Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!

[LindaB220]

I'm just amazed at how much these meaties eat. They are 2 weeks old and have eaten about 40 pounds of feed. (for 25 birds) I'm keeping track of how many 50lb bags they go through. And they are drinking a gallon a day now.

Angelicisi said that her 50 meaties went through 1 bag 1st week, 2 bags 2nd.week, 3 bags...... well you get the picture. They eat between 15-20 before being processed at 8-10 weeks.. Amazing.

 

[Kassaundra]

Looks like I will be processing a small batch this coming week. My FIL has some roosters that are "too much for his little hens" so he wanted one of my roos. (Really it is all about he fell in love w/ my NN birds and he wants a NN boy) He is way to soft hearted to kill them, so I told him I would come and get them this week and bring his girls back (originally from my flock but I borrowed them back for hatching eggs) and the NN roo.

He either has 2 or 3 I don't remember, but they will be skinned for sure, I only pluck NN.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: The thought of raising 25 cornish x is terrifying!!

That is a lot of feed in and a lot of feed out !!

 

[Beekissed]

That's when fermented feeds come in real handy, not to mention free ranging. They free range all day and come back to the coop with little crops just bulging...then I feed. Getting 10 meaties tomorrow and will be trying out my heating pad brooder heater out in the big bird coop for them...ought to be some fun to see how they do with it. Built them a tiny chick feeder today and I'm hoping it will work better at keeping them out of the fermented feed.

Here's a pic of the little feeder next to the big flock's feeder (that one is built out of Dad's old miter box). The fencing on the top opens for filling the feeder and the ends are bent downward so no sharp points will stab a chick. This trough is built like the old hog troughs were built with two boards fastened in a "V" shape and then with ends added.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: The thought of raising 25 cornish x is terrifying!!

That is a lot of feed in and a lot of feed out !!
I was gonna ask and keep putting it off, I really want to get meaties but keep freaking out from ppl telling me how gross they are to live with! Should I start with 6 instead of 14 I was planning for?

 

[christine9]

The hubby and I have pretty much decided to cull our mean pullet. I'm still very hesitant. I'm worried once she's gone, someone else will step up and be the mean one. Or maybe I'm just trying to rationalize dragging my feet. This is totally new to me.

How do you decide to cull?
What steps do you take to plan a processing day? How much time should I set aside?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote: Pelleted horse bedding works wonders - no shavings for them. (unless you want to clean it every 2 days) And I kicked them all out into the little run today, so the poop is OUTSIDE! It's in the 70's so they need to enjoy the nice weather!

 

[katbriar]

I was gonna ask and keep putting it off,  I really want to get meaties but keep freaking out from ppl telling me how gross they are to live with!  Should I start with 6 instead of 14 I was planning for? 

People that think they're gross usually have housed them in a tractor and treated them differently than "regular" chickens. Those of us that gave them room and let them be chickens have found that they run, free range, roost off the ground, have personalities and don't create a management problem.

You'll also see benefits if you feed fermented feed. They consume less (because they're getting more nutrients out of what they eat), drink less (because they're getting moistened feed) and the big one- have firmer and less stinky poop.

I tried a small batch of five last year and am doing 25 this spring and another batch in the fall.

Beekissed and Aoxa have some great posts about raising meat birds and how well it turned out. Look for them and don't believe all the "frankenbird" nonsense.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: Thats what I figured, I dont have the space to free range them, this does scare me. We have a neighbors cat who thinks he owns the place and we raise English springers so our rear is taken over by them.

 

[katbriar]

I can't free rang either (coyotes and mountain lions) but they have a big run and room to do all the running and scratching they can.

I mentioned free ranging because people just think it's impossible, and to me it illustrates how "chickeny" they really can be if (as Beekissed would point out) we don't replicate a factory farm atmosphere and then act surprised when we get factory farm acting chickens!

I did fermented feed and it made a big difference since I had to keep them up.