Ordered 100 chicks! Few questions.

[cluckcluck42]

I just ordered 100 white rocks, unsexed for 1.23 a bird.

Never done meat birds yet, excited for the experience. We have a brooder ready for them here at home with two heat lamps and when they outgrow it they are going to the family farm not too far from here. We have to buy some waterers and feeders, but we dont consider that a meat chicken cost, more of something we need to have around anyways.

Now we don't live at the farm yet and our own property is full of chickens as it is, so the chickens are going to be living in a big shed. What can I do to try to curb cannibalism/pecking? Next year we are going to build two big movable chicken tractors to keep them in.

Medicated feed or non medicated? All our own chicks raised by us are given non medicated, but are hatchery chicks better off on medicated?? I assume so, just want to ask.

FEED COSTS!! In my area, a bag of chick starter is about 14 bucks for a 55lb bag and the same for grower. How much feed do you usually go through feeding meaties to dress out at about 6-8 pounds? And to have a bird dressed out at 6 lbs it would have a live weight of about 8 lbs, correct??


Anyone lost money on meat birds before? We are thinking of charging 3.25 a lb, maybe 3.50. One thing I didnt think of is we only have one freezer, we may need to buy another, but this is also something we've wanted for awhile so won't be a huge bother to get. When you sell meat birds, do you do deliveries on the same day they come from the butcher so you dont have to freeze them?? How does that work exactly for you guys?


Thanks for all the answers, I've been doing a lot of research but I just prefer talking to people who have done this before, hope you dont mind

 

[sparkles2307]

We got 100 roos from Cackle last year. They dont meat up as nicely but they are still good. Ours have really yellow fat, we assume from eating somuch corn from our field. Feed costs were roughly $150 but thats because we get free sunflowers and grow our own corn and wheat so just mixed that into the grower feed to make it last. We used non-medicated because it just seems healthier for us.

 

[cluckcluck42]

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Ah, were your roos extras from the hatchery, mixed breeds? And how did the non medicated go, no issues? Thanks for the reply! Must be great to grow your own corn and wheat, we hope to eventually.

 

[Olive Hill]

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How big? The best thing you can do is give them ample space.

Does the shed have really good ventilation?

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We have never used medicated feed for any chicks, meaties included.

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Call your local mill and check into getting 100 lb bags in "bulk". You can probably find a better price. How much feed it takes to grow them to market weight will depend on their conditions, type of feed, etc.


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I've lost money on meat birds before, but only due to "acts of god". We had a really heavy early spring storm and a flood wiped out a lot of our flock and the same year the raccoons were HORRIBLE. We lost a lot of chickens that year so the initial investment for the end product was significantly higher than what is usual. It's the nature of farming though, you sometimes take hits. If you're losing money on a consistent basis you're doing something very, very wrong. And shouldn't be in any business... let alone farming related business.

We make them available on the day of butcher but not everyone gets them that day. We store them in coolers for a bit and then toss them in the freezer thereafter.

 

[Bossroo]

If you ordered unsexed white rocks... one would expect a l o n g waite for them to reach the 6-8 pound dressed weight mark ... IF ever.( fully mature live size of a hen, roos may be a little larger). Then at that point, they will be too tough for your customers to chew and you will whant to make a quick investment in another freezer plus a crockpot for slow cooking of inventory on cold winter nights. A recipe for a loss of hard earned moneys. I would consider to do some more hard research, then I would consider to drop that order and reorder Cornish X ( preferably males, also consider to limit their feed of 12 hours full feed and 12 hrs no feed per day, after 2 -3 weeks of age to slow down their growth rate) which do have a reasonable chance to make that expected weight benchmark in a reasonable amount of time of 10-13 weeks of age and still be tender for your customers. Have fun!

 

[cluckcluck42]

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Hmm I asked the lady if they had Cornish cross and she said thats what a White Rock is. Off to research! I wont be too happy if they arent. Actually I am just going to call her, perhaps they are Cornish- Rock crosses and thats just what they call them? I know my family got broilers a few years back from the same feed store and they grew quick and some were over 10lbs!

Thanks and oh yes I will be doing 12 hours of food, 12 hours none. I dont want them to be crippled.

 

[cluckcluck42]

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How big? The best thing you can do is give them ample space.

Does the shed have really good ventilation?

Quote:
We have never used medicated feed for any chicks, meaties included.

Quote:
Call your local mill and check into getting 100 lb bags in "bulk". You can probably find a better price. How much feed it takes to grow them to market weight will depend on their conditions, type of feed, etc.


Quote:
I've lost money on meat birds before, but only due to "acts of god". We had a really heavy early spring storm and a flood wiped out a lot of our flock and the same year the raccoons were HORRIBLE. We lost a lot of chickens that year so the initial investment for the end product was significantly higher than what is usual. It's the nature of farming though, you sometimes take hits. If you're losing money on a consistent basis you're doing something very, very wrong. And shouldn't be in any business... let alone farming related business.

We make them available on the day of butcher but not everyone gets them that day. We store them in coolers for a bit and then toss them in the freezer thereafter.

The shed is fairly large, not sure on the measurements. ventilation is two screened windows. They have kept 100 meat birds in there before however I am quite picky when it comes to housing my birds so I dont think it will be quite big enough. We have a very large horse shelter that I think we will end up chicken wiring off to house either the whole 100 or at least half. There is no hydro or water that runs to the shelter so they'd have to be fully feathered to go out there, is the only real concern. I don't mind hauling the water out there or getting an extra long hose. I'd rather them have room.

Thanks for your very informative answer!! A neighbour was recently telling me they would never do meat birds again and that they barely made money on it which is why I was wondering. I'm not all that concerned, I think we will have less losses than most because we have had birds and know more about them now.

 

[cluckcluck42]

I called up the feed store and confused them a wee bit asking to see if the White Rocks are indeed a Cornish cross or if they are Plymouth White Rocks. So looks like I got a good meat bird. Here is what they are using:

Special Meat White Rock X

These extra heavy meat-type birds are bred for meat only. Their strength is in their efficient conversion of feed into meat. They are basically white in colour, and the pullets can be grown to 8 or 9 lbs., and the cockerels from 10 to 12 lbs. If purchased as non-sexed, the fighting of the cockerels is reduced. Pullets will substitute well for capons. Cornish Game Hens are produced by growing pullets of this breed to 2 lbs. live weight.


So definitely not the White Rocks you were thinking of, thankfully.

 

[greeneggsandham]

Be prepared for fast growing and stinky birds.

I raise about 12 a year and boy can those things poop. But on the bright side in about 8 weeks those babies can go in the freezer.

 

[Bossroo]

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I would question the "they are basically white in colour"... Cornish X are all white.. She also stated that the pullets can be grown to 8-9 pounds and cockerels from 10-12 lbs. I would ask... live or dressed weights and at what age that these weights are achieved , or are they live weights at fully mature age? I would reasonably expect a Cornish X to reach those carcass weights by 10-13 weeks. The fighting reduction statement also brings up a red flag for me as it denotes that they will be much older for those ( live or carcass) weights. I would get it in writing that they are Cornish X , if she refuses, I would look elsewhere. Because of the high feed costs and time and labor investment ... profit or loss is at stake.