Where do you order

[moodlymoo]

So I have done my research, thought real long and hard about what happens at the end of 6-8 weeks and decided...I CAN DO THIS

Where do you order your meat chicks from and which type is best? We need birds that will produce a large amount of meat as we have a big family

 

[PotterWatch]

We order ours from Welp. They are generally around 5.5- 6lbs, dressed, at 8wks but can be bigger.

 

[moodlymoo]

Does it do any good to butcher at about 10-12weeks

 

[booker81]

It's best to order from a hatchery that ships close to you - that way the transit time is shorter and less stress on the chicks. Most hatchery Cornish Cross/Broilers are fairly uniform in that they finish out about 5-6lbs or more at 8 weeks.

Some places are cheaper than others, but if it's a cross country ship, the losses you have would negate any savings.

With that said, I'm pleased with my order from Schlecht

 

[al6517]

It is more a question of how close they are to you.............. if you order from a hatchery closer to you in location and they don't drop ship from yet another hatchery your chances are better of getting a good shipment. day olds that have to travel a far distance struggle and then there is the whole PO issue sometimes. Try and stay nearby if possible and get your order in early during the season or you run the risk of getting your order bumped.

 

[booker81]

Quote:
Once you get older in weeks, you're going to start running into the risk of congestive heart failure (CHF). These guys were born and bred to eat, poop and grow, and that's what they do best. Most go with the 8 week range because it seems to be a good point of high meat levels on the bird and not hitting into the health issues that start popping up - some folks will get a few going down with CHF before 8 weeks, but at 12 weeks, you're going to start seeing it crop up a lot more. CHF pretty much means the heart can't handle the weight and strain, the bird starts to get a bluish comb from oxygen depravation (heart can't pump enough), and death occurs when the heart ultimately fails. If you do closely manage their feed and restrict it, you could get a BIG bird at 12 weeks - maybe in the 8lb+ range, something that resembles a small turkey. While it might sound great, bigger is better, it's just a bit unfair to the birds. They just aren't built to grow old.

 

[mcf3kids]

I have had great success with Sclechts hatchery and the price is the best I have seen! They have shipped a few extra in each group I have ordered (only done this twice) and we only lost one in the first few days after their arrival so I am very happy with that as they had to travel all the way to NH. We ordered 24 they sent 25 we ordered 30 they sent 34. Very happy! Good luck!

 

[Sundown_Farmer]

Quote:
Me too. Etta is great.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Your best feed conversion is at about 8 weeks. Maybe let them go to 9 weeks if you want them a little bigger. After that you get less weight gain for the feed they eat. Although they will certainly keep growing.

If you want economical meat and a lot of it, you must feed them the food that makes them grow. If you turn them out to forage and don't feed them, they will grow a lot slower. They must have something to use to convert to meat. It doesn't come out of thin air.

If you want a lot of meat, I suggest more birds rather than trying to grow them bigger.

 

[CarriageStone]

Quote:
Agree completely. I was very pleased with Schlecht's. Good birds. Good people. I WILL order from them again. Our CX's were processed at 7 weeks and averaged 4.5lbs dressed.