I got meat birds

BoldViolet · #1 04/14/12, 11:26 AM

All they do is eat, sleep, and poop. They'll even fall asleep with their faces in their food.

I feed them twice a day. I don't want them to get super fat and waddle around.

They were a little rough looking the day I got them, but I think they were a good bit over crowded at the feed store.

I got meat birds - Poultry

I'm trying to have them outside as much as possible when it's warm so they have a little more room to walk around.

I also got an Easter Egger chick and a Cochin chick.

unregistered168043 · #2 04/14/12, 11:34 AM

Thats why I don't do meat birds. They aren't good foragers and they rely 100% on you to feed them. Yeah they get big and fat fast but you are paying for every ounce! I'll bet if you did a comparison of the cost of every ounce of meat with a free range breed on good pasture, pound for pound, meat birds would compare very poorly.

BoldViolet · #3 04/14/12, 01:59 PM

Since I only have an acre, and I can only have 8 chickens at a time (I'm in a subdivision), this is really a lesson for me in how to raise meet birds and ultimately process them, since I've never killed anything warmblooded or cute or fuzzy in my life (save for the squirrel I ran over once- I generally just kill bugs).

When I get my farm with more acreage, I plan on experimenting with other breeds on how well they do with feed and weight and foraging, but I figured since these guys are bred as meat animals, they would be a good start.

Thank you for the input. I do hope to eventually compare cost comparisons of breeds.

pancho · #4 04/14/12, 02:12 PM

Just keep an eye on their craw. When it is full don't feed them anymore. When it is empty give them something to eat.
Mine are growing very fast. They free range and forage right along with the other breeds. If you don't over feed them they will not get fat and lazy.
Mine eat much less feed than the other chickens.

blaineiac · #5 04/14/12, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darntootin

Thats why I don't do meat birds. They aren't good foragers and they rely 100% on you to feed them. Yeah they get big and fat fast but you are paying for every ounce! I'll bet if you did a comparison of the cost of every ounce of meat with a free range breed on good pasture, pound for pound, meat birds would compare very poorly.

How many have you raised and where did you get them. I've ordered from Schlect 4 times and am very happy with every batch, except for last fall. I'll blame that on 8 weeks of rain, not the strain. When my pen got too full last summer, I let half of them totally free range. They would run/waddle/fly 100 yds across the yard to see if I was going to feed them. Then back to the mulberry tree.
I've read a lot of negative responses to CX but I have yet to see a unthrifty, lazy, and just plain worthless bunch. My cocks will fight after 8 weeks and whoop up on the layers for trying to get their food, be it bugs, mullberries, clover, or broiler mash.

Lschmidt · #6 04/14/12, 06:11 PM

Last weekend I put 24 of my 6 1/2 week old cornish cross in the freezer. They ended up 4 1/2 to very nearly 5 pounds. Some sites said to only let them feed a couple 3-hour sessions a day. Well, that led to aggression and chaos when I gave the food back. It was much better to let them have the food all day, let it run low or out overnight, let it be dark, then feed them in the morning. That completely ended the aggression. And considering that my reason for buying the cornish cross was a fast turn-around from chick to broiler, the price of food was worth it. I also got some of those water nipple things for the bottom of buckets so they would stop making such a mess in their regular waterer. Fabulous chicken invention. Since they were so big they didn't spend much time OFF their bellies, so the dryer the bedding the better. Good luck! You can do it!

blaineiac · #7 04/14/12, 06:21 PM

I think that what people don't realize is that they are raising a meat crop. It costs me the same,in feed, to raise 20-25 meaties as it does to raise a hog to slaughter. It's about the same meat return. The difference is that these awesome birds take 2 months instead of 6. $170 is what it will take for quality feed, in my area, to do either one. #150 of good meat that you can be proud of raising yourself. Blaine

unregistered168043 · #8 04/15/12, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blaineiac

How many have you raised and where did you get them. I've ordered from Schlect 4 times and am very happy with every batch, except for last fall. I'll blame that on 8 weeks of rain, not the strain. When my pen got too full last summer, I let half of them totally free range. They would run/waddle/fly 100 yds across the yard to see if I was going to feed them. Then back to the mulberry tree.
I've read a lot of negative responses to CX but I have yet to see a unthrifty, lazy, and just plain worthless bunch. My cocks will fight after 8 weeks and whoop up on the layers for trying to get their food, be it bugs, mullberries, clover, or broiler mash.

Wow, thats pretty good. I got mine at tractor supply a couple years ago. Cornish cross. All they ever did was sit around the feeder. I don't think they put on one ounce that I didn't pay for. My dual purpose breeds are out free foraging all day. The cornish cross also got wooped up on by my half wild free ranging birds. Come summer I barely feed them, and they stay fat healthy and lay good eggs too.

pancho · #9 04/15/12, 04:11 PM

What has surprised me about this years cornishX is I am still feeding the same amount to them as I did when they were 3 days old. They are groing real well but eating the same amount they did when they were small.

blaineiac · #10 04/15/12, 04:55 PM

I keep layers for eggs. I have a mixed bunch that does pretty good. They know not to mess with the CX after 5 weeks though. I think that if people let them live as chickens they do exceptional in the food conversion, compared to #150 of pork for the freezer. And in less time
Blaine

BoldViolet · #11 04/15/12, 10:39 PM

Thanks for the input, everyone.

tab · #12 04/17/12, 09:20 AM

Congrats on getting birds. I have done all kinds of chickens and always go back to some meat birds. Dh likes them much better than any other type I have butchered.
I think it is wise to limit the feed. I have done so since I lost a number of birds in one batch to ascites. They will literally outgrow their respiratory system. Dry bedding is vey important as they lay down so much.
Butchering can be tough. I finally came up with a way to dispatch them, I have my son do that part {big grin}. I also can do it by hanging them in a cone and shooting them with a .22. Not sure if that would work well in a subdivision......I get picked on for doing that but I get the job done. They quickly outgrow the cute and fuzzy part but it doesn't mean it is easy to dispatch them. Lots of good you tube videos on butchering. If you can have someone help, especially one with experience, it will be good as it can be a bit overwhelming the first few times.

BoldViolet · #13 04/17/12, 09:55 AM

My DH will be there. I'm not sure if any of my friends have experience with this, but I know a few would be willing to help and learn.

I figured since we so rarely eat roast chicken, we'll skin most of them to save us from having to pluck them.