overheating meat birds??? :-(

[sfchixn]

Yes, CX genetically want to eat around the clock. I have observed when their crops are completely full and jutting out, they will still pack in more feed. So we have to help them moderate.

 

[chicken3fly]

i raise my chickens as pets but i dont want the rooster to get overheated so try putting him in a pile of ice

what dosent kill u makes u stronger

 

[Morrigan]

I feed chick starter for the first 3 weeks then on a all flock feed which is 16% after that have a large run i feed veggies and grass here and there. i have never fed broiler feed. They have feed 24 hrs a day i may need to limit them after 3 weeks. They are very i guess you would say dumb and just eat so much. I feel bad! I've raised meat birds for many years and usually only will loss one or two a year as young chicks a few years i have never lost any. Ill try anything at this point to keep these guys comfortable till harvest day.

I limit feed fairly aggressively after 3 weeks, but even that isn't always enough to keep everyone going strong to the end. Heat is one variable that causes CX to struggle. There really isn't anything more you can do that you are not doing already.

Sometimes, you also get a batch is less hardy for whatever reason. One year, I got a group that beginning at 5 weeks, a few birds started walking slower and slower until they struggled to walk at all. We ended up butchering about 5 birds early that year -- at around 5 to 6 weeks. Basically we butchered them we could see they were losing mobility. However, the rest of the group did fine, and were perfectly fine and lived until 10+ weeks. I haven't had that issue before or since, so I just chalked it up to something about that group of meat birds.