What grain do you feed?

[daviechik]

What grain do you feed you meat birds?

For the first month?
For the second month?
Do you give them feed all day and take away at night or do you just lay a scoop of grain (2lbs or whatever you use) in the morning and afternoon and who ever eats, eats?
Do you give feed all day and night?

 

[aroo2many]

I feed an organic pellet ( from Modesto Milling) twice a day. I broadcast the pellets out in the pasture and make them hunt for them. I don't measure or weigh the food but think I probably should manage that better. I also give occasional kitchen scraps. But I've found I have to be careful what I give and cut it up so they don't chock or give it whole like a head of cabbage or squash cut in half so they can pick at it.

 

[daviechik]

Thank you, that was helpful when we give kitchen scraps it's usually the clippings from our juicer BUT the meat birds seem clueless as what to do with it while my layers gobble it down

 

[aroo2many]

They seem to become more adventurous with their food around 3-4 weeks, at least that has been my observation w/the Freedom Rangers.

 

[ghulst]

From four weeks on I feed whole corn.

 

[aroo2many]

Really ? That seems so incomplete nutritional. And unhealthy (sorry). Do you pasture them?

 

[redsoxs]

I've heard of folks finishing their birds the last couple of weeks on corn to add on fat...something Cornish don't need much help doing.

 

[BCMaraniac]

I am new to the forum and to meat birds. I bought 6 five-day-old Cornish Rocks from TSC February 23. I have been feeding mine a Chick Starter/Grower from Bartlett Mills:

http://www.bartlettmillingfeed.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=32

. It contains a botanical supplement called APEX ( http://www.bartlettmillingfeed.com/images/apex poultry.pdf ) and no antibiotics or animal products. I fed them free choice for 4 weeks, then when I moved them from the brooder to a converted horse stall pen, I have been feeding them all they want during the day, and there is still a small amount of food in the feeder in the evenings. However they run out sometime during the night/early morning, so they do experience a little hunger during the night. I haven't had any leg problems, and these guys are HUGE! They turned 8 weeks old this past weekend, and I know a couple of the roos weighs 10 pounds. I just found out that they have a specific meat grower/finisher pellet, so I am going to call my feed store to find out if they can get that for me.

I haven't had any leg problems with these guys. The have their awkward gait, but run around, flapping their wings, and seem to be very healthy. I am not set up to let them out right now, but their 12X12

I have a second group of Cornish Rocks that are 4 weeks old, and they are thriving as well.

I will most likely harvest my first birds this weekend or next(9-10weeks) and will let you know how they process out weight-wise.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Really ? That seems so incomplete nutritional. And unhealthy (sorry). Do you pasture them?

Why did kamikaze pilots wear helmets? (does it matter that it's not healthy for the bird?)

Feeding straight corn would cause your birds to grow a lot more slowly, since corn doesn't have much protein. Many people feed it the last five days or so before processing to build up some fat in the bird, and many people like the taste. I, too, wonder why someone would feed corn for several weeks before processing as it causes a lot of fat to build up around the organs and would really slow down the bird's growth.

I feed a mix of a 35% protein supplement with crimped corn, mixed to a 20% protein level. They also get to range during the day once they don't need heat lamps any more, but they don't stray far from the feeder. This year I am planning to up the protein in the feed to 23% once they are allowed to range, as whatever they eat on pasture will probably be greens and will screw up their proten percentages. The last few days they get straight crimped corn to get them a bit plumper.. Their growth slows down a bit (corn is only 3% protein, on average).

 

[BCMaraniac]

Does your 35% protein supplement contain soy?

I know the animals and humans need what is called complete proteins for proper growth and muscle development. The building blocks of protein are amino acids. Some amino acids can be produced by the body, but some cannot. These amino acids are known as essential amino acids, and they must be consumed through food.

I don't remember the specific amino acids, but I do know that corn and soy together will yield a complete protein because each one provides certain essential amino acids. I am sure there are other combinations of proteins in feed that are complete.

Just an FYI regarding humans. Take beans, rice, and good ol' southern cornbread. None of these are complete proteins. But beans and rice are, as well as beans and cornbread. So those are non-meat sources of complete proteins.