Please advise on meat bird chicks

[Timmy59]

The responses and advice this thread has received are wonderful. I have referred back to many of the posts and learned so much. This was a great experience, but I won’t be repeating it again soon just because we ended up with about 150 pounds of the best chicken meat ever.

We ended up with 25 of the 26 Cornish cross chicks going to butchering age (we lost the free one the first week). Because of this incredible result, we processed in batches at weeks 5-8, choosing from the largest weight group each week. The final average live weight per bird was in the 8 lb range (smallest few were 7.5 lbs, largest were 10 lbs).

Some notes:

• Fed 30% protein gamebird crumble the first week, 24 hours per day.
• Gave daily health checks from day one. This had the humorous result of many of the birds lining up for attention, sometimes more than once.
• Murray McMurray Broiler Booster in the water from unboxing to slaughter. CX go through a LOT of water. They were emptying a 7 gallon waterer daily.
• Fed chick/gamebird blend of about 24% after the first week. I let them have 24-hour access at first, restricting at bedtime after 3 more weeks.
• Attempted outside free range/exercise time, but it was too cold for them. So I would walk from one end of the shed to the other several times at health check time so they would follow.

7-10 lbs, color me impressed, but protein is a key factor.. 30% is HIGH pro, I started with the dumor 20% starter from tsc and then to a 15-16% crumble now pellet added cracked corn and a magic 25% pellet / calf manna ( every critter loves it) I go easy on the magic. The corn drags it down but magic brings it back up.. Apple cider with mother as chicks then well water after..Both batches of new birds are glowing, the white rocks started crowing mid Dec and these meat roos should be starting soon..
I look forward to hatching chicks out of these birds and seeing how fast I can pack on the lbs.. The 64 fast grows we put up last week in June averaged 4.5 for 288 lbs, 60 parted out and 4 put up whole..

 

[Xouie]

magic 25% pellet / calf manna ( every critter loves it) I go easy on the magic. The corn drags it down but magic brings it back up..

Magic pellet? I must learn more! Do you get it at TSC?

 

[Timmy59]

The wife & I have done this for a good many year.. Cattle, pigs and chickens all of our own raising..

Magic pellet? I must learn more! Do you get it at TSC?

Sure do, and if your under 40 we were feeding it before you were born.. It's a old loved product.. Smells like black licorech and most anything will eat it, myself included, not really.. I spit it out..
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/manna-pro-calf-manna-50-lb?cm_vc=-10005

 

[Timmy59]

Couldn't delete top..?