Ranger Grow-Out Journals

[slc]

Quote:
Randall Burkey sells a perch for weighing birds on scales.
http://www.randallburkey.com/Acrylic-Perch-1-Diameter-By-2-Height/productinfo/12052/

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

When I get a chance to dig out my journal, I will add what I recorded for my first batch of chicks. I kept track of feed and costs for the first three months.
The only time I weighed the chickens though was when the extra boys went into the freezer.

 

[TimG]

Quote:
Randall Burkey sells a perch for weighing birds on scales.
http://www.randallburkey.com/Acrylic-Perch-1-Diameter-By-2-Height/productinfo/12052/

That costs more than my scale...but it does give me an idea. Thanks.

 

[TimG]

After 8 weeks (+2 days), the chicks average 5 lb 6oz (males: 5 lbs 15 oz; females: 5 lbs 1 oz), smallest is 4 lbs 11 oz, largest is 6 lbs 8 oz.

I still have a runt, she is 2 lbs 5 oz today (and not included in the above figures).

I found one dead at 8 weeks. No idea what the cause of death was, everyone appeared healthy the night before.

I have opened their pen a few times and let them wander the yard. They do not roam very far; most find a shady spot and hang out.

They have gone through about 323 pounds of feed. Including the 6 pounds of dead bird in the live bird weight, that is about 2.6 pounds of feed per pound of chicken. They have put on nearly a pound a week over the last four weeks, if they keep that up they will average nearly 7.5 lbs at 10 weeks which would be a fine live weight for processing time.

If I butchered the 21 non-runts remaining today, I would have spent less than $4 per chick feeding them. Last week it cost me about $0.72 in feed for every pound gained (similar to what it has been for the last 4 weeks), at this rate it seems worthwhile to keep growing them.

Tim

 

[petrelline]

My rangers arrived this morning -- 103, all alive and well and totally happy. They're some of the healthiest chicks I've ever seen. JM Hatchery FTW!

Half of these are going out to other chicken people in the next few days, and I'm raising the others. I'm not going to weigh all 50 of mine every week but I'll try to get some averages.

They're going to be raised on organic chick starter/grower, which is 20% protein and around $22/50lb.

 

[TimG]

Did my week 9 weigh-in this morning.

Males average 6 lb 13 oz; females average 5 lb 11 oz. One runt is 2 lbs 10 oz and still appears perfectly healthy.

The 22 remaining birds put on a total of 14 pounds this week -- slower growth than in recent weeks -- but still ate the same amount of food; this was the worst week yet for feed conversion. There were some hot days which may account for some of the slowdown.

I have been opening their pen every morning and letting them free range. Not only can they get out, but the layers can get in, so some of the feed is going to layers instead of meaties.

I might choose to process some next weekend (at 10 weeks). If the growth is slowing while the feed consumption remains steady, and they average over 7 lbs, seems like a good time to try to figure out which cockerel(s) I want to keep and which should be put in the freezer.

I'm not 100% sure I have sexed them correctly. I saw what appeared to be an attempted mating between two Rangers yesterday...two that I think are males.

They do not range far, but they do run about from time to time. When they run, they are not as graceful as my laying hens, they have a bit of a waddle to their gait.

 

[dakind50]

What do you think your feed conversion will be at the end of your grow out. I am trying to do numbers now for a possible small meat bird operation next year. I saw from another grow out journal somebody said after 12 weeks they had a FCR of 5.4 for these birds. I don't want to do Cornish x's and don't mind the extra time of these birds if they can be done at 12 weeks. I can charge 4.99lb in my marketplace but would like to charge less or at least bring down my cost down. I am getting 19% protein organic feed for 19 bucks a 50 pound bag.

Also just for a quick check of how I am doing my math I need to times my feed cost per pound (.38) x FCR to understand my cost per pound of meat?

thanks

 

[TimG]

My average bird is 6 lbs 2 oz today. Assuming I would get a 4 lb dressed bird if I butchered now (I think a tad conservative), my pounds of feed per pound of dressed bird would be just about 5 to 1.

My original plan was to raise these guys to 12 weeks, but I am now considering moving that to just 10 weeks because of the combination of slower growth and large size.

I expect, though it is just a guess, that the feed conversion rate gets worse as they get closer to butcher weight.

My sample size is, of course, very small and my controls lax. I don't know how factors such as weather and access to free range (and thus more exercise) are affecting things, nor do I know how much of the chick starter the hens are eating.

 

[petrelline]

Is FCR usually calculated on live or dressed weight? I've never quite seen a straight answer on that.

 

[TimG]

Quote:
My guess is that it is live weight because of the variables in the dressed weight figure: do you weigh neck, gizzard, liver, etc.; on the bone or off; skin or skinless?