Organic Feed without soy = slow growth?

[kizanne]

I am just now working on finishing up a group grown on Countryside.

I'll be updating my personal experiment page as I go but today is exactly 8 weeks and I'd guess I have a couple that are 7 pounds live weight. That is slightly smaller than the growth chart but I don't think I'll have to take them to 20 weeks like indicated in an earlier post. The average live weight is proably 6 to 6.5 pounds. Once I actually weigh some I'll update my thread.

I have 19 who made it to adult

I'll probably try to butcher the large 2 or 3 this weekend do 10 next weekend and let the last 6 grow alittle. Some are in good health others are exhibiting heavy breathing when moving around. The ones who seem to be in good health I'll probably let get larger for more meat and if one get big enough to lay eggs or mate my barred rocks I might try hatching a few hybrids to see how much growth I can get out of a home flock. I know it will be less but then there is no shipping and don't have to do large batches.

 

[kizanne]

Ok so I didn't weigh them all but the two I slaughtered this weekend at 8 weeks old were both 8 pounds one 8 pounds 2 ounces.

They did have some mealworms when they were young but they didn't seem to have super growth those first few weeks. The last 4 weeks has been all 19% broiler from Countryside and I'm pleased with the weight. There are others about that size but the smallest is probably about 6 pounds.

So I think Countryside without soy works fairly well for those who want to go organic. They were fed Countryside all their life with some mealworms and a few greens and some grass.

 

[kstaven]

If any of you have a cheese operation near, you can get the whey for free because many throw it out. Mix it with your feed to make a mash style feed and meat birds thrive on it. We do this with all our meat birds and lost the leg issues normally associated with quick growing meat birds. Nice thing is we produce cheese so have a ready source available to us.

The one factor that is huge and yet rarely mentioned is that slow growth is also often a factor of temperature and temperature fluctuations.

 

[gingit]

I just butchered 47 Jumbo Cornish crosses on Sunday. They were fed Countryside Organic feed once off of the starter from SS. I haven't eaten one yet so I can't comment on flavor.
The largest cockerel was 7 lbs dressed. They were 8 weeks old Sunday when we butchered.
Organics are expensive as all get out and I am considering raising the next batch on feed from the coop over in the valley. They have a store very close by to me.
I ordered a ton of feed when I purchased and got a quantity discount (1K each of layer and broiler), but it is still more than I think I should be spending again.

What was the "starter froom SS"?

 

[galanie]

I'm pretty sure people don't feed chia to chickens because it's expensive. At least when I finally found some it was. Fenugreek seeds have a unique taste that might affect the meat, I don't know. But quinoa and amaranth sound interesting.