October-hatch-along 2019

[Compost King]

Jersey Giants, while I am sure they have a lot of meat when they are full grown, take so long to grow that raising them for meat is a waste of feed. I have one Jersey Giant that I bought in spring and she is no larger than a typical breed at this point but I expect her to keep growing and reach her peak in a year. I have hatched out chicks since I got her that I have already processed and eaten.

 

[Maiahr]

Oh, ok thank you @Compost King .now how quickly they grow - I always thought it depends on the feed. Like the broiler chicken are fed with medicated broiler mix and they reach a good size in 2 months. Alternatively if they are free range, they would grow slower...?

 

[Eliselove]

Oh, ok thank you @Compost King .now how quickly they grow - I always thought it depends on the feed. Like the broiler chicken are fed with medicated broiler mix and they reach a good size in 2 months. Alternatively if they are free range, they would grow slower...?

I've only started researching this, but apparently if you try to free range an actual broiler breed they would likely sicken and die from sort of starving to death, because their metabolisms are genetically so high that they are eating/converting to meat 24 hours a day and there are no natural conditions, save maybe a cornfield or a worm farm, that would sustain that for a forager.

 

[Compost King]

good feed can help a chicken to reach its genetic potential but some chickens do not have the genetics to put on meat very fast, others do. Jersey Giants will be the largest chicken in your flock as well as the slowest grower (usually there are some game chicken I heard grow even slower).

 

[FortCluck]

@FortCluck so is Jersey Giant the largest chicken breed for meat? I will be experimenting in the spring, will hatch both Jersey Giant and a local Bulgarian breed which claims to be larger than JG. I haven't seen either yet.

Supposedly they are... One of jersey giants is 6 months old and 10 lbs. He weighs the same as my pug mix. He grew really fast, he was huge by 4 months. His brother is slowly growing and about 6 lbs but is getting bigger by the day.

These were supposed to be pullets, I never had any intentions of ever having a rooster. Things happen for a reason though.

This is Squatch... The father of all my chicks

This is Squatch and his brother Sid. I've never seen two Cockerels so close. They are definitely bonded. They are always together unless squatch is mating with the ladies.

 

[Compost King]

I've only started researching this, but apparently if you try to free range an actual broiler breed they would likely sicken and die from sort of starving to death, because their metabolisms are genetically so high that they are eating/converting to meat 24 hours a day and there are no natural conditions, save maybe a cornfield or a worm farm, that would sustain that for a forager.

I have some on Rationed feed right now because I want to breed them to my heritage birds, Although its not the same as free range only Mine are turning out healthier than if they were given free feed. I know that free ranging some of the egg hybrids can lead to problems too because they can't slow down egg production when nutrition is not fully available in free range causing health issues for them so I suspect the same will happen with hybrids designed for rabbit meat growth. Supplementing feed with free range should work out good at least for the hybrid eggers, the CX meat Birds will ignore free range and park their butts between the feed and the water.

 

[Compost King]

Supposedly they are... One of jersey giants is 6 months old and 10 lbs. He weighs the same as my pug mix. He grew really fast, he was huge by 4 months. His brother is slowly growing and about 6 lbs but is getting bigger by the day.

These were supposed to be pullets, I never had any intentions of ever having a rooster. Things happen for a reason though.

This is Squatch... The father of all my chicks
View attachment 1936274

This is Squatch and his brother Sid. I've never seen two Cockerels so close. They are definitely bonded. They are always together unless squatch is mating with the ladies.

View attachment 1936275

yours are growing faster than the one I have. Mine is just now starting to get a larger bone structure but the other chicks I bought at the same time are laying and fully grown. I got mine in April I believe so its been a little over 6 months... mine are Hatchery quality though.

 

[FortCluck]

good feed can help a chicken to reach its genetic potential but some chickens do not have the genetics to put on meat very fast, others do. Jersey Giants will be the largest chicken in your flock as well as the slowest grower (usually there are some game chicken I heard grow even slower).

I fed my JG the all flock raiser feed and they grew huge in months, I believe it's due to the high protein. I won't be processing the chicks until 18 weeks unless they seem to be good enough before that time. I know crossing JG with another breed like a Delaware will make them not grow as slow and make them better meat birds. JG alone for meat, you'd have to wait a VERY long time. My JG haven't even reached their max weight or growth yet

 

[FortCluck]

yours are growing faster than the one I have. Mine is just now starting to get a larger bone structure but the other chicks I bought at the same time are laying and fully grown. I got mine in April I believe so its been a little over 6 months... mine are Hatchery quality though.

I don't know where mine actually came from because I bought them from a local farm, but I do know they use some type of hatchery to get there chicks.

Squatch has grown incredibly fast and I don't believe that this happens with all of them, he is just a big guy. I'm hoping he gets bigger and bigger because he is just so awesome!

Sid is half his size so he's probably what JG growth should look like.

I remember when they were chicks and I kept wondering when they'd grow. Then it seemed overnight, Squatch became a monster.

I can post pics of his growth with ages... I just have to do digging in my phone

 

[Compost King]

This is one of the hand hatched chicks still in the incubator, for those who follow my breeding pens this chick is from an NN2 egg. Black like his mother. His uncle is the grey meat bird in my avatar. The NN2 that fully hatched on time has reddish black chick fur.
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This is a hand hatcher that I put back together but it can't quit get out on its own.
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Silver Leghorn, hand hatched and ready to go to the brooder
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An Ayam Cemani with 2 Dark Egg Red Bird project birds, the third I believe is from one of the naked neck projects but I can't tell for sure at this time. Maybe I have 3 Red Bird Dark Egg project birds in this picture too.
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this is part of the Naked Neck Project but half the chicks from her breeding pen will have feathered necks. I know its a female because this breeding produces a type of Red Sex Link (MNN). I ended up with 3 reds and 1 white.
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A silver Leghorn peaking its head out of the rabbit cage turned brooder.
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my attempt to take a picture under the brooder plate since this brooder is in a rabbit cage and I can get the camera down in there.
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From a Naked Neck project but one with a fully feathered neck (FNN)
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another FNN but with a Bibbed or Bow Tied Naked Neck.