I had to scoop out about two feet, roll the tractor forward, and repeat a few times to get it moving.

-Wendy

 

[Celie]

Yesterday I moved them out into the yard, and they are enjoying scratching in the grass and dirt.



Moving the tractor was not *quite* as simple as flipping down the wheels and rolling it out. It had 3-4 inches of shavings packed in the bottom, and limited access from the top. I had to scoop out about two feet, roll the tractor forward, and repeat a few times to get it moving.

-Wendy

Wendy, This is what my Meyers' meaties look like now! I find they are growing slow for Cornish X ! I put them in the barn a couple weeks ago, and at first. Then when I put them on the 19% protein FF with oats and grain added, they slowed up a lot. I have been putting ACV in their water, and since I had 50, I started giving some the FF and some just wet food, I see no difference in size. A couple of days ago, the ducks and geese decided to stay on the pond instead of going into the barn, like they always did. Well it went from the 60's and 70's during the day to in the high 30's at night, they piled up and smothered 8 in the last 2 nights. I didn't feed the ducks during the day today and they(most of them, a couple dozen stayed on the pond) were already in the barn when we got there with a sack of feed tonight, around dark. It is supposed to warm up a little and only get into the 40's tonight and warm up to the 60's by Sunday night. Our days have been in the 60's and going into the 70's for the high over the weekend. I think they will be alright as soon as they get all their feathers. These meaties are growing so slow. I think I am going to put them back on the 22% protein feed and feed them straight feed. They are fed 3x a day now and have finished most of their food by the next feeding round, but are completely emptied plates by morning. I just finished the third 50# sack of feed tonight. I will be going to the feed store first thing tomorrow morning. I will be putting them into the pasture during the day on Sunday, if it doesn't rain, since it will be in the 70's. That might encourage a growth spurt ! LOL

 

[wsmoak]

Oooookay, that was unpleasant. I went to remove the feeder and check their water this evening, and one had... expired.

I knew it could happen from reading here, that they sometimes "flip" and die, but it's somewhat different when you're not expecting it and there's a dead chicken in the pen! Great, another thing to deal with at evening chore time.

I think I'll be going back to Freedom Rangers in the spring. None of those just spontaneously died on me.

-Wendy

 

[wsmoak]

Hey, what happened to everybody?! I know what happened here... lack of daylight.

We spent 3+ hours yesterday putting the remaining dozen in... I'd love to say the freezer, but in reality they're in a huge cooler of ice water. And they are going to stay there until Tuesday when I have time to deal with them! Definitely not ideal, but the short days and other commitments make it necessary.

I won't be doing fall meat birds again, and probably not Cornish X broilers _ever_. They are apparently too fragile for my rustic chicken keeping setup.

-Wendy

 

[TamTurkey]

Yeah CX need temp control and a lot of feed lol but they are quicker than most for getting from poult to platter. Sorry you had a tough time. Mine are spoiled with a window unit radiant heater and air cleaner. lol Now if I can just get the funds together for an automatic waterer.