Raising our 1st set of CX meaties

[Angelicisi]

Google ezplucker 151. It's one we bought. We drop 2-3 chickens in and in 20 seconds we have bald birds. No holding birds, water is fed thru a built in hose leave 2 hands free hubby mounted it to a stand do we can cart it easily to and from .
But they're expensive...:/ we plan on quite a lot of chickens!

Is your plucker a 55 gallon barrel or just what's in the pic? Do you have to hold the birds or will it be placed in something so that it will be plucked that way? I have seen a few different types of pluckers.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Yup batch number 2 on this thread is 8 weeks today

We will be processing a set of larger ones because people who want them want them at NON super sizes lol
Theyre all healthy and growing still, foraging farther and farther.. exploring nest boxes...they don't lay early too right? Didn't even think of longer lives, they could all make it with the flock for years I'd bet...under a watchful eye with food lol
But probably half Monday and half the following Sunday I'm excited. A lot of work I wanna see a yummy product!

Oh ok. I forgot you have a gazillion batches. Girl, you are so lucky to have help over there. I just want to rip my eyeballs out and throw them up against the wall and hope that they land back in my eye sockets. This is A LOT of work. I guess if I had other people helping, it wouldn't be so bad.

Yes, they can definitely live longer. It can be done.

Good luck on the processing.

 

[Angelicisi]

That pic was our handmade plucker. When we processed our bully hen and excess roos. Worked great. Attach end to drill, bungie strap drill hole feet of chicken and flip half way thru. Takes about 1 min. 10x's better than hand plucking but more hands on, cheaper, tho messy. One guy bought one and mounted it in a 55 gallon drum to catch feathers. A friend of mine uses a fence because well even one rooster has A LOT of feathers lol

Is your plucker a 55 gallon barrel or just what's in the pic? Do you have to hold the birds or will it be placed in something so that it will be plucked that way? I have seen a few different types of pluckers.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Google ezplucker 151. It's one we bought. We drop 2-3 chickens in and in 20 seconds we have bald birds. No holding birds, water is fed thru a built in hose leave 2 hands free hubby mounted it to a stand do we can cart it easily to and from .
But they're expensive...:/ we plan on quite a lot of chickens!

Is your plucker a 55 gallon barrel or just what's in the pic? Do you have to hold the birds or will it be placed in something so that it will be plucked that way? I have seen a few different types of pluckers.

I won't even hurt my feeling by googling that plucker and looking at it. I will only cry because I want one and can't afford one.

 

[pipemum]

That pic was our handmade plucker. When we processed our bully hen and excess roos. Worked great. Attach end to drill, bungie strap drill hole feet of chicken and flip half way thru. Takes about 1 min. 10x's better than hand plucking but more hands on, cheaper, tho messy. One guy bought one and mounted it in a 55 gallon drum to catch feathers. A friend of mine uses a fence because well even one rooster has A LOT of feathers lol

I made one based on that design. Feathers EVERYWHERE. Like, sticking to my face, my hat, all over everywhere. Works well....though my batches are small (total 15 birds). I don't think it'd be very efficient processing big batches.

I'm not especially pleased with the red and black broilers. I mean, they are healthy and hearty and alla that....but SLOW growing. I have a feeling plucking them is also going to be more difficult.

Planned my next batch...due to these slow growers, I can't start another batch until end of February. Then I can squeeze in one more batch in April. Definitely going to stick with CX from now on. Who knows, I might have more broodies throughout the summer, and then I'll have little batches of dual purpose birds (that will end up only as meat birds), but it'll be too hot to raise CX from May-end of August.

 

[foreverlearning]

I made one based on that design. Feathers EVERYWHERE. Like, sticking to my face, my hat, all over everywhere. Works well....though my batches are small (total 15 birds). I don't think it'd be very efficient processing big batches.

I'm not especially pleased with the red and black broilers. I mean, they are healthy and hearty and alla that....but SLOW growing. I have a feeling plucking them is also going to be more difficult.

Planned my next batch...due to these slow growers, I can't start another batch until end of February. Then I can squeeze in one more batch in April. Definitely going to stick with CX from now on. Who knows, I might have more broodies throughout the summer, and then I'll have little batches of dual purpose birds (that will end up only as meat birds), but it'll be too hot to raise CX from May-end of August.

I thought the black broilers were going to be better because the slow growth was supposed to mean less health issues, never again! They have a bad attitude, grow too slow for meat birds, and don't meet the processing weights when they should. I had a group that had to grow for 4 months before they were ready! I might as well grow duel purpose for that time. For now on it will be CX only!

 

[Angelicisi]

Batch number 3, the batch we got at the same time Kuntry, here's some weights small end and large end.

 

[pipemum]

I thought the black broilers were going to be better because the slow growth was supposed to mean less health issues, never again! They have a bad attitude, grow too slow for meat birds, and don't meet the processing weights when they should. I had a group that had to grow for 4 months before they were ready! I might as well grow duel purpose for that time. For now on it will be CX only!

Ugh, 4 months! I just don't have the space for that kind of slow growth. Exactly why I'm not doing dual-purpose! My plan was only to try out a couple of the red/black broilers and the rest cornish crosses, but the hatchery had a dismal hatch for CX and could only offer me the slow growers. Yep, CX only. I'm only doing 15 at a time, on FF, and the health problems are, like, non-existent. Plus the CX are friendly little buggers.

 

[pipemum]

Batch number 3, the batch we got at the same time Kuntry, here's some weights small end and large end.

Looking good--how old are they now? A week? I should weigh some of those dang 3-week slow growers. Tomorrow. Oh, I guess they'll be 4-weeks tomorrow. Definitely time for a weight. I think I was processing some of the last batch around now as Cornish game hens. Hahahahaha, not going to be happening with these broilers.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Batch number 3, the batch we got at the same time Kuntry, here's some weights small end and large end.




 

 Looking good--how old are they now?  A week?  I should weigh some of those dang 3-week slow growers.  Tomorrow.  Oh, I guess they'll be 4-weeks tomorrow.  Definitely time for a weight.  I think I was processing some of the last batch around now as Cornish game hens.  Hahahahaha, not going to be happening with these broilers. 

Yes, please weigh yours. I'm curious to see what the weights are of others.