Rangers almost 12 weeks barely 3#

[Littleprairiemom]

Yes, I have learned it the hard way, I just hadn't paid attention to as they grew the smaller ones were being shoved out of the way, hard lesson for me but a mistake I won't make again!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I haven't raised meat birds yet, but I have read that it's critical that they all be able to eat at the same time.

The commercial egg laying operations want each hen to eat what she needs to produce an egg without the food hogs and bullies eating more than their share. So they provide enough room for each hen to eat at the same time and using machinery dump the right amount of feed all at once when they are all hungry. The bullies are too busy eating to keep the meek away from the feed. I haven't heard but I assume the meat bird operations do pretty much the same thing so they all get what they need without wasting a lot of feed.

I don't feed my dual purpose birds this efficiently. I always have feed available and the feeders are scattered so they can't be bullied off of all of them, but I do not have enough room for all to eat at the same time. By free feeding in different locations they work it out. But I could see the advantage in giving meat birds more room at the trough, especially if you are limiting feed.

 

[Bags]

I think we've had too many birds together, some have been 3 pounds after slaughter while some are 2.5 or smaller. We separated them now but what can I do to fatten them fast? We have some that are barely 2 pounds live weight. I've already had them go 12 weeks, need some guidance, thank you

Are they Cornish x? That seems way too long at 12 weeks

 

[Molpet]

The bullies are too busy eating to keep the meek away from the feed.

Sounds good but my bully layers didn't get that memo . 8 ft trough one bird keeping everyone else out LOL

 

[Geena]

Sounds good but my bully layers didn't get that memo . 8 ft trough one bird keeping everyone else out LOL

Sounds like my one breeding pen this year. I have to put out 4 bowls of food in all 4 corners for just 6 chickens. Otherwise they do that thing where they go round and round from bowl to bowl chasing each other away.

 

[Geena]

Yes, I have learned it the hard way, I just hadn't paid attention to as they grew the smaller ones were being shoved out of the way, hard lesson for me but a mistake I won't make again!

Also best not to feed any scratch to penned broilers, they need the extra protein from the meat bird feed in order to grow properly.