My Spring 2013 Meat Bird Journal

[Anna-MN]

The chicks weigh 6 ounces already! WOW

 

[Mingming]

Pictures please!!! I might do a second order in about 3 weeks

 

[Mingming]

Sorry that double posted

 

[Belinda's Funny Farm]

I weighed a smaller and larger one this morning just based on looking at them as I didn't want to weigh a bunch of them for an average.

Smallest - 6.75 oz
Largest - 8.25 oz

They are starting to eat the fermented feed now. They were a little hesitant about it at first but once I took away the dry completely they decided it wasn't so bad since they thought they were starving.

 

[MrsKemmerlin]

I am so very interested in keeping up with your post! DH and I are planning to get a trial bunch of 25 CornishX SOON and see how it goes, so I'm loving reading how everyone else's experiences are going! What are the pros and cons with the fermented feed? I've seen very mixed emotions on feeding it to them... And WHOOHOO for all the free birds! I can't wait to see pictures!

 

[pcappy2]

I"m ordered cornish X from McMurray this year. They will be 4 weeks old tomorrow. This is our first experience with raising this type of chicken. I do have them on fermented feed at noc and they have access to unlimited dry chick starter crumbles all day. I'm thinking they need a higher level of protein, cuz these chicks act like they are starving......Can anyone give me advise on feeding these guys?

 

[SunnysMama]

I"m ordered cornish X from McMurray this year. They will be 4 weeks old tomorrow. This is our first experience with raising this type of chicken. I do have them on fermented feed at noc and they have access to unlimited dry chick starter crumbles all day. I'm thinking they need a higher level of protein, cuz these chicks act like they are starving......Can anyone give me advise on feeding these guys?

I'm assuming that you let them sleep in the dark so they don't eat all night? If not then you really need to consider removing their feed at night so you don't end up with problems because these birds will literally eat themselves to death. Last years McMurray chicks were fed nothing but fermented feed and allowed free choice for the first two weeks and then it was taken away from them at night until the time they slept in the dark and then I didn't have to worry about them eating all night. I fed mine 18% protein dry feed mixed with fermented corn, oats, barley and wheat. They finished in about 9 week with an average dressed weight of over 5lbs. The key to raising these guys healthy is to not let them have free choice feed. HTH!!

 

[Anna-MN]

Mine are eating 22% protein right now and will get it for the first four weeks. Then the last 4-5 weeks they will get 19%. I don't do the fermented feed. Their feeders get filled at 7am and taken away at 11pm. I don't really have issues with them being scavengers. I fed dry feed last year and achieved 8 pounds dressed weight on average at 8 1/2 weeks.

Bought 200lbs of feed today for $49.20, four gallon waterers for $20.00, and another feeder for $5.00.


So the tally so far is-
Birds: $73.00
Feed: $76.40
Wood shavings: $15.00
Feeders and Waterers: $40.00
Vitamin Supplements: $20.00

 

[Kildare49]

I start my broilers on FF from day 1.
There is a very long thread on FF. I can tell you the #1 - 100 reasons why we FF..........SMELL.

There are other positives...but for my dw & kids, its the reduction in smell.

 

[off-grid hen]

Subscribing to this post, my meatballs arrive the end of April.