The Broiler Chronicles ~ Week 7 : The execution cometh......

[ChickyLaura]

Wow, that's great! I haven't weighed mine yet, but I have had to "break them up" into 2 brooder boxes this evening. I don't have the best set-up right now because my good brooder box is in use with 4 turkeys that I'm not ready to move out of the house yet. I really should break down and go get another rubbermaid huge (I mean huge) tote, because that size works so well for my brooder. DH cut away most of the lid except for the outer edges, and wire-tied chicken wire to the open area. It really does work fantastic, and I just have to scrub it out and store it out in the coop when I'm done with it.

My meaties that are out in a penned in area in the coop are doing great! They are about 4 1/2 weeks old, and they are past the "Cornish Game Hen" stage. I should take a picture to compare the two age groups that I have. Actually, one of those birds is having leg issues, so I moved it in with the indoor turkeys. She seems to be doing much better inside.

These birds are actually (so far) pretty easy to raise. Just the twice daily changes of water and feeding. I have mine on 24% Dumor Starter, since the Flock Raiser is only 20%. I only wanted to go with the Purina Flock Raiser, but I can use the Dumor Starter for the broilers and the turkeys. I am very pleased with that feed! I notice a big difference in growth since I switched over.

 

[awesomefowl]

I just feed Southern States med. chick starter....next time I'll try the turkey starter.

 

[awesomefowl]

One of them is over 8 oz.!!!

 

[awesomefowl]

Just discovered the feed store gave me LAYER FEED instead of start-n-grow.

 

[awesomefowl]

Week 2 ~ Largest one 1 lb.

 

[awesomefowl]

I lost one.

And it is all my fault...I had them set up in a makeshift pen in our garden, and part of it which I had propped up fell down and killed a poor little guy.

I feel terrible!
However, as he was dead, I decided to practice butchering by processing him. I removed his head, let him bleed into a plastic bag, and followed Harvey Ussery's tutorial in the Oct/Nov issue of Backyard Poultry Magazine. And it was easy!!!!!! Sort of fun, even, especially as I didn't have to kill him, which is the part i don't like. Can't wait to process the rest.

I scalded him in a pot, but then ended up skinning him as he was mostly pinfeathers. And I fed the heart and liver to Honey (our puppy)

I'm going to cook him for lunch today. I'd post photos except someone lost the camera.

Poor little bugger.

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Good job not wasting it like most would do.

 

[awesomefowl]

Can I still eat it if it was on medicacted chick starter?

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

yes the medication in chick starter is a cociddiat and does not leave their gut.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

you may want to wait to cook until it has rested long enough for the rigor to leave the carcass . . . usually a day or two.