OMG! Don't look the gift horse in the mouth. Update post #23

[fairestfinches]

Sounds like you won the lottery to me!

I'd offer a few cleaned meat birds, but she may turn them down since it a 4H project, and may consider them more as pets.

Wish I had that kind of luck!

Sean

 

[al6517]

Dang!!! Some folks have all the luck, great find and good luck.

AL

 

[Their Other Mother]

What a great Gift! I would offer her some meat too. As for transporting that many, we used to take chickens down to Mexico for our mission trips. We just put them in the bed of a pick up truck and tied a tarp over top. One time they were really making noise when we were crossing the border and my friend slapped the tarp! They didn't make a peep after that - Otherwise we would probably still be in jail.........

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

Quote:

 

[dancingbear]

Great score! Those six-week olds, you can start dispatching them as soon as you can be ready. Those are fryers already. Then every weekend, (if that's what your schedule allows) until you're done with the older ones, then it'll be just about time to do the rest. That way you won't have so many to house for very long at all.

Congrats on a terrific opportunity!

 

[jhill1440]

Well here is the update. We got a total of 41 6 week old broilers.

Built a coop in 1 day. Nothing fancy, really just chicken wire around a frame with a blue tarp attached over that. Made the rounds of the supply and feed stores.

Total so far:

Waterer (5g) feeder (40#) $59
Feed (21% starter/grower) $13.99/bag
chicken wire and vinyl fence $62

Here is how I transported them: Just a tarp over the pick-up bed and might I add after that trip the bed was hosed out it was NASTY. You can see the laying hens tractor in the background (through the drivers window).

Here they are in their new digs.

And finding the all important feeder.

They are going through 15-20lbs. feed a day so far but I expect that to increase.

I will update in a few days. Also no deaths yet. I was hoping the transport would go OK and not have a pick up bed full of dead chickens due to heart attack.

peace
josh

 

[toletiquesbysam]

Good thinking with the truck bed/tarp! You've got minimal investment in for a bunch of broilers-great job!!!

 

[Appaloosa Hill Farm]

That's fantastic! Good job with the coop-in-a-hurry.

 

[dancingbear]

Amazing how much free chickens can cost. They'll be delicious, though, and you'll still have the equipment for more, later.

 

[jhill1440]

QUICK UPDATE:

1) The dog got 1 of the chickies. She busted through the vinyl fence and licked one and bit several times. I decided to cull the bird and disposed of her. I didn't want to risk getting anything from the dog bite as it would have already circulated through her system.

2) The have a date with destiny on the evening of Apr. 1. The poultry science grad students have put up a processing place just outside of town on someones ranch. this is in conjunction with the Houston livestock show and rodeo. They are doing everyones culls that they can. It is $2.75 a bird in a freezer bag, chilled and then in my cooler. That is a good deal here and I don't mind helping out grad students since I am one myself.

3) I am on my 4th bag of feed. They eat alot! They have access to food from 8 to 8. No I am starting to fear for my life when I put their feeder back in as they all rush me. They know the routine. I told my wife if I don't come back from giving the chickies food in the morning please safely retrieve my pecked over body.

4) They SMELL to the high heavens, even though they are free range. Their area stinks, when the wind blows right you can smell pretty far away.

I will post pics on butcher day with weights and what not.

peace