What do I feed broilers?

[L&Schickens]

I am getting my chick order in on Thursday and some of them are broilers. Is there a special feed I should feed them to prevent leg problems? (I am already having leg problems with turkeys I got) I have never had meat birds before, but thought I would try and raise my own food. Don't know if I can actually follow through, but I am gonna try.
So just regular chick starter or game bird like the turkeys?
Thanks so much.

 

[L&Schickens]

No one?
OK, I will look it up

 

[Riparian]

Cornish x are pretty prone to leg problems no matter what. I think fresh air, fresh pasture (grass) and feed regulation is the key to a healthy cornish x.

I just finished a batch of 20. Feed was kept in front of them all the time and they had no access to an outside run. They had plenty of fresh air tho. I had one that was unable to stand up at 4 weeks, (I culled her cause I hate to see an animal like that) and I had 2 die of heart attacks at 6 and 7 weeks.

The birds were killed at 6-7 lbs live weight. 8 weeks life span. They were fed non medicated commercial broiler feed.

Hope this helps.

 

[Riparian]

Sorry, I assumed you were raising cornish x. Are you?

Mine were started on 21 percent protein chick starter, until about 5 weeks, I switched to a 15 percent grower finisher.

 

[Redfeathers]

I've read different answers to this question, so you might also want to look it up on the forum by doing a search. I used chick starter for the first six weeks and then switched to broiler feed and cracked corn the last two.

 

[L&Schickens]

they are black and white broilers. Don't know if they are cornish cross or not. I ordered them from Ideal. I am going to "Try" and keep a few out and breed them my self because I only got 12. I will also keep them seperated from the other chicks I ordered when they come. I got egg layers and some hopeful show birds too. Thanks so much.

 

[Red Tie]

Purina makes a Broiler Chow that is meant to be fed from start to finish. That is what I am using and have been very happy with it. Check out their website for more information on the product. My turkeys are on turkey starter and then the turkey finisher all from Purina.

Good luck!

Jane

 

[Judymae]

I put vitamins and electolytes in their water for the first 7 days. Thats what we were told would make their legs stronger and wider to support their upcoming weight. It worked outta 50 chicks we didn't loose any to leg probs. We fed ours turkey starter for the first two weeks. The extra protein gave them a jump start. Then we moved on to the Purina broiler show chow. Ours weighed in at 10lbs at 7 weeks old!!! They were amazing!! We did loose a few to heart attacks and heat stroke. You really need to keep fans on them during the hot time of the year. We have fans on ours 24 hours a day now since it is so HOT!!

 

[L&Schickens]

Thank you so much for the tips! I think I would have jut ordered leghorns or something if I had known all of the problems these meat birds have.

Anyway, I have vitamins and electrolytes already and here in WA it is not hot at all yet.

The ad from Ideal says: Black Broilers are efficient producers of broiler meat for those who do not wish to have white plumage broilers. When broiler rations are fed, producers can expect to have six pound broilers in seven weeks or less. Since black broilers are more active than Cornish Rocks and grow slightly slower, they rarely experience leg weakness or Ascite, which is fluid in the body cavity. Black Broiler hens are not a good choice for efficient production of brown eggs.

So that is why I got them over the cornish cross. I don't know what they really are, but I got reds and blacks.

I will keep an eye out for heat problems, heart attack and leg issues.

Thanks so much. I love this forum!!

 

[greyfields]

The Red and Blacks are considered "slow Cornish". Honestly, from what I have read, they won't get to that weight until about 12 weeks. I'm not sure where they came up with 7, but keep us updated.

As far as feed, broilers typically get a broiler starter/finisher which they are fed their entire life. Remember, they spend half their life in the brooder. It's over very quickly and there is no reason to change feeds, which causes them to stunt for a day or two while adjusting.