New to meat birds. Help?

[mainemomof2]

Hello,
This is our first year with meat birds. We have 25 Cornish cross chicks that we got on Thursday of last week. They were 1-2 days old when we got them. We are feeding them Blue Seal Broiler Crumbles-AM Medicated. It has 22% Crude Protein. We are allowing them to eat 24/7.
I see all different styles of feeding meat birds, i.e. 12 hours, rationing feed, etc.

Can anyone lead me? Do I continue with this food for many weeks allowing them to eat 24/7?

I was told that they would be ready to go to the butcher at 7-8 weeks.

I have them inside in a brooder with a heat lamp with a 125 watt bulb.

Like I said, I am new to this, and looking for any advice.

Thank you!!
Danielle

 

[SteveH]

You'll probably get several different , conflicting posts

. I'm getting by with one 125 watt bulb because mine are being brooded indoors too . I started with brooder air temps under the lamp at about 5 degrees lower than recommended for layers and dropping it 5 degrees per week ; goal is to wean them off the brooder lamp at 3 weeks . I'm intentionally slowing growth for a breeding project ; but even if I wasn't I would still being feeding controlled amounts to slow their growth from their optimum potentional . If they need heat lights after removal from the brooder due to unseasonably cold nights , I would be shutting the lids on the pen feeders I'm building to stop them from eating at night . [ I have thermostat plugs that shut power on/off to extension cords at roughly 35/45 degrees ] Because they tend to sleep right at the feeders and sleep , eat , sleep , eat ....... I'll be mounting the feeders high enough that they have to stand to eat , but again that's aiming more for health over optimum growth . Water is a biggie , they are going to drink more than any chicken you've ever owned ; be sure you have adequate waters , especially if you are not home to refill them during the day .

 

[Dogfish]

I did medicated feed for the first 2 weeks on my broilers, then switched over to a flock raiser ration. I had a rooster at 6.5lbs and hens that averaged 5.5lbs at 8 weeks.

The chicks will let you know if you are doing something wrong. Tightly bunched, too cold. Loud peeping, like really loud, out of feed or water. Getting ugly and big = just right

 

[Chicken411]

This is my first time raising meat chickens. I've just done what others have told me to do on here, but so far it has worked great. I have had no losses and all my chickens are doing well. Even had a couple close calls, but my two sick chicks recovered.

I had mine in an indoor brooder until they were 4 weeks old, then I moved them outside. They were on pine shavings 95 degrees under the heat lamp the first week, 90 the second week, and then 82 the rest of the time. The first two weeks they had access to food and water 24/7 and I left the light on all the time. The third week I started taking their food away at night, then the fourth week I started turning their light off at night and leaving their food in all the time.

We are now keeping them in a free range pen with an attached secure coop. They have access to food 12 hours a day. We let them out of the coop in the morning and bring them in at night. The food is in the range pen, so they can't get to it at night, not that they eat at night anyway. We have a seperate water container that we keep in the coop, so they do have access to water at all times.

Good luck with your chickens. Everyone on here is very helpful.

 

[SteveH]

Dogfish brought up a good point on medicated feed . Most chicken feed labeled Medicated actually only carry a coccidistat . Coccidia are parasitic protozoa that wreak havoc on the digestive systems of chickens and are said to be the most common cause of death in chickens . They're spread through feces contamination of bedding and feed . I'm using unmedicated feed and a little cider vinegar added to the water because useing it to keep the digestive system at a slightly acidic level is an old-time preventative and treatment ; and also because so far my chicks have been in virgin conditions with no exposure to other poultry or birds . Keeping the bedding dry and clean are also good preventatives . Should they show signs of illness I will add supplements to their water that contain electrolytes plus a coccidistat and antibiotic to control secondary bacterial infections .

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Apple Cidar Vinegar is great. I also put it in my waterers, but mainly when they show signs of sickness, or in waterers that are too big, where the water would otherwise start to stink and grow mold before it's drank. When I have sick birds, I put it so strong that I'm shocked they drink it, and it helps.

 

[Smoky73]

This is my first time to actual white meat birds as well. A few years ago, I bought the red broilers from Ideal which butchered at 12 weeks old and could have feed 24/7 as they did not have eating issues and could walk and move normally.

This time, I "acquired" 2 white cornish (I guess) from a friend who got them from a city family who bought the chicks for their kids for easter. They had no intentions on keeping the chicks (She kept the bantam and the duck) as they lived int he city and my friend cannot kill anything. So, she passed them on to me. I do not really know how old they are, but for the first 2 or three days I had them in with my older bantam chicks (about 3 weeks old) and quickly realized the amount of poop they put out and they were HOT birds. I brood in my laundry room, and quickly moved them to a wire bottom rabbit cage with no heat lamp. They have done wonderfully, no panting or anything. They still stand up and can move around the cage and I feed them 2 pints in the Am and if they need it in the evening, some more. They DO drink a lot of water all of a sudden. I weighed them a few days ago and subtracted my weight, which they both weighed almost 4 lbs. Maybe they should be getting bigger faster, but I think they are doing well actually. I cant wait to get them gone, but they sure are cute and friendly, if you can get past the poopiness of them. Ugh.

 

[bigdaddyabc]

I am really new, but I did process my first chicken today! He is in the oven RIGHT NOW braising nicely thank you! I got em at about a week old from the local feed store (6 total 3 roos 3 hens) and I have had em since the day after Easter. He dressed out at 2 lb 12 ounces. For what it cost me to feed them, I feel REALLY fortunate economically. I started them on the medicated, and now they eat anything. WOW the Conish X's grow FAST! All 6 have never had issue one, and have been so easy that if they are as tasty as I think they will be, I may do more soon.

thanks for all the good advice forum folks!

Rob

 

[pattgal]

When do you put them on grower feed?

 

[Dogfish]

2 weeks they go on grower. I give them electrolytes until they head outside, at about 3.5 weeks.