Please advise on meat bird chicks

[Tre3hugger]

Lookin good!

 

[Xouie]

Wow... 4 weeks old! All 25 chicks are looking good. The development is so variable. The largest chicks are so huge, and the smallest ones are more dainty, “only” 2.5 pounds.

Turkey, the biggest cockerel, weighed in at 3.5 pounds at 3.5 weeks.

Albert is growing pink feathers around his neck and wings:

And our Princess Patty needs to oversee everything:

 

[Tre3hugger]

Halfway there! Glad to hear everyone is doing well.

 

[Xouie]

Halfway there! Glad to hear everyone is doing well.

TBH, I’m thinking about processing 3 of the bigger ones this weekend for dinners next week. The biggest ones were over 5 pounds yesterday. I don’t think they’ll fit in my cone though so I’ll have to improvise something.

 

[Ruby Rogue]

I'll have to come back and read this whole thread to find out what you're doing! Looks like you're doing awesome, they're growing fast.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Seriously impressed by the rates at which they put on weight. Much better stock than I purchased this Spring. Sounds like you are doing everything right, and the results bear that out.

 

[Xouie]

Seriously impressed by the rates at which they put on weight. Much better stock than I purchased this Spring. Sounds like you are doing everything right, and the results bear that out.

I have excellent advisors here on BYC. I just listen to you all and learn!

I lucked into the bird quality; ordered from a hatchery having a $1 per chick sale. I didn’t want to spend much because this was a first time adventure. But the chicks were very strong and grow so nicely.

Feedwise I’m using the same 25% protein as for our first meat bird. But introduced scratch earlier as treats to hopefully add a little fat. Princess Pie was 7 pounds live on processing day, but really had no fat. She wouldn’t touch scratch, just liked her crumbles and garden greens. (Just my luck— a health nut.)

 

[U_Stormcrow]

How much (if any) free ranging did your birds do?? My meaties were also no fat, but they free ranged a lot, thinking any benefit they got from that (apart from entertainment and varied diet) was largely offset by the energy they spent hunting food. Also, 25% protein? That's a big difference from my experience, will adjust next time to more closely follow your example.

Once we have a full size chest/upright freezer for storage.

 

[Xouie]

How much (if any) free ranging did your birds do?? My meaties were also no fat, but they free ranged a lot, thinking any benefit they got from that (apart from entertainment and varied diet) was largely offset by the energy they spent hunting food. Also, 25% protein? That's a big difference from my experience, will adjust next time to more closely follow your example.

Once we have a full size chest/upright freezer for storage.

My first one used to free range a fair bit of the day, following me around the garden. Toward the end we had a heat wave, so I’m embarrassed to say it but she spent the hottest of the days in the living room watching tv in a modified brooder bin.

These new ones are LAZY. Our free ranging attempts have resulted in them just sulking outside the shed door waiting to go back in. The daytime temperature averages between 50-60F, so it could be too cold for them yet.

 

[Tre3hugger]

TBH, I’m thinking about processing 3 of the bigger ones this weekend for dinners next week. The biggest ones were over 5 pounds yesterday. I don’t think they’ll fit in my cone though so I’ll have to improvise something.

did ya do any!?!?