Raising our 1st set of CX meaties

[MamaKitty913]

First thanks so much for the QUICK response from Angel, Lemon, and LindaB, I've been reading from your posts. You guys are all very insightful with seemingly great senses of humor! Angel I have them all on Dumor Chick starter with a 20% protien level and yesterday when I woke up to these Very chest heavy chicks I feed them an egg yolk between 17, not sure how small to make it I made it pretty small and sprinkled a bit of grit within it and also giving grit sprinkeled over the chick starter they ate it very well but not with as much enthusiasm as my egg girls! The girls are much more feroucious (I'm a very bad speller so please forgive me ) Lemon I agree with you this stuff is like Miricale Gro (or in my case fish n sea kelp soon to add chicken poo) is to plants, glad to hear that all 25 of yours lived through that "chest weight" Honestly Angel you are right it's all in the breast/chest area rather than the "belly." Linda B so glad to hear your local and I have a local live chicken encyclopedia.

They all seem really healthy and vigorous but compared to my egg girls lazy and OH SO Poopy! They scoot a few cm after pooping and then lay back down in the chick who did it before them, well there are 3 or 4 who try to stay above the mess by roosting on the food trough lol. And proudly pooping on the head or wing of one of the one's I just cleaned. It's funny! But my Cuckoo she makes a little noise, gets a funny look runs across the brooder and does her buisness and goes back to the others. If she was human she'd be running, clenching her butt checks, and yelling "it's crowning, it's crowning"

I figured out my mystery chick and it's a dark brahma and she's so pretty I just had to mention her too my EE try to throw themselves out of the brooder so I have HAVE to get the new grow out pen in place.

Family members and friends who said they'd help with bringing big things have had a lot of things to do and I really miss my truck. Angel I'm worried that the "booster" will be to much but if it worked for Lemon I say well .... Let them be Nuggets (fat nuggets). And as Bee mentioned they drink ALOT already at 11/2-13/4 Quarts of water! I thought my metabolism was slow but with these guys it's like Bi-polar metabolism FATTY + GROW How can you tell if a chicken is just fat?

 

[Angelicisi]

The 20% is what I use. It works well for me. Sounds like they're just fat and happy. Mine have all been heavy chested and as they grow start to waddle. Their crops always look like que balls to me lol stuffed full off to one side, this has been the norm. I would watch the panters but not stress too much if everything else seems well. Are they under the light to lazy to move maybe? they'll figure that out after a bit.
Maybe they had a quick growth spurt and the rest will catch up in the next few days.

I take mine off heat pretty early, by 2 weeks mine are outside if weather permits, the CX make a lot of body heat. Could just be an efficient heat holding brooder. Your temps seem perfect. I was in the 80's their 1st week (indoors no drafts) and did great, feathered out so much better and faster than this last batch that had an extra week of heat lamps and being inside due to very unusual cold weather we had.

Yes, find the local state thread also! we're so awesome there's a whole other set of chickens ways and things to learn for deep down south farming I've noticed and the best info and advice comes from those doing it!

First thanks so much for the QUICK response from Angel, Lemon, and LindaB, I've been reading from your posts. You guys are all very insightful with seemingly great senses of humor! Angel I have them all on Dumor Chick starter with a 20% protien level and yesterday when I woke up to these Very chest heavy chicks I feed them an egg yolk between 17, not sure how small to make it I made it pretty small and sprinkled a bit of grit within it and also giving grit sprinkeled over the chick starter they ate it very well but not with as much enthusiasm as my egg girls! The girls are much more feroucious (I'm a very bad speller so please forgive me ) Lemon I agree with you this stuff is like Miricale Gro (or in my case fish n sea kelp soon to add chicken poo) is to plants, glad to hear that all 25 of yours lived through that "chest weight" Honestly Angel you are right it's all in the breast/chest area rather than the "belly." Linda B so glad to hear your local and I have a local live chicken encyclopedia.    They all seem really healthy and vigorous but compared to my egg girls lazy and OH SO Poopy! They scoot a few cm after pooping and then lay back down in the chick who did it before them, well there are 3 or 4 who try to stay above the mess by roosting on the food trough lol. And proudly pooping on the head or wing of one of the one's I just cleaned. It's funny! But my Cuckoo she makes a little noise, gets a funny look runs across the brooder and does her buisness and goes back to the others. If she was human she'd be running, clenching her butt checks, and yelling "it's crowning, it's crowning"     I figured out my mystery chick and it's a dark brahma and she's so pretty I just had to mention her too my EE try to throw themselves out of the brooder so I have HAVE to get the new grow out pen in place.    Family members and friends who said they'd help with bringing big things have had a lot of things to do and I really miss my truck. Angel I'm worried that the "booster" will be to much but if it worked for Lemon I say well .... Let them be Nuggets (fat nuggets). And as Bee mentioned they drink ALOT already at 11/2-13/4 Quarts of water! I thought my metabolism was slow but with these guys it's like Bi-polar metabolism FATTY + GROW How can you tell if a chicken is just fat?

 

[Angelicisi]

Lol check out this CX chick climbing stairs to get to me. I fed them a treat of smothered livers and they went nuts in the mud. It was like a flag football game! but grosser :/

Afterwards this chick hunted me down for more lol
Definitely not lazy this one!

 

[LemonMeringue]

First thanks so much for the QUICK response from Angel, Lemon, and LindaB, I've been reading from your posts. You guys are all very insightful with seemingly great senses of humor! Angel I have them all on Dumor Chick starter with a 20% protien level and yesterday when I woke up to these Very chest heavy chicks I feed them an egg yolk between 17, not sure how small to make it I made it pretty small and sprinkled a bit of grit within it and also giving grit sprinkeled over the chick starter they ate it very well but not with as much enthusiasm as my egg girls! The girls are much more feroucious (I'm a very bad speller so please forgive me ) Lemon I agree with you this stuff is like Miricale Gro (or in my case fish n sea kelp soon to add chicken poo) is to plants, glad to hear that all 25 of yours lived through that "chest weight" Honestly Angel you are right it's all in the breast/chest area rather than the "belly." Linda B so glad to hear your local and I have a local live chicken encyclopedia.

They all seem really healthy and vigorous but compared to my egg girls lazy and OH SO Poopy! They scoot a few cm after pooping and then lay back down in the chick who did it before them, well there are 3 or 4 who try to stay above the mess by roosting on the food trough lol. And proudly pooping on the head or wing of one of the one's I just cleaned. It's funny! But my Cuckoo she makes a little noise, gets a funny look runs across the brooder and does her buisness and goes back to the others. If she was human she'd be running, clenching her butt checks, and yelling "it's crowning, it's crowning"

I figured out my mystery chick and it's a dark brahma and she's so pretty I just had to mention her too my EE try to throw themselves out of the brooder so I have HAVE to get the new grow out pen in place.

Family members and friends who said they'd help with bringing big things have had a lot of things to do and I really miss my truck. Angel I'm worried that the "booster" will be to much but if it worked for Lemon I say well .... Let them be Nuggets (fat nuggets). And as Bee mentioned they drink ALOT already at 11/2-13/4 Quarts of water! I thought my metabolism was slow but with these guys it's like Bi-polar metabolism FATTY + GROW How can you tell if a chicken is just fat?

Mama, I think the main thing that the Broiler Booster vitamins did for mine was keep their legs strong so they could hold the weight of their big chest. And of course I didn't let them feed more than 12 hrs a day after they were a couple of weeks old. Actually I fed them in the morning, which lasted them until about right before the kids got out of school. So they had an hour or so to make sure they cleaned up every last scrap of food for that hour or so. They when we got home from getting the kids I would feed them again and that would last them until 7 or 8 in the evening. It was kind of funny. Their food would run low and they would all go take a good afternoon nap......just crashed out.......then mayhem would ensue again when I got their afternoon feed. Funny critters. Yummy too!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Angelicisi, how are your broilers doing? Have you weighed any recently?

 

[Angelicisi]

They're doing good. All different sizes tho. But they are growing. I have a few 4lb-ers but most still a bit under and a few still around 2.5lbs! Ug. But they're foraging well. We still have awhile til butcher :/

Went to feed the rabbits 1st the other day lol no no no! Birds stalked me across the property lol

 

[Angelicisi]

Still growing
My broody EE hen has adopted this batch of meaties (but now...not when they were lil guys lol) she cops and shows them how to scratch and eat chases other layers away she's gonna be a sad mama in a couple weeks doh.

The meaties are doing well, the survivors . I lost 2 to a drowning incident in our pond. Which is now netted over. I lost 2 to a hawk that was relentless so we've netted the areas above where they spend the most time sunning. The rest are doing great, just taking forever it seems to get to size. Maybe a third I could process for 3-4lb dressed birds, maybe :/ so I figure 2 weeks more at least.

 

[MamaKitty913]

put my daughter to work HE He He! 3/6/2014 3/12/2014 25 days * = comb apperance week 7 4/9/14 week 8 week 9 week 10 week 12 week 14 week 16 introduction of layer pellets
Brooder 1 cornish 1 10.5 15
Brooder 1 cornish 2 12 13.5
Brooder 1 cornish 3 10.5 13.5
Brooder 1 cornish 4 11 1 lb 2
Brooder 1 cornish 5 11 1 lb 3
Brooder 1 cornish 6 12 13.5
Brooder 1 cornish 7 10 13
Brooder 1 cornish 8 13 1 lb 2
Brooder 1 cornish 9 13 1 lb 4
Brooder 1 cornish 10 14 1

Brooder 2 buff 1 4 5.5 *
Brooder 2 buff 2 4.5 5.5
Brooder 2 ww 1 5.5 7
Brooder 2 ww 2 6 7.5 *
Brooder 2 cornish 1 "fatty" 14 1 lb 5.5 comb darker
Brooder 2 cornish 2 11 1 lb 4
Brooder 2 cornish 3 11.5 15
Brooder 2 cornish 4 11 1 lb
Brooder 2 "biggy" 12 1 lb 6
Brooder 2 cornish 5 deceased ""

EGGERS
Blue COCHINS 5 7
"Black" COCHINS 7
"Grey" COCHINS 4.5 4
Delaware 1 7
Delaware 2 5.5
"Easter" AMER 5 8.5
"Linebacker" AMER 7
"Cuckoo" MARAN 8.5
?? BRAHMA 6
GLW 1 7.5 *
GLW 2 7.5 *
Buff 1 5 6.5
Buff 2 5 6
Buff 3 7
Buff 4 8.5
Buff 5 8.5
WFBS 1 7
WFBS 2 6.5
WFBS 3 5.5
WFBS 4 7

Its not finished but I had my daughter make me an Excel page to keep track of a few things, it's better than the scraps of paper I've been "taking notes" on

I'm very grateful for her help with those pallets too, hen house almost has enough recycled pallets torn down! I've been doing some rough sanding so no big splinters and bolt cutters to take out nails! So many people here with illness both human and animal, my prayers go out to all here. Also just wondering who saw the facebook article about USDA approving China to process our chickens and sending them back butchered! WTH I am so glad that I got my first chickens, even more so now! I am also more prepared to butcher my own I WILL NOT be a coward any longer and "send" my chickens 1000's of miles (where Avian flu is prevelent) to be slaughtered! My chicks will be born and raised in the USA where I will sanatize and keep my food safe, and my birds safer (Ipray). Thanks to all at BYC for helping me to make this decision

 

[MamaKitty913]

Oh and the poop since the increase in protein has been MUCH firmer and easier to deal with. Nice feathering but the meaties they are so naked looking I could see the water and feed after the morning feed in their crop, weirded me out a bit I must say!

 

[LindaB220]

put my daughter to work HE He He! 3/6/2014 3/12/2014 25 days * = comb apperance week 7 4/9/14 week 8 week 9 week 10 week 12 week 14 week 16 introduction of layer pellets
Brooder 1 cornish 1 10.5 15
Brooder 1 cornish 2 12 13.5
Brooder 1 cornish 3 10.5 13.5
Brooder 1 cornish 4 11 1 lb 2
Brooder 1 cornish 5 11 1 lb 3
Brooder 1 cornish 6 12 13.5
Brooder 1 cornish 7 10 13
Brooder 1 cornish 8 13 1 lb 2
Brooder 1 cornish 9 13 1 lb 4
Brooder 1 cornish 10 14 1

Brooder 2 buff 1 4 5.5 *
Brooder 2 buff 2 4.5 5.5
Brooder 2 ww 1 5.5 7
Brooder 2 ww 2 6 7.5 *
Brooder 2 cornish 1 "fatty" 14 1 lb 5.5 comb darker
Brooder 2 cornish 2 11 1 lb 4
Brooder 2 cornish 3 11.5 15
Brooder 2 cornish 4 11 1 lb
Brooder 2 "biggy" 12 1 lb 6
Brooder 2 cornish 5 deceased ""

EGGERS
Blue COCHINS 5 7
"Black" COCHINS 7
"Grey" COCHINS 4.5 4
Delaware 1 7
Delaware 2 5.5
"Easter" AMER 5 8.5
"Linebacker" AMER 7
"Cuckoo" MARAN 8.5
?? BRAHMA 6
GLW 1 7.5 *
GLW 2 7.5 *
Buff 1 5 6.5
Buff 2 5 6
Buff 3 7
Buff 4 8.5
Buff 5 8.5
WFBS 1 7
WFBS 2 6.5
WFBS 3 5.5
WFBS 4 7

Its not finished but I had my daughter make me an Excel page to keep track of a few things, it's better than the scraps of paper I've been "taking notes" on

I'm very grateful for her help with those pallets too, hen house almost has enough recycled pallets torn down! I've been doing some rough sanding so no big splinters and bolt cutters to take out nails! So many people here with illness both human and animal, my prayers go out to all here. Also just wondering who saw the facebook article about USDA approving China to process our chickens and sending them back butchered! WTH I am so glad that I got my first chickens, even more so now! I am also more prepared to butcher my own I WILL NOT be a coward any longer and "send" my chickens 1000's of miles (where Avian flu is prevelent) to be slaughtered! My chicks will be born and raised in the USA where I will sanatize and keep my food safe, and my birds safer (Ipray). Thanks to all at BYC for helping me to make this decision

You are going to be soooooo busy. Good luck to you.