Good question. It would have to depend on the breed. I'd say any time after they start to develop some fat would be good ... They would have have matured enough to have their meat by that time, right?
Oregon
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Good question. It would have to depend on the breed. I'd say any time after they start to develop some fat would be good ... They would have have matured enough to have their meat by that time, right?
This depends on which respiratory disease it is. It is false in most cases. Wild animals are much more a risk of spreading disease then birds that come from any flock that are not currently sick FYI.I hate to say it but respiratory disease in chickens are still bad news those that live remain carriers and you have to have a closed flock.
Which makes me ponder something, why is it so many are so paranoid about bio-security, yet let their birds free range? The two are NOT compatible with each other.
What a topical issue. Because of recent food safety proposals there is currently a lot of debate about the public health aspects of keeping poultry outdoors where they have access to other animals, domestic or wild. Some people say there is no proven link to free range/pastured poultry and the kinds of problems they are hoping to prevent with the proposed regulations to keep poultry secured indoors. "They" say greater public health risks come from indoor factory conditions and centralized processing.
It makes me wonder for sure.
But I would guess that many people here keep chickens because they prefer more natural livestock practices. That's certainly true for me.
Well I agree with the natural practices (I don't vaccinate, medicate, or use any chemicals or artificial anything on my birds), but you can't have both ways. It just confuses me because you can't have both a "bio-secure" set up and yet let your birds range...it can't happen. I just keep things simple. And I'm talking about health risks to birds here just to be clear.
Not yet. I do like the idea of the Delaware as they were the meat bird developed just prior to the Cornish X phase. They were developed to be very self sustaining as they are also very good layers of large eggs as well as large and fast maturing birds of both genders. Delawares just seem such a good answer for a small-time farmer looking to sell eggs and have plenty of meat, too. And there is a conservation opportunity with the Delawares. It's where I'm looking first. I'm hoping it works out.
I also love colorful eggs, so once I get started with a good all-purpose breed, I'll be looking for white and blue layers, too. And dark browns and olive and ...
If looking for a great dual purpose fowl (although slower growing than the Delaware) consider the Langshan. Better layers than the other Asiatics, supremely hearty, one of the oldest and purest breeds of chicken. Fairly rare so they're a worthy conservation consideration, especially since they're near as anyone can tell NOT a composite breed, they can't be recreated if lost.
Tammy,
If you have broad breasted commercial turkeys, they can be ready by 12 wks. I wouldn't let them go longer than 16 wks max or they can develop leg/heart problems. And they just get so huge, you can barely fit them in a roasting pan...think 40 pounds or MORE. If you have heritage type turkeys, it takes 8-10 months for them to develop enough meat to butcher.
Hope that helps.
If you have broad breasted commercial turkeys, they can be ready by 12 wks. I wouldn't let them go longer than 16 wks max or they can develop leg/heart problems. And they just get so huge, you can barely fit them in a roasting pan...think 40 pounds or MORE. If you have heritage type turkeys, it takes 8-10 months for them to develop enough meat to butcher.
Hope that helps.
I guess it depends on how your applying the term bio-secure. If you mean unless birds are in isolation chambers then there is no bio security, then I suppose operating in any other way would seem like trying to have it both ways.
That does make a certain kind of sense, and I guess I am trying to have it both ways. I do want my birds to interact with nature because I do believe that is healthier for the birds and the nature and in turn that's healthier for me. But I don't want my birds exposed to other bird farms, so I take precautions to limit that exposure as much as I can control. This is because I do believe there is a much greater risk of diseases being spread by contact with other bird farms than by contact with nature.
I do understand the birds could be more protected from certain diseases if they were in complete isolation, but I think the rest of the system becomes less healthy with that level of segregation. I also believe chickens find that kind of life to be stressful, which requires lots of interventions and compensations.
It's about balance, and looking at it a certain way balance could be called having it both ways. I think balance is good. I'm constantly working at balancing things, so always having it both ways.
Ill be there in 3 hrs
when we have turkey, chicken or Beef i make soup and then turn half of that into Pot Pies store and Freeze .
Corona I have Bronze Heritage and Narragansett Heritage No Broad brested .. 12 weeks ? Holy cow Where do i get Broad Brea sted Eggs ? Anyone
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