Slow growing meaties from McMurry?

[Cheep a'lil Talk a'lil]

I picked up our meaties from a feed store, they get their birds from McMurry. They don't seem to be growing as fast as they should. I thought maybe it was because I wasn't using a feed with a high enough protein content, 18%. I was at another feed store and asking about their highest protein count which was 27%, and told him what was going on with them not growing. He asked where I got them from and he said that there have been other folks that have told him that they are having the same problem. He gets his birds from Belt hatcherie and hasn't had that problem. He also said that he had a coustomer buy some Belt meaties and some from McMurry and the McMurry meaties are growing much slower.

We are mixing the 18% with the 27% with hopes it will help them out. They are almost 7 weeks and no where near butchering weight. They aren't even as big as our smallest hen.

Has anyone else had a problem with their meaties growing slow?

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

Did you get Jumbo Cornish X Rocks or were they Cornish Roasters? I know that the roasters take a little longer to reach weight plus if you was feeding them 18% that would slow them down a little too. I hope there's not a problem because I have 55 Jumbo's coming the end of June!!

 

[acy0029]

Meaties are supposed to be fed at least 23% protein from hatch to cull. And they were probably roasters not CRX. At least with them growing slower heart attack and leg issues should not be as much of a problem.

 

[chickenfeverforever]

IMO.....Murray is famous for mutts and claiming one bird is another. I switched to Meyer hatchery. Thats where I got my meaties from. Their instructions on their website say to feed a grower medicated feed for the first 3 weeks and then for the rest of the time, Feed them a broiler feed. It also states that these birds will be ready to butcher at 7-9 weeks and NOT to let them go pat 9 because they will likely have heart attacks and die.

Highest broiler feed I could find is 23%

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

I guess I've been lucky with McMurray so far!

I don't feed medicated feed to my meaties and I use 22% Nutrena Naturewise Meatbird Crumbles. They are growing really well on that % and I also restrict their feed 12/12.

 

[CarriageStone]

I bought my CX's from Schlechts. We fed them 20% Grower from beginning to end. Processed at seven weeks and had dressed carcasses at 5lbs or better. I'm riding with Schlecht's until given a reason not to do so.

Our first batch of layers came from McMurray's. It was a Rainbow Layer Assortment. All those birds did well, we were happy. However, throwing in a list of breeds shipped would have been helpful.

There was a lot of mystery for a newbie at the time.

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

Quote:
Not according to the breeders that developed these strains of chickens. A complete feed fed as the sole ration, formulated for chickens, need not be greater then 20% crude protien for starting chicks.

Further why would anyone maintian chickens with an expensive dense nutrient feed just to cull them?

 

[Cheep a'lil Talk a'lil]

Quote:
The ones I bought I asked if they were Cornish X and he said yes. Are the Cornish Roasters known as Cornish X Roasters? I haven't heard of the Cornish Roaster, is that like a Cornish Game Hen?
The tag on the feed bag says "X-CEL Gamebird Pellets" and has 27% mon. Crude Protein. So am I feeding them to high a protein if I don't mix it?
I'm sure glad I only started with 5, maybe I will get things right before my next batch.

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

The Cornish Roaster's are also a hybrid bird but they just don't grow as fast at the Jumbo Cornish X Rocks. They are still supposed to have really good feed conversion though. Their weight is 3-4 lbs at 8 to 9 weeks and 8-9 lbs at 12 weeks. Do they eat a lot? I have some Cornish X that we bought from where my DIL works (they came from Dunlap Hatchery in Idaho). Mine are almost 6 weeks and my biggest one is probably about 5 lbs. I would probably mix my food, you don't want them getting too fat and having heart issues.

 

[Cheep a'lil Talk a'lil]

Oh they eat! No problem in that department! They try to peck your hand off when you are taking the feeder out or putting it back in, crazy birds.
Well, I guess I will continue mixing the 27% with the 18%. I will also call the feed store and try to find out what type of Cornish these are.