Newbie looking into meat chickens this Spring

[JMBC80]

Hello,

We have had pastured egg layers for many years (variety of breeds), and looking into building a couple chicken tractors for the Spring, and raising our first flock of meat birds.

I know all breeds have their positives, and negatives, but more so, am wondering if there is any kind of testing we should be doing for the meat birds? Viral, bacterial, etc... seeing that they are being consumed, and not just the eggs.

There seems to be so little information on this, so am assuming that there really isn't a standard of testing - but, have watched so many homesteading videos, where birds die - sometimes within the few days of being processed; and wonder if maybe that's a red flag that the rest of the flock is also not well?

Thank you, and sorry if this seems like an overthinking newbie concern. We have only ever lost a pastured hen here/there due to predators, not illness. So, also not sure of the signs to even look for.

 

[NatJ]

am wondering if there is any kind of testing we should be doing for the meat birds? Viral, bacterial, etc... seeing that they are being consumed, and not just the eggs.

No testing. Just cook them thoroughly, like you would with chicken from the store.

 

[Tayla23]

Would recommend to switch it out with the feed you use. I was intending to use the meatline starter but was warned off by someone who does them regularly. All of the problems from when they have heart problems and grow too fast seem to be when they are just fed on the meatline. I used 1/3 meatline and 2/3 regular starter crumber and while it took an extra 2-3 weeks didn't lose a single chicken.

 

[JMBC80]

Thank you!

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

The homesteaders losing meat chickens probably have Cornish X, and they can be a bit sensitive to certain things, resulting in losses if precautions aren't taken. It probanly wasn't disease (although it's not impossible). They don't do well in extreme heat, so that's something to consider. You said spring though, so you should be good. Like someone else mentioned, overfeeding can lead to issues. If you read guides on how to raise Cornish X, they are typically written to tell you how to raise as much meat in as little time as possible. They usually stress feeding very high protein. While you certainly can do that, health problems will likely ensue as the CX will gain so much meat before their frames and body systems can keep up with it, resulting in lameness and heart issues.

I've found that feeding 20-22% protein for the first 2-3 weeks, and then 18% for the remainder works very well. When I did that, I had 6.5-8.5 lb dressed chickens at week 8 and no losses after the chick stage (lost a weak chick at week 2). However, I did think they became a bit immobile by the end still, mostly laying around all day, so I experimented with the next batch. They ate 18% protein from start to finish. At 8 weeks they were about 4.5-6.5 lbs dressed, but still very active. I actually liked that size bird better for eating so that's probably how I'll do things moving forward, but maybe I will give them 20% the first week to boost feather growth a bit.

It's all about finding what works for you, but be cautious about giving CX too much protein. You'll get some really huge meat birds that way, but you'll also have more losses and an overall lower quality of life for those birds.

 

[JMBC80]

The homesteaders losing meat chickens probably have Cornish X, and they can be a bit sensitive to certain things, resulting in losses if precautions aren't taken. It probanly wasn't disease (although it's not impossible). They don't do well in extreme heat, so that's something to consider. You said spring though, so you should be good. Like someone else mentioned, overfeeding can lead to issues. If you read guides on how to raise Cornish X, they are typically written to tell you how to raise as much meat in as little time as possible. They usually stress feeding very high protein. While you certainly can do that, health problems will likely ensue as the CX will gain so much meat before their frames and body systems can keep up with it, resulting in lameness and heart issues.

I've found that feeding 20-22% protein for the first 2-3 weeks, and then 18% for the remainder works very well. When I did that, I had 6.5-8.5 lb dressed chickens at week 8 and no losses after the chick stage (lost a weak chick at week 2). However, I did think they became a bit immobile by the end still, mostly laying around all day, so I experimented with the next batch. They ate 18% protein from start to finish. At 8 weeks they were about 4.5-6.5 lbs dressed, but still very active. I actually liked that size bird better for eating so that's probably how I'll do things moving forward, but maybe I will give them 20% the first week to boost feather growth a bit.

It's all about finding what works for you, but be cautious about giving CX too much protein. You'll get some really huge meat birds that way, but you'll also have more losses and an overall lower quality of life for those birds.

Very informative, thank you for taking the time to break all that down. I feel much better!
We have decided to do some heritage birds, (know they take a little longer, but we want them* 5lb or less) because also if for some reason, we change our minds; we still have egg layers.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Very informative, thank you for taking the time to break all that down. I feel much better!
We have decided to do some heritage birds, (know they take a little longer, but we want them* 5lb or less) because also if for some reason, we change our minds; we still have egg layers.

No problem! And if you are cool with less than 5 lb dressed birds, then it sounds like heritage birds will be a great choice for you. I think raising heritage birds is ideal since you get meat, eggs, and the flock is self-sustaining. I can't wait until the day I can do that (not allowed roosters where I currently live).

Which breed are you thinking of for heritage chickens? Not all "heritage" breeds are created equal.

 

[FunClucks]

For a sustainable meat bird, I've got my eye on the New Hampshires from Freedom Ranger Hatchery. Heritage lines bred to be good meat birds as well as decent layers. I've read folks' experiences with them on this site and you get quite a bit more meat with them compared to other lines of New Hampshires.

 

[FunClucks]

Also, last few posts on this thread can help you get started IDing chicken diseases after slaughter.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...t-is-safe-to-eat.1566685/page-2#post-27167342

 

[JMBC80]

Appreciate all the info! Thank you again