start of my first meat bird experience

[3acres]

First, I want to thank everybody that posts all their useful information on here! I have a lot to learn, but have learned a lot because of it!

I have 25 red rangers and 6 Cornish cross coming this sat - tues sometime. ...and 5 Cornish cross coming with my turkey poults next week. ...and more layers....

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...but I was at a feed store getting a few things and these had just come in. I was told they were Cornish cross. I wanted to buy more, but just got these extra four to help with the wait until the others get here....

. ...and so it begins!











All four are doing great in spite of how they may look...

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One of the brooders I set up...

. I have several set up for everything. I had this laying around out by the garage and it is working great...for a short while here anyway. I could add sides, but am making bigger chick stage brooders also.


It actually looks like this now with adding some layer chicks I saved from a different feed store...

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I can't wait for the others to get here!

 

[SIMZ]

It's a lot of fun raising meat birds! Thank you for sharing your great pictures! Enjoy those chicks!

 

[3acres]

It's a lot of fun raising meat birds! Thank you for sharing your great pictures! Enjoy those chicks!

Thank you! ...and I will! I may add to this post as the rest come in....I gotta a little excited and probably posted too soon...should of waited until the rest got here....

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Gosh, I spoke too soon on the doing great part! One of the four chicks there was a loner, but was eating and drinking fine....I've spent a lot of time watching them....maybe a tad more lazy than the other 3. Well, it laid down today and I could tell some thing was wrong by the way it looked....it died shortly after??? I feel terrible! I tried to get it to drink and stand, but it wouldn't.

 

[trunkman]

I know how you feel, getting a few makes you want more. I started with 6 hen and 3 roosters and wanted a few more and now I'm up to 43 birds.. Love watching them grow and start laying or go from chick to eating size. I'll never to go store bought eggs or chicken again. Enjoy the learning experience!

 

[hendrixcoop]

The beauty of chicken math. Started in Nov 2012 with 6 dual purpose birds, ended up with with 4 Roos. So January 01, I got 5 more dual purpose chicks, something killed 2 which left me with 2 more Roos & 1 hen. Mid February I got 6 (sexed) red pulleys, ended up with 4 pulleys & 2 Roos.
Now that means I have 8 Roos & 7 pulleys, at various ages.

Last week, due to my abundance of Roos, I butchered 2 Roos and found out about reduced breast size, but the meat was good.

Now the math kicked in. Desiring a fuller eating bird, I added to the flock today. I bought 15 Cornish rocks. Man, our 1/4 acre residential lot is getting smaller by the day!

 

[Elke Beck]

Hendrixcoop, I hear you. I have smallish city lot, and I cannot figure out how I now have 21 chickens on it. It is a puzzlement. I got 4 pullet chicks in July 2011, and things went down hill from there. I was trying to sooth myself by remember that 5 are Cornish X and 9 are Red Rangers, so they will be getting on the bus for Camp Kenmore in the next few weeks, but then I realized that I am picking up hatching eggs to put under my broody tomorrow. I am out of control.

I would try to find a 12 step program, but I would probably come home from the first meeting with a box full of chicks.

The only good thing is I have no problem killing and eating my chickens, so when the population gets too high the surplus go to the Cone of Silence.

 

[SIMZ]

Hendrixcoop, I hear you. I have smallish city lot, and I cannot figure out how I now have 21 chickens on it. It is a puzzlement. I got 4 pullet chicks in July 2011, and things went down hill from there. I was trying to sooth myself by remember that 5 are Cornish X and 9 are Red Rangers, so they will be getting on the bus for Camp Kenmore in the next few weeks, but then I realized that I am picking up hatching eggs to put under my broody tomorrow. I am out of control.

I would try to find a 12 step program, but I would probably come home from the first meeting with a box full of chicks.

The only good thing is I have no problem killing and eating my chickens, so when the population gets too high the surplus go to the Cone of Silence.

This is too funny! I have been having the same types of conversations with myself recently. "Puzzlement" is a good word for it! LOL I've also discovered that having plans to to butcher chickens in the fall doesn't mean they aren't still running around now. In my mind I don't have that many chickens because I understand that half will be gone in a few months, but it looks very different in reality. And they're still coming..........but it sure is fun!

 

[ozarkchicks]

really enjoyed the pictures

thanks! it's really fun getting chicks! we were going to start with 2 then we decided 3 and then the next morning we decided 4. when we got to the store we ended up with 5 though, funny how you can plan on 2 and get to 5 so fast!

sorry about the chick that died though

 

[3acres]

Thanks everybody! I appreciate you posting!

Yeah...l need help...lol. Man, they're addictive!...

. Darn you chicken math and this forum....lol.

....

I finally got a small fan the other day....the last ingredient needed for a homemade incubator I'm making....I can already tell I'm going to be hooked on that!

Along with the 12 step programs, there needs to be some safe houses in every state that people can move into when they get kicked out of their house....whether it be by a spouse, landlord, neighborhood, etc...for having too many chickens....lol. Complete with brooders, runs, coops, etc for each individual.....I guess that wouldn't help our addictions....

. My wife doesn't know about the extra layin hen chicks in the basement or the ducks coming....lol...I'm honestly going to have to find a new place to live! ....lol. Prayers needed she doesn't go in the basement for a couple months here....

. I acted like a little kid and got permission for the turkeys...

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The red rangers and chicks with them were shipped sat morning at 4:00am. I've been on red alert ever since....jumping and racing to the phone only to be disappointed every time so far....lol. This will be my first ever hatchery order and I'm excited!

This is where my red rangers are going for now...



The thing that sucked about the chick that died was, I don't know why it did??? I sure wish I could of done something to help the little thing!

Have fun with your chicks and chickens everyone!

 

[3acres]

They just came! Real neat experience!

From McMurray. All alive.




The red rangers.