UPSTATE NY chickenstock OCT 3rd Sunday!! -The aftermath and hatching

[acid_chipmunk]

Good thing you made the plucker! I was amazed at how well they work when Jeremy was processing the other day. Makes it go so much faster than the first time he processed!

 

[sonew123]

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that plucker-as pathetic as it is- was the only reason I ordered the meaties. gutting them out sucks too but the plcuker goes fast with jeremy's plucker and mine hopefully we can do loads of them -who know's how many people are doing birds there...LOL I dont care if my meaties get done that day--I mean Ill be processing them but I sure dont need all of them done that day-shoot I can split them up every weekend and do 5-10 and wait for them to get bigger

 

[mame1616]

I've read that those meat breeds start to suffer if you let them live much longer than 12 weeks or so, because they keep putting on weight but their skeletons can keep up. Is this true?

 

[sonew123]

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I heard that too-but I can wait until they are 9 weeks-the weekend following chickenstock-If Ive gotten my energy back by then ...LOL that and keeping Bob away from Gretchens camper all night so he doesnt sharpie marker her face is going to be alot of hard work!

 

[Sportsterjeep]

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If you let them go past 12 weeks they become very high maintenance. When you are raising them for an 8 to 10 week slaughter date you keep their feeders full, then take it away at night, and give it back in the morning. If you don't do that, you get "flip", which is the birds having heart attacks and dying. To make a pet out of one you gotta drop the protein intake. You could give them just scratch and free range them, then they'd get the protein from bugs and such. In the winter you'd have to do a custom feed blend of scratch and pellet feed to get a protein level of about 12 to 14 percent. And then it would be iffy at best. They were designed and bred with the sole idea of not living past 12 weeks.

 

[sonew123]

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If you let them go past 12 weeks they become very high maintenance. When you are raising them for an 8 to 10 week slaughter date you keep their feeders full, then take it away at night, and give it back in the morning. If you don't do that, you get "flip", which is the birds having heart attacks and dying. To make a pet out of one you gotta drop the protein intake. You could give them just scratch and free range them, then they'd get the protein from bugs and such. In the winter you'd have to do a custom feed blend of scratch and pellet feed to get a protein level of about 12 to 14 percent. And then it would be iffy at best. They were designed and bred with the sole idea of not living past 12 weeks.

sounds good to me-I promised DD we could keep 1-so we'll see how that goes-I told her not to be upset if it doenst make it-my other birds dont get fed at night either so it may work out for a bit

 

[Sportsterjeep]

It may, as long as you keep a close eye on the weight. As they get older, they are very prone to snap their legs.

 

[sonew123]

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aww poor things. Looks like I will have to give DD a different chick to keep;-)

 

[Sportsterjeep]

Well, there's always the possibility of a black silkie hatching out.........

 

[sonew123]

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haha that was last Friday-she wants a chick from every batch! I have an oddball coop because of it!