Winter Broiler Projects-share your progress :)

[blueskylen]

Hi, i have 27 ( 30 until this week ) just at 6 weeks and don't think that i'll be doing them in the fall again . we usuallly start our meaties the last of march and they are ready by memorial day. but this year hubby wanted to try fall ones. i have struggled with them with this hot then cold then hot fall weather. here in Preston Co WV we had the worst of Sandy's snow - over 36 inches in 2 days and 9 days without power. thank goodness they had feathered out! the snow on the tin roof made the heat from their bedding bead up water, that started dripping on them and had to hang a tarp inside of the coop - it just made an unhealthy damp environment. now the power is back on and the weather has turned warm - 70 degrees yesterday - we just lost 3 this week and Im taking them to the butcher this weekend at 7 weeks. just cannot afford to lose them after feeding them this long! at least in the spring we usuallly have more sun and warm breezes.

 

[City Chicken]

are the red broilers their version of the 'rangers'? what is their processing time?

 

[blueskylen]

i think that any other chicken besides the cornish X take 11-12 weeks.

 

[EggGardener]

are the red broilers their version of the 'rangers'? what is their processing time?

Yes, its their version of the Freedom Ranger, & Ideal's website said that when fed "broiler rations," you can expect a six pound bird in seven weeks. I've fed mine chick starter/grower, and at seven weeks, they were scrawny! Half were with my broody hen, half in a tractor, & pretty active. But right around 8 weeks, they started to fill out. It was as if they grew their skeleton first, like a gangly teenager, then started to fill out.
Now, at 11 weeks, most of them are nicely filled out. I think 12 weeks might be optimal.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

$50 for 18 birds if they all end up weighing and average of 6 lbs then you got organic meat for $0.46 a pound! Heck yeah! Cheaper and Healthier!

WOW where did you order from? WTG

 

[Pearce Pastures]

The chicks are getting big. I was expecting mostly females with this batch since they were such a great deal but it looks to be a good mix so far. I still have one really runty one-anyone ever get a runt broiler? He/She is half the size of the others.

This upcoming weekend, I will be likely moving them into pens in our poultry barn now that they are feathered out and need some more legroom.

 

[milleryardchx]

WOW where did you order from? WTG

Welp

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Broilers are in the finishing pens. I split them into two groups, 16 in each pen, to hopefully lessen competition between them. I am still bummed that we lost so many but I have learned a lot from this as far as placement of my heat source and maintaining a larger batch of birds. 32 will still stock our freezer until Spring

 

[City Chicken]

the are progressing, but slower... we have them on grass and don't have continual feed.
there is quite the range for size though. 3 that are quite runty-
how do we get our runts to catch up?

should we isolate them and provide extra food? could be a pecking order problem.

 

[milleryardchx]

Mine slowed in growing being in their tractor they are now roaming in our 1/2 acre pen and growing well I will process most of mine the weekend of the 8th, two of the hens are small I was thinking of leaving them with my hens to see if they will stay till laying age, none of ours have had health issues, legs seem good and they are having fun getting bugs and stuff in their field they are much more active than most I have read about at this age. We will see how this all goes. I like the idea of growing them a little slower and having less health issues.