start of my first meat bird experience

[jkl338834]

thanks for sharing

 

[3acres]

thanks for sharing

Thanks for looking and posting your first post in here! Welcome to the board!

 

[3acres]

From today...my Red Rangers (26).....4 weeks old. I moved them outside today. Still doing finishing touches on the tractor. ...and I think I'll stain it a dark walnut color like my rabbit hutch I built. I didn't have any of the doors on the top on it when I put them in there....they helped me put them on and we had a good time. It was fun watching them trying the grass, clover and dried up leaves.















The were scared at first, then had a blast.




The only thing that has surprised me so far with my 91 chicks, poults, and ducklings....is how much grit I'd go through....lol.







I'll probably get in trouble for cock fighting...ha...

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Still chilly out....so I shut the whole thing up and gave them a heat lamp in there for the night. I'll be checking them through out the night.

 

[trunkman]

Nice looking tractor, is it hard to move around? The chicks look happy! Thanks for posting the pics.

 

[3acres]

Nice looking tractor, is it hard to move around? The chicks look happy! Thanks for posting the pics.

Thank you! Though I kept getting hurt and am now just lifting for fun, health and looks(HA), that tractor feels like a piece of paper compared to dead-lifting a car for reps and other strongman training stuff....lol. I did buy two wheels and bolts for it. I thought I'd put the bolts in and just put the wheels on when moving it....on the enclosed side. I've just been grabbing the boards and moving it to see how heavy it is, but might try putting a rope on it or use one of the dolly things I have.

I wanted to make it sturdy enough to not have any supports in the way inside there....in the chickens way. I wanted it all open for them. Right now its just fine, but will have to see if any thing happens over time. Hopefully it lasts many years. I'll be building more and experimenting. I'm having a blast learning and experimenting on all these meat birds, just like the turkey poults!

I'm going to build bigger, longer feeders for the meat birds today and stain the outside of that tractor.

 

[3acres]

pictures from today....

CX I got on 3/26



CX and a Barred Rock rooster that are the same age




CX I got on 4/1 and a Silver Laced Wyandotte pullet that I got the same day and is the same age.


It is crazy how they grow!



Red Rangers eating

 

[SunnysMama]

Looks like a happy bunch you got there!! WOW, your CX look so much bigger than mine! How do them and the Rangers compare in size?

You have a nice setup!!

 

[trunkman]

I like that you put the barred rock and the cx next to each other like that. If you raise just one type you think it grows fast but by putting the cx in there it really is striking how fast they grow. Regular chicks grow fast, at least I thought so till I got cx, what a difference.

 

[Jo Anne]

Really like the tractor thanks for the idea. I want to grow meat birds and was thinking how to fabricate something small. Will they roost inthere as well at night, or do you move them to a coop?

 

[3acres]

Looks like a happy bunch you got there!! WOW, your CX look so much bigger than mine! How do them and the Rangers compare in size?
You have a nice setup!!

Thanks! I bet mine are not any bigger than yours! The Rangers are right there with the CX. ...just not as much of a bird.....a little shorter and more narrow, lighter. I think it's funny how much my Rangers resemble the CX...AND...a more of a dual purpose, layer, type bird in the way they look and act at the same time.....just my thoughts on these. I really like the Rangers a lot! I'm anxious for the taste test between the two!

These are the same age.










My Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys that are just a couple days younger than these, make these look small now...lol.