Trials And Tribulations Of Suburban Meat Bird Production

[aart]

and so far it seems that he has managed to find a superior version.

Can you buy just the nipples or have to buy an assembled waterer?

 

[Birdinhand]

Can you buy just the nipples or have to buy an assembled waterer?

he sells just the nipples, at least he did to me last year. If you want to try and get in touch with him, his business email is probably the best: Leonard Wogsland [email protected]. if you have trouble getting through, let me know and I'll try and dig up his phone number.

 

[aart]

If you want to try and get in touch with him,

No, thanks. I'll stick with HN's, see no reason to change.
I was just curious.
Not sure if or why not HN's don't seem to have multiple manufacturers, maybe patented?

 

[Birdinhand]

No, thanks. I'll stick with HN's, see no reason to change.
I was just curious.
Not sure if or why not HN's don't seem to have multiple manufacturers, maybe patented?

don't blame you, I deal with lots of chicks and worried that my older hens wouldn't pick up the HN's. someday, someone will figure out a one size fits all solution.

 

[aart]

don't blame you, I deal with lots of chicks and worried that my older hens wouldn't pick up the HN's. someday, someone will figure out a one size fits all solution.

...and I can understand using the VN's for large numbers,
as the chicks don't always pick up on the HN's as quickly as the VN's.
Thinks VN's are easier for them to use, takes less physical effort.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have never done the meat birds, but want to try it this spring. Very much enjoyed this thread and I read the whole thing.

Last year, I raised chicks with a wooly hen that I made from wool yarn pompoms. It worked very well for layers chicks, but I did get a chick tangled in the wool twice to no harm, but still.

Last week I was down at the barn, and my DH was replacing his wool saddle pads. I snagged the old one. I am going to try that as a wool hen, providing insulation on the bottom as well as the top at first. I do not have electricity at my coops, so hopefully this will be a solution.

 

[Birdinhand]

I have never done the meat birds, but want to try it this spring. Very much enjoyed this thread and I read the whole thing.

Last year, I raised chicks with a wooly hen that I made from wool yarn pompoms. It worked very well for layers chicks, but I did get a chick tangled in the wool twice to no harm, but still.

Last week I was down at the barn, and my DH was replacing his wool saddle pads. I snagged the old one. I am going to try that as a wool hen, providing insulation on the bottom as well as the top at first. I do not have electricity at my coops, so hopefully this will be a solution.

you know, a wooly hen would probably work really well for CX meat birds, they run hot and as they grow they poop a lot so something without a bottom that could be placed on top of bedding and then moved would really help keep things clean! I may just have to give it a try one of these days.

 

[Birdinhand]

well, I guess it's time for an update. We are at about the half way mark, end of week 4. this has been the most difficult round so far for me. the initial shipping issue that lead to some deaths did not put me in a good mood and it's been compounded by a few challenges. loosing chicks is not easy for me because I pride myself in trying to do better and minimize losses and suffering and maximizing the good life for these birds. in total I've lost 14, got reimbursed for 7, bought 10 more. I am down to 34 from 47. the monetary loss is negligible since I was credited for 7 but that is not what bugs me, it's that queazy feeling that maybe I'm not doing as good a job as a should be, that maybe I'm being a hypocrite saying my birds live a better life than factory birds. that said, I'm still fairly confident that they do and I am sure I will apply the lessons learned from this go round and keep improving for a better grow out next time. since the initial deaths from shipping stress, there have been a few more due, I'm pretty sure, to cold. I feel like maybe I jumped the gun and started the grow out too early this year. I'm considering making the spring grow out start mid march rather than end of Feb. We've continued to have below freezing temps at night and highs in the 40's. In addition, I think I can conclude that leaves do not make a good mulch for the chicks, that they at least need to be ground up some and more dry. the bedding I am using is just plain too damp and it has made life more of a struggle for the chicks. on top of that they are not able to turn it over as in past years, they have become much dirtier than usual. I need to get more serious about making mulch, letting it sit for a good year, then drying it out in the summer months and bagging it up for grow outs, which is basically what I had for previous grow outs and it worked really well.

My conclusions from this go round so far:
-shoot for warmer weather, start mid march to early April (without waiting too long and getting hot whether, like we had two years ago... they hate hot weather!)
-must have dryer more absorbent bedding.
-The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry: no matter how well I plan, I need to accept that some factors are outside my control and that not every grow out is going to be rosy.

well anyway, here is a picture from a week ago of about half the chicks, they are much more dependent on the MHP than last time because it's cold and cloudy and wet this spring.

 

[biophiliac]

Despite all that they look pretty good! You are still giving them a better life. I wonder if calories expended in staying warm during cold weather will affect the final weights?

 

[Birdinhand]

Despite all that they look pretty good! You are still giving them a better life. I wonder if calories expended in staying warm during cold weather will affect the final weights?

I've been wondering the same thing. my guess is that it may not effect things much as it's getting warmer and from here out is where they really start putting on the weight. since I have not kept a ledger of weights in the past I have nothing to compare to in terms of actual numbers.