Square footage/Cornish cross

[RoosterML]

I think it comes to different strokes for different folks. As stated I’ve ate pastured poultry. I’ve ate my pen raised. I prefer the flavor i raise and have made a successful side business from it with many repeat customers. This year I’ll raise just shy of 1500 Cornish cross. Tractors open up all sorts of risks to predation from both wild animals and wandering neighborhood dogs. My barn is much more secure than any tractor I’ve seen. Broiler chickens can only get about 15% of their nutrition from foraging alone. That is not much of a cost savings, not discrediting it as every penny counts. For me, I’m not sure the savings offsets the added work load and acreage needed to rotate them on pastures. I understand most folks on here aren’t raising 1500 birds annually. I pen raise mine and change the pine shaving/sawdust bedding as needed. Usually every 2 days around feeders and waterers towards the end. It’s easier for me to spend 10 minutes with a shovel and wheel barrow than it is to lug a tractor or tractors that can house 200 broilers at a time. Plus by doing this I extend my growing season with the ability to raise year round rather than just in the summer. I graze my turkeys, but Turkeys can get 35% of their nutritional needs from foraging and in my experience are more active in a central structure and paddock setting. Pen raising my birds also allows me to stockpile and compost the bedding/manure and spread it where I want it, in the rates I want it. I spread my garden, miniorchard, and pasture with it. The excess is spread on a neighbors field who I trade labor with on various projects through the year. I’m not against pastured poultry. I’m not saying those that do it are wrong or not to try it. I’m just trying to give you an “idea” why some may see it as a good alternative to pastured tractors. I’ve tried it. It’s not for me. I suggest people try multiple methods and find a system that works for them.

I agree we all have our own ways. I have my first batch of 50 coming in a few weeks. Up until 3-4 weeks keeping them inside isn’t that bad. After that I have to kick them on pasture I just can’t stand having them lay in poop. I will say come processing day my birds are extremely clean. I processed some birds for someone that must have kept them in to small a space. Absolutely repulsive on how dirty the birds were. Glad you have a way of keeping things clean.
What’s your feed? What’s your feeding practice?
I give mine 20% free choice from start for finish.

 

[3KillerBs]

This is an interesting discussion and I'm learning lots to apply to my first meaties.

 

[RoosterML]

This is an interesting discussion and I'm learning lots to apply to my first meaties.

It’s a real rewarding experience!

 

[Welllaidacres]

I feed a 22% starter for two weeks and switch to a 20% grower/finisher for the rest. I get my feed from a local feed mill. I get my starter custom milled and bagged. The grower/finisher is custom milled delivered in bulk by their delivery truck to a homemade wooden feed bin in my barn. Both feeds are a meal. (No pellet or crumble available at local mill. It is feed that is GMO corn and soybean meal based, balanced for amino acid profiles and vitamin and mineral. I also add a capsaicin oil to it, natural immune system booster. It is free of any antibiotics or animal byproducts. I feed Free choice on starter. If I’m raising Ross 308s I switch to a 12 hr on 12 hr off feed schedule. They are free choice fed during the day and no feed at night. I’ve been doing some experimenting with Cobb 500 chicks the last couple batches. The Cobb 500s are a couple days behind on the growth curve and don’t seem to have the overeating issues that the Ross’s seem to have. Because of this I have been free choice feeding them 24 hrs a day. I’m averaging a 5 lb dressed bird in 6 weeks with this feed and rearing conditions.