Space needed for meat chickens

[aliciaFarmer]

Best wishes!
I got mine in warmer months and they only had one week in the brooder, then into the chicken tractor. They quickly outgrew the tractor and I'd open it into the fenced garden to let them devour the garden. Worked well. They loved the giant who brought food.

Shade, wind breaks and dry spots needed. We had flooding rain near the end and they wound up on the garden. The wood chips made it the highest and driest spot.

I kept food and water available, but the last 3 weeks they would empty the food themselves. Not starving when I got home, but they would put a dent in the food left out. Then finish it off for breakfast.

Thank you! I would love to so it in the warmer months but we have an overabundance of yellow jackets and hornets so until that issue is remedied, I don't want to be processing while being swarmed.

I totally agree on shade and windbreaks, dry spots and all. My original spot doesn't have a huge amount of shade other than under the house I am building so I've decided to move it half under a big doug fir tree on the other side of the garden. My layers/breeders have all of that so I have no idea why it didn't occur to me to have ample shade with the meat babies, not that Oregon gets hot that early.

I love that -- the giant who brought food. ♡

Do you think 4x8 with a 4x4 loft is big enough for 12 since they won't get full size and will be out for all waking hours?

 

[Acre4Me]

Thank you so much for the info. I cannot bring myself to raise Cornish or any fast growing bird personally but I'm so glad to hear that you had good luck with it. 12 does sound like a perfect starting number, especially for a beginner like me. The "run" may be far larger than necessary but I'd rather have too much space than too little, personally. Mostly because we decided our first round will be miscellaneous cockerels that are sold as the "fry pan bargain". Longer grow time, more feed and less weight, but I think, or presume a goid starting place and alternative to Cornish/x. I will definitely make sure to provide lots of shade -- i hadn't actually thought about that since it will still be the cool season and the only shade would have been under their house so I'm planning a totally different location now with half sun, half shade. I appreciate the tip!

Good to hear the planning is going well! Yes, the meat birds ran very hot! But fry-pan bargains might not be so hot, still shade is essential as birds can be unduly stressed if they can’t get out of the sun for periods of time.

If you are getting cockerels, then you may want to ask the question on here about what ages to butcher depending on what you want to do with the carcass and meat after butchering. Broth/soup? Then any age is fine, but have heard a pressure cooker is your friend since males tend to get tough. But, before a certain age (not sure myself) the males wont yet be tough and you could cook like any bird. So, that is another factor to consider.

Good luck!

 

[aliciaFarmer]

Good to hear the planning is going well! Yes, the meat birds ran very hot! But fry-pan bargains might not be so hot, still shade is essential as birds can be unduly stressed if they can’t get out of the sun for periods of time.

If you are getting cockerels, then you may want to ask the question on here about what ages to butcher depending on what you want to do with the carcass and meat after butchering. Broth/soup? Then any age is fine, but have heard a pressure cooker is your friend since males tend to get tough. But, before a certain age (not sure myself) the males wont yet be tough and you could cook like any bird. So, that is another factor to consider.

Good luck!

I totally agree. I hadn't though about it in this case because even a day above 65 during that time of year is rare in Oregon. But great suggestion -- I've changed the coop plans to be in half shade so they'll be cozy and happy.

That's a good idea to ask. Most of my farm friends who eat their roosters always make sure to do so before 8 months but most around 4 months of age. Some as early as 3, but most 4. I have an instant pot and a regular pressure cooker I use for canning so soup etc will be great for anyting less tender (though finding out for sure would be good because gluten-free fried chicken sounds awesome!). ❤ Thanks for the tip!

 

[wyoDreamer]

They will cram themselves into a 4x4 loft. My 13 Cornish X crammed themselves into a 3x3 loft every night. None could leave in the morning until the last one in - who slept by the door- got up and left. I opened the nest box to see how the heck they were all fitting in there and they were laying in rows, kinda overlapping each other. 13 heads popped up and stared at me when i opened the top. It was a solid sea of white feathers.

The fry-pan special will be egg layer boys, so be prepared for a lighter, less meaty bird.

The Cornish X are really not a bad way to go. If you give them some room, make then move between food and water, limit feed once they are half grown, and get them out from under the heat lamp as soon as possible, they will feather in nicely and look like real chickens... really fat chickens.

 

[aliciaFarmer]

They will cram themselves into a 4x4 loft. My 13 Cornish X crammed themselves into a 3x3 loft every night. None could leave in the morning until the last one in - who slept by the door- got up and left. I opened the nest box to see how the heck they were all fitting in there and they were laying in rows, kinda overlapping each other. 13 heads popped up and stared at me when i opened the top. It was a solid sea of white feathers.

The fry-pan special will be egg layer boys, so be prepared for a lighter, less meaty bird.

The Cornish X are really not a bad way to go. If you give them some room, make then move between food and water, limit feed once they are half grown, and get them out from under the heat lamp as soon as possible, they will feather in nicely and look like real chickens... really fat chickens.

Crazy chickens! Well maybe I will save the coop with the loft for my barnevelders then and build a different one for my meaties. I have a loft in my current chicken house but it's a 10 foot by 16 foot house thats 10 ft tall in the front and 8 feet in the back so a loft made lots of sense.

I like the idea of the fry pan bargain because this is my first time and I'm a sensitive one sometimes. I figured if I couldn't end up harvesting them myself I could rehome them. I'm sure I can do it, but I have this little seed of doubt that surface is now and then. If I was successful with that, I figured I'd try rangers next. I don't mind less meaty for my first round. Thus time, honestly, it mostly to make sure I can follow through to be totally honest.

 

[Below frigid]

Thank you! I would love to so it in the warmer months but we have an overabundance of yellow jackets and hornets so until that issue is remedied, I don't want to be processing while being swarmed.

I totally agree on shade and windbreaks, dry spots and all. My original spot doesn't have a huge amount of shade other than under the house I am building so I've decided to move it half under a big doug fir tree on the other side of the garden. My layers/breeders have all of that so I have no idea why it didn't occur to me to have ample shade with the meat babies, not that Oregon gets hot that early.

I love that -- the giant who brought food. ♡

Do you think 4x8 with a 4x4 loft is big enough for 12 since they won't get full size and will be out for all waking hours?

Process at night. No Yellow jackets.

 

[cholland]

I can't give you much on space requirements. My chickens have a large yard. But I hatched some Barred Holland's in the spring. A "dual" purpose heritage breed. I'm in this for the eggs so not really exploring the meat end. About half were roosters, and I only needed to keep one.
I kept the best looking, largest one and butchered the rest at 17 weeks. By then they are crowing a lot and starting to spar a little between themselves. The breast meat was great for frying or grilling. Not much for wings or drumsticks. The carcass makes a good soup stock. Definitely not the size of a meat bird.

And yeah, the bees. OMG. As soon as I started plucking the first one it was a complete swarm. Not just a bunch, literally thousands. I set up an 8x10 pop-up screen room and did all the processing in there. Much better without bees all over everything.

 

[aliciaFarmer]

Process at night. No Yellow jackets.

That would be great if we had power anywhere near where I would be processing or I wasn't totally night-blind. Living in coyote, bear, bobcat and cougar territory that would also make me a little bit nervous. Especially not being able to see what might be lurking about.

 

[aliciaFarmer]

I can't give you much on space requirements. My chickens have a large yard. But I hatched some Barred Holland's in the spring. A "dual" purpose heritage breed. I'm in this for the eggs so not really exploring the meat end. About half were roosters, and I only needed to keep one.
I kept the best looking, largest one and butchered the rest at 17 weeks. By then they are crowing a lot and starting to spar a little between themselves. The breast meat was great for frying or grilling. Not much for wings or drumsticks. The carcass makes a good soup stock. Definitely not the size of a meat bird.

And yeah, the bees. OMG. As soon as I started plucking the first one it was a complete swarm. Not just a bunch, literally thousands. I set up an 8x10 pop-up screen room and did all the processing in there. Much better without bees all over everything.

That's awesome about frying and grilling! That would make me so happy. And chicken stock out of the rest would be phenomenal too.

Yes! You know what I'm talking about then!! The yellow jackets are insane and swarm by the thousands, easily. We got 9 of those amazing Rescue traps and they were all full all the way to the top within 3 days but yet there were still swarms and swarms everywhere. We've only lived here for just over a year and it was abandoned for a few years before that so it'll take awhile to get these eradicated. A pop-up tent with screen is a fantastic idea! I'll start looking on Craigslist now since a new one isn't in our current small homestead budget. But what a great idea! I didn't even think of that. Thank you!

 

[Below frigid]

That would be great if we had power anywhere near where I would be processing or I wasn't totally night-blind. Living in coyote, bear, bobcat and cougar territory that would also make me a little bit nervous. Especially not being able to see what might be lurking about.

Small Honda Generator will power a lot of light all night on a gallon of gas. Just saying. Black bears are easy to scare off. Cougars have plenty to eat. Not big scavengers, they like to hunt and eat fresh. Bobcats are no worries as well as coyotes. Most likly wont come in with lights and generator going. Just saying. I live off the grid and have all the same critters besides bears.