Raising meat birds and egg birds together

[funkychickenowner]

Is this a wise or common procedure to house and range these 2 types together and just eliminate the meats when the time comes? Or should they be seperate?

 

[miron28]

i have saw people on here saw you should keep them separated but i am not sure

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

The theory of keeping them seperate is that the meat birds are pigs and will eat all of the food, plus you don't want them eating layer feed. Also they poop a lot, and will mess up your coop for the layers (poo on feet = poo on eggs in nestboxes)

This is why I'm working on a dual purpose flock - less meat on the birds than a cornish cross, but also lay eggs and if I hatch my own, I can cook two for dinner (instead of one monster bird) without much extra expense or trouble.

If you don't have birds yet, and are space restricted, you might want to consider a dual purpose or heritage breed.

Otherwise, I would just raise the meat birds in a chicken tractor - they will be butchered in two to three months anyway, so not a long term commitment.

meri

 

[tim_TX]

The heavy hybrid meat chickens such as cornish crosses will develop leg problems if they are housed with roosts. They grow so big and fast that leg problems can be a battle even without roosts, but hopping up and down is just asking for problems.

 

[max13077]

The meat birds I had would shove their way through a brick wall to eat. I doubt they would have any problems moving a bunch of layers out of the way and denying them food. So feeding would be an issue.

 

[silkiechicken]

Another thing with meat birds, is that you are eating them at 8 weeks old. You wouldn't be able to keep babies with adult layers. They are babies their whole lives and pretty much live in a modified brooder the whole time.

 

[funkychickenowner]

That is kinda the way i was thinking I have plenty of room so I will just bust the run in half and build another shed on the other side for the meats. and then when done with them mabye make it into a brooder for the last half of the season. Does this sound appropriate? Also very interesting about what your saying about no roosts I guess just keep heavy litter on the floor and this is good?