Update on Freedom Rangers- pics & weight @ 5 weeks

[moenmitz]

As promised, weight and pics at 5 weeks. Most at the 3 pound mark. This fella did not fit real well on my scale, guess I should have bought a bigger one. All of the sudden I have noticed a huge disparity in size though. While most are like this guy, the 11 replacement chicks which were sent a week later are substantially smaller-barely over a pound. I am going to try separating them, perhaps the big fatties aren't letting the little guys get enough to eat.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

What hatchery did you order them from. Those are nice looking.

 

[moenmitz]

JM Hatchery- they are looking much better than a week ago- hate it when those pin feathers first start poking through, they look so mangy! Getting very plump and juicy feeling, I cant wait to eat them!

 

[Acre of Blessings]

SO HOW MANY DID YOU ORDER? HAVE YOU HAD THESE BIRDS BEFORE? IF SO, HOW DO THEY TASTE? WHAT IS THE AVERAGE WEIGHT AT PROCESSING TIME AND AT WHAT WEEK DO YOU PRACESS?

SORRY FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS, BUT MYSELF AND 2 FRIENDS ARE GOING TO EMBARK ON ABOUT A 100 TO 150 MEAT BIRDS. THIS IS MINE AND 1 OF THE FRIENDS FIRST TIME SO THAT IS WHY I AM ASKING. THANKS. ANY INFO WILL HELP

 

[moenmitz]

Quote:
This is our first order, we got 100-heard wonderful thigns about them but have yet to verify them for myslf. I am coutning down the days. We plan to process them at 11 weeks, when they are supposed to have a dressed weight of about 4 pounds. At the rate these guys are growing, I will be surprised if they do not dress significantly higher than that though.

 

[coffeemama]

What has your set up for them been? Are they pastured, moved around, ect.? Do they have free feed all day? I've been watching your threads and they are looking nice this week!

 

[moenmitz]

Thanks! We had ours in pens in the barn for the first few weeks, now that they are a bit bigger, they are outside in a fenced pasture during the day, another week or two and I think they will be safe roaming the yard with the kitty-cats! We have them on a mix of 60% organic turkey starter, 40% whole oats & whole wheat and free feed all day. They also get a few random ears of sweet corn. Now that they are outside they dont have much interest in the feed during the day, they would rather hunt bugs. I saw one do some bad things to a cricket today....

They all charge the feeders when they go in at night, but we don't leave a light on for them, so the feeding frenzy usually only lasts about 20 minutes. By the time chores are done, they are all snuggled down to sleep. Definitely noticing a drop in feed consumption now that they are finding out food comes in something besides a big metal scoop!

 

[Acre of Blessings]

So my next question is.....How long did you keep them inside or did you keep them inside at all?

 

[moenmitz]

By inside...you mean...in the barn? Lets see... a week in a wading pool brooder, a week and a half in a big inside pen, then they spent a week in the garden (cause it is fenced) and I have a little dog house coop there. Week 4, back to the barn cause we got a bigger pen done in there and got the adjacent pasture enclosed with chicken wire, so they couldnt crawl through the woven wire-that is where they still are. They were outside all day (except when it was cold and rainy for a bit) since about 3 weeks. Tonight is the first night I did not put feed in their inside pen at night. They are REALLY looking stocky...which is good, but some of them are almost waddling, and it concerns me a bit-big reason I got these guys was to avoid leg problems, so I am being very cautious. I figure 8 hours without feed isn't going to hurt them, if they start dropping off too much, I will give it back. Kinda see how it goes. We are working on a large, 3 sided shelter, and in 2 weeks when the geese are processed, we will move the meaties into that and they can then come and go from the pasture to the coop as they please. Word of advice....build your pens and coops BEFORE you order the birds....silly me......I thought a weekend or two...here we are, five months later...still building....


sing it with me...."It was the coop that did not end...it just went on and on my friends...."