New to meat birds. Help?

[SteveH]

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Reminds me of how well my dogs have me trained and some of the ways they do it .

 

[Butterflychicks]

Hi,

I am also new to this game and have 30 Cornish Cross. They are 4 weeks now.

I started them on food 24/7 (also Blue-Seal) but this week, due to two chicks not being able to walk, I have started taking their food away at night and only putting it down in the morning.

The difference in the birds is amazing. They are no longer just sitting there once they have eaten. They are running about and seem much happier.

Last week I moved them out of the brooder into a barn with an outdoor enclosure. I still have the heat lamp available to them so if they get cold, they have heat, but they can also move away from it if they wish.

The indoor part of their space is covered with pinewood shavings and they have access to a grass area outside, which I only open up to them on the warmer, dry days. I am in NY, we are not having the best weather for the time of year.

The two chicks have been separated from the flock and although they can not walk, they are doing much better. I have to give them water, but they are feeding themselves. I am waiting for my horse vet friend to come over with some penicillin to see if that helps. I am also going to try the apple cider vinegar in their water to see if it make a difference.

Hope this helps.... I have heard to be careful about over feeding these birds as they don't seem to know when they have had too much... it is not their fault, it is part of the breeding, so we should be responsible and think a little for them!

Have fun

 

[EGGTASKTIC]

I would think at 4 weeks you would be ok with out the heat lamp, as you have 30 to keep each other warm and have them inside.

I took the light off mine around 3 weeks but left the food on hand- they do not eat much in the dark.

At 4 weeks out to the tractor. They may grow a little slower but I have not seen as many health issues. At 7- 8 weeks I start to butcher.

You may need to cull your 2 with bad legs for fryers.

 

[terri9630]

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Unless they have an infection of some sort, I don't believe that penicillin will do anything. They have probally grown to big to fast for their legs to keep up. It's a fairly common problem and I'd go ahead and process them.

 

[Butterflychicks]

can I eat them if they have been on medicated food?

 

[terri9630]

You can but I don't know if there is a withdrawl time. Check the feed bag or google the meds and see how long they should be off it before being dinner.

 

[blondie26]

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foo

I have a 4 month old rooster that has GOT to go! I think someone already reported me as having chickens since he started crowing 4 days ago... he's turned mean too. I heard a sheriff came by while I was at work and came by and went into the backyard. My two chickens were out roaming. There is no where to take him, so thinking of eating...he's been on medicated starter food. Will the meat taste bad? anyone know????
thank you in advance....

 

[theBrewMeister]

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The Medicated starter food I use (purina) is supposedly the type that stays in the digestive system and never makes it to the meat or eggs - according to the feed store clerk. As stated before you have to determine which food/medicine youre feeding for here to be any way of answering that question.

Also, I feel that its our constitutional right to keep and bear chickens for purposes of self-preservation.

Eat the roo!