The Importance of Proper Feeding and Maintenance For Your Meaties

[deerman]

Quote:
Think thats a good point, that extra 2 % may still help some.

 

[Looking4ewes]

So....at the risk of asking an extremely dumb question...the birds don't eat at night? Is it 12 hrs of feed AND light? I usually let the birds out of the pen at daylight (~8am) and they will put themselves back in at dark. I will close the coop door on them when I get home. If cold, then I will use the heat lamp while doing other chores, then turn it off if I feel it is warm enough before I go inside for the night (~8pm). The outside nighttime temperature has ranged from 28- 65 degrees since I purchased them in September. If it is supposed to be cold during the day (<45 degrees), then I leave the heat lamp on all day, and they can come and go as they please.

This is my first batch of chickens, so I have been winging it (pun not intended). I have been surprised at how much they like to be outside and seem to be resilient to cold, though I might be paying for it in terms of a longer finishing time.

 

[twister]

TY for posting that comparison.

 

[jaku]

Quote:
They were about 9 weeks old.

 

[redhen]

Soo.. how does the 12/12 work?

 

[jaku]

Easy- Get up in the morning and put food out for them. Either be available to refill it when it's empty, or use a big enough feeder/multiple feeders to last all day. Take the feed away in the evening. It doesn't have to be perfect. They don't need food at the crack of dawn, and if you forget to take food away occasionally, or they run out early, it's not a huge deal. I work afternoons, so I get up, get the kids ready, then around 10am, go feed the chickens. I take the food away when I get home from work around 11pm.

Looking4ewes- I'm not sure how light affects them in terms of weight gain. I pasture raise mine. I can say that the more natural light they get, the better. This year, I switched my brooder from being a cardboard box in my garage, into a standalone shed with several windows all around. My birds have done much better. Also, being locked up, they are probably getting exposed to dust and airborne fecal particles, which is hard on them. Pasture raising solves all of that, and keeps the poo smell/problem to a minimum also. Don't worry about cold at this point. After about a month of age, Cornish X's can easily handle freezing temps. While you won't hurt them by keeping a light on them, it's not necessary. They are much different from layers, and most of what you read in books regarding temperature and housing requirements doesn't apply. For example, I can comfortably put 75 Cornish X's in an unheated 10x10 tractor that they stay in 24/7 from three weeks until butchering, without a problem.

 

[Dunkopf]

Quote:
Keep the feeder full so they can eat at will for 12 hours then take the food away 12 hours. Plenty of water 24 hours a day.

We usually go 6 to 6 but I can't see where the actual time matters as long as they are eating during the day.

We didn't know about it on our 1st batch. Just kept the feeders full starting first thing in the morning and stopped feeding around 3 or so. There were 22 in a 5 x 8 shed. It was well ventilated but a little tight. This time they are in a 48 x 24 building with 40. We'll see how they turn out butchering 20 on 12-4 and the other 20 on 12-11

 

[Looking4ewes]

Thank you for your replies. I like the idea of pasture raising and tried it with my first batch of CX, but the CRD killed off most of them. My turkeys are still on pasture, so I tried shed raising with a fenced run for the current bunch. 75 birds in a 10 x 10 tractor sounds crowded, no? My shed is 5 x 10 and seems just right for 20-25 adult birds when closed inside. But I am still new at this.

Thanks for the pics. I love your processing set-up.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

During the summer months it's even easier... just let them eat all they want during the day.... then when the sun goes down they are stop eating. You really only need to take the feeders away unless you're lighting them 24/7 otherwise the natural cycle of the sun works just fine. Sometimes in the summer, it's best to feed them at night and let them rest during the day as it helps keep them cool.

 

[barrybro]

I give have food in front of my 24-7. I just processed a batch on Saturday. Started with 225 and processed 212. That was by far my best batch. My problem batches seem to be in the august heat. If I were home during the day I think I would take the food away from them at noon so they were not eating during the hottest part of the day.

Barry