What do you feed meat Broilers?

[silkiechicken]

I am obsessed with not giving my children GMO's at all. We live in the city and just planted a 900 sq foot corn field in our front yard!!! (I called the city to make sure it was okay. I don't think my neighbors are happy about it, but probably chalking it up to me being the "crazy chicken lady" and secretly hoping the Army makes us PSC!) I only feed my chickens organic feed, but who knows if they are lying about what goes into it, almost all the corn in the US in genetically modified.

You got good comments on raising broilers. Don't get attached, they grow fast, and more space the better. As for your corn batch, consider trying your hand at a diversified lot of various leafy greens and companion planting to best utilize a city lot. 900sq feet of mono culture on a high nitrogen demanding crop is a good start, but higher risk. Don't know your area, but leafy greens often give a better yield to space used and are better for you than corn.

 

[dutchbunny83]

You got good comments on raising broilers. Don't get attached, they grow fast, and more space the better. As for your corn batch, consider trying your hand at a diversified lot of various leafy greens and companion planting to best utilize a city lot. 900sq feet of mono culture on a high nitrogen demanding crop is a good start, but higher risk. Don't know your area, but leafy greens often give a better yield to space used and are better for you than corn.

Okay thanks.
We have a 700 sq foot garden in the backyard with all my salad mixes, kale, tomatoes, pole beans, cucumbers, melons, onions, beets, etc.
But I have no more space with solid sun and my family goes through a ton of corn and I want to make my own corn for chicken feed so I needed to go to the front yard for the corn patch.

 

[silkiechicken]

I see your in NC, you guys get tons of sun. From PNW soggy wet overcast growing, I'm sure lots of stuff will grow in your guy's shade too. LOL. I can get tomatoes to grow and product on a north facing, no direct sun, covered balcony. Your weather can probably grow anything you want anywhere you want. Granted, the one time I visited Fayetteville was in Feb... felt like summer.

 

[dutchbunny83]

My neighbors have HUGE pine trees on their property lines and unfortunately they make most my backyard shaded

And even more unfortunately all their pine pollen, cones and needles all come all over our yard as well!

 

[Island Roo]

If you can find some organic chicken scratch and mix it 50/50 with your 30% game bird, that might get you down to a more reasonable protein level. (still to many numbers ?

)

My meaties love veggies too which could lower the overall protein in their diet. I like to give them a whole kale plant. They attack it like starving piranhas strip down to the bones.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Okay great, thanks for the tip!

 

[Gourdflower]

I am getting some Delaware chicks soon and will be raising them for meat. I can not find a local mill to get feed so I need to know something I can feed them from Tractor Supply or Southern States. Any suggestions? BTW, I am very new to raising chicks.

 

[Sally_O]

Does anyone else harass you about broilers being Genetically Modified??? Because they're not, they are hybrids. I did a lot of research on it before getting the chicks. And on my facebook page I am slightly zealous about Monsanto and genetically modified foods, and knowing your dinner from field to plate. I've had a LOT of people criticizing me and some in-laws practically attacking me about using genetically modified meats by raising broilers. Just curious if anyone else goes through this???

Uh, yeah. I leave out the Monsanto part because it confuses the issue. We are as GMO-free as we can be

Today, we just got our second batch of non-GMO broiler chicks from Freedom Ranger Hatchery. They are as beautiful as the first batch: shiny fur, chubby, ACTIVE. These are our fourth and fifth batches of broilers so it's not like we are experts but the first 3 batches were puny looking. Very happy with these little guys (and gals.)

We love our chickens -- so fun to watch. Not fun to process but good eatin'.

 

[CrazyTalk]

I am obsessed with not giving my children GMO's at all.

Why?