Welp. first time with meat birds

[B-Goock]

I'm weighing my P1-01 "Lemonade" project birds tomorrow, had expected to do it today, but ran out of daylight. Doubt they are half that weight, and they are on 24% feed. This thread is great advertisement for that hatchery's genetic line. Appreciate the numbers and the photo.

Didn't really intend it as an advertisement. At least this line they are using are doing great. Some hatcheries don't even say what line your buying.

I'll have to look at your project. Slower growth would be fine but what we've been raising take 6 months. Maybe 4 to 1 feed ratio and alot of care. More bedding, feed, water, and don't have the potential to be even remotely close to 10lb birds.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Even so, when considering Meaties, any one with the wisdom do do a recent thread search will find hard numbers. Can say with complete confidence those outperformed my Hoover's CX by about 50%, though i've learned a lot since then about how to raise them. The numbers are a real confidence builder - and i'm using BYC for record keeping as well. Helps keep me honest with myself.

My P1 is just establishing a baseline against which improvement will be measured.

/edit and as expected, even my heaviest dual purpose mutt, 28.2 oz at 4 wks, is only half the weight of your heaviest meaty.

 

[Xouie]

Didn't really intend it as an advertisement. At least this line they are using are doing great. Some hatcheries don't even say what line your buying.

I'll have to look at your project. Slower growth would be fine but what we've been raising take 6 months. Maybe 4 to 1 feed ratio and alot of care. More bedding, feed, water, and don't have the potential to be even remotely close to 10lb birds.

Arghhh I wasn’t getting the notifications for the thread!

Anyway, you don’t have to think of it as advertising, but a testimonial for sure. I read multiple threads here talking about different hatcheries before settling on Welp as my choice. Your thread helps the next person who’s trying to decide which hatchery to use for their first meaties. (It also helps us second-time folks tweak their methods.)

Thanks for the updates!

 

[Timmy59]

Didn't really intend it as an advertisement. At least this line they are using are doing great. Some hatcheries don't even say what line your buying.

I'll have to look at your project. Slower growth would be fine but what we've been raising take 6 months. Maybe 4 to 1 feed ratio and alot of care. More bedding, feed, water, and don't have the potential to be even remotely close to 10lb birds.

IF.... Your only purpose is quick chicken dinners then you have the right birds..
IF... the growth rate doesn't bother your well being you have the right birds..
IF, your not looking for sustainable meat birds you have the right birds..
The last 3 years we've done welp cx and they always performed..
But today we want meat birds in the yard 24/7/365, and the ability to make more..

 

[archeryrob]

We have one of those mesh bags from some store we keep for chicken weighing. We weight them every two weeks as chicks to find the best "spare tire" rooster, or next to be boss and the best hens to be breeders. It helps with line breeding, IMO.

Grab the bird and push it in the bag and close the top fast. Once they can't see they stop fighting. CorishX might not fight as much as other chickens, but some I had were God awful trying to weight on a scale. Then we hang the bag on the scale and we use this one. You just reset it after each weight.

 

[B-Goock]

IF.... Your only purpose is quick chicken dinners then you have the right birds..
IF... the growth rate doesn't bother your well being you have the right birds..
IF, your not looking for sustainable meat birds you have the right birds..
The last 3 years we've done welp cx and they always performed..
But today we want meat birds in the yard 24/7/365, and the ability to make more..

Timmy I've been raising heritage birds for awhile. 6 months is a long time to raise for meat so we decided to try these. I may opt for the slower growing they have. I think its 12 weeks. I'm still shocked at the weight gain these have. Either way it has to be healthier for our consumption & maybe quality of life is better for the birds.
A friend just sent me a pic of a chicken semi hauling birds for butcher. Jammed in cages. Some have very little feathers. Its 20-30s today. But its the reality of economically available food for the masses who choose to purchase instead of raise. Ive never raised "meat birds" but from the time I could talk ive been involved in butchering chickens. Breeds I remember well RIR, comets, and barnyard mixes was our diet. With this experience I've shared some with my parents and they are amazed the growth rate.
Thursday ill try to do another weigh in just to document.

 

[Anime2lover]

We had our first cornish cross birds this year during the summer. Their not very winter hardy and easily injure themselves. But turned out to be bigger then some store bought turkeys.

 

[Ascholten]

This reply is a little late but may be helpful.
Looking for cardboard boxes and the likes?
Try furniture stores, mattress stores, even your grocery stores, talk to the manager, they may be helpful in letting you take home a few boxes. That's less they have to work with to be rid of.

If you have any food plants around, Dolly Madison, Coca Cola, Pilsbury, anything FOOD quality really, you may even be able to score an empty IBC tote from them. You may check junk / scrap yards too, they may have a few laying around. Make sure to check what chemical was in it first before putting anything food related in it.

I have found that even places like the Salvation Army, Amvets, GoodWill etc outlet stores can have boxes too on occasion, or people can donate larger plastic storage bins to them, they may let you have for free, or a few dollars.

Aaron

 

[RUNuts]

If you are on good terms with the grocery stores, ask for the watermelon or pumpkin boxes. Named Gaylord boxes. Other bulk produce comes in them also. Cut the top down or make a door. They work great.

Appliance stores and furniture stores are always happy to give cardboard away. Mattress boxes allow you to construct your own size. Infinitely flexible. Don't rule out the big box stores. I got pallet covers, 4' square sheets of cardboard, from a pet store. Great for sheet mulching.

 

[Timmy59]

Timmy I've been raising heritage birds for awhile. 6 months is a long time to raise for meat so we decided to try these. I may opt for the slower growing they have. I think its 12 weeks. I'm still shocked at the weight gain these have. Either way it has to be healthier for our consumption & maybe quality of life is better for the birds.
A friend just sent me a pic of a chicken semi hauling birds for butcher. Jammed in cages. Some have very little feathers. Its 20-30s today. But its the reality of economically available food for the masses who choose to purchase instead of raise. Ive never raised "meat birds" but from the time I could talk ive been involved in butchering chickens. Breeds I remember well RIR, comets, and barnyard mixes was our diet. With this experience I've shared some with my parents and they are amazed the growth rate.
Thursday ill try to do another weigh in just to document.