So I just wrapped up my first batch of broilers. I used Backyardchickens.com frequently and just wanted to add my experience to the wealth of knowledge here.
I ordered 30 Heritage White broilers from S&G poultry in Alabama, and they were wonderful people over the phone. The Heritage White is a hybrid for those wondering, as I was. I received 34 happy healthy chicks who were immediately all face down in the feed.
Feed:
I fed 18% broiler feed from Sunrise farms in VA, which I then fermented. For weeks 1-5 they had access to feed for 12 hours, after that I maxed them out at 16 lbs of dry feed (plus water weight ~ 1.5 gallons)/33 chickens/day (at one week old I found one with a slipped Achilles tendon). By the 8th week they were finishing their food before noon and foraging the rest of the time.
Shelter:
These Heritage whites were in a 6X10 tractor which got moved at sunrise and the late afternoon (usually 530-6) everyday. They were excellent foragers. In the morning some would even opt to catch bugs and eat all the best plants while the majority were at the trough. They were just as excited for the afternoon move as the morning move I fed them. They would pile up at the front during the 2nd move of the day for the best baby grasshopper catching opportunities. Due to some cold nights, they weren't outside until 4 weeks old, but they knew what to do right away... From weeks 5, 6, and 7, they ate almost everything underneath them in the 12 hrs they had on it.
First day on grass (they LOVED those little yellow flowers):
Before and After at week 6:
Water:
5 gallon hanging bucket with 6 nipples. I kept it a little low for most of the time, so they figured out that they could stand under it and get water all over them, which I'm sure felt good on the hot days. Even with that, the most they ever used was ~ 4 gallons/day, plus the 1.5 gallons that was added to their feed for fermentation.
Overall Impression:
I was never really concerned with weighing them, but at 8 weeks I did weigh the biggest rooster at 6lbs 8 ounces, and the smallest hen at 5lbs 4 ounces. I slaughtered at 9 weeks, and they had definitely gained weight, and slowed down considerably, but I didn't weigh any at that time. I have a video I took at 8.5 weeks that I will upload later. One odd thing was I only got two roosters out of the 33.
Biggest Rooster:
Big Hen (bad picture):
And very thankful for this:
I ordered 30 Heritage White broilers from S&G poultry in Alabama, and they were wonderful people over the phone. The Heritage White is a hybrid for those wondering, as I was. I received 34 happy healthy chicks who were immediately all face down in the feed.
Feed:
I fed 18% broiler feed from Sunrise farms in VA, which I then fermented. For weeks 1-5 they had access to feed for 12 hours, after that I maxed them out at 16 lbs of dry feed (plus water weight ~ 1.5 gallons)/33 chickens/day (at one week old I found one with a slipped Achilles tendon). By the 8th week they were finishing their food before noon and foraging the rest of the time.
Shelter:
These Heritage whites were in a 6X10 tractor which got moved at sunrise and the late afternoon (usually 530-6) everyday. They were excellent foragers. In the morning some would even opt to catch bugs and eat all the best plants while the majority were at the trough. They were just as excited for the afternoon move as the morning move I fed them. They would pile up at the front during the 2nd move of the day for the best baby grasshopper catching opportunities. Due to some cold nights, they weren't outside until 4 weeks old, but they knew what to do right away... From weeks 5, 6, and 7, they ate almost everything underneath them in the 12 hrs they had on it.
First day on grass (they LOVED those little yellow flowers):
Before and After at week 6:
Water:
5 gallon hanging bucket with 6 nipples. I kept it a little low for most of the time, so they figured out that they could stand under it and get water all over them, which I'm sure felt good on the hot days. Even with that, the most they ever used was ~ 4 gallons/day, plus the 1.5 gallons that was added to their feed for fermentation.
Overall Impression:
I was never really concerned with weighing them, but at 8 weeks I did weigh the biggest rooster at 6lbs 8 ounces, and the smallest hen at 5lbs 4 ounces. I slaughtered at 9 weeks, and they had definitely gained weight, and slowed down considerably, but I didn't weigh any at that time. I have a video I took at 8.5 weeks that I will upload later. One odd thing was I only got two roosters out of the 33.
Biggest Rooster:
Big Hen (bad picture):
And very thankful for this:
