AL - Recording baby steps: Newest Addition

[AL]

I ordered them from Ideal. I've never bought "mail order" chicks before, just get the hatchery stock at the feedstore and Ideal is who they use here.

 

[BarredBuff]

What have you fed them as a ration?

 

[AL]

They free feed - I put about 12lbs of 20% Dumor Chick crumbles in the feeder you see in the pics and also about 3 cups in a regular little tray feeder (so that they are seperated some first thing in the morning - no trampling). I go out 2-3 times throughout the day to check their water and feed. They get a handful of scratch tossed in, and I rigged up a small extension to the pen so they can get to some grass (since they ate every blade that was in the run). I also give them some sort of "treat" food most everyday - sliced grapes, apples or leftover veggies from meals.
When I get home at 130am I put another cup or 2 of feed in the tray feeder as well as the gravity feeder. They have lights from that time until I let them outside around 9.

ETA - it is rare for them to completely finish the 12lbs in the 9-10 hours they have it!

 

[BarredBuff]

They free feed - I put about 12lbs of 20% Dumor Chick crumbles in the feeder you see in the pics and also about 3 cups in a regular little tray feeder (so that they are seperated some first thing in the morning - no trampling). I go out 2-3 times throughout the day to check their water and feed. They get a handful of scratch tossed in, and I rigged up a small extension to the pen so they can get to some grass (since they ate every blade that was in the run). I also give them some sort of "treat" food most everyday - sliced grapes, apples or leftover veggies from meals.
When I get home at 130am I put another cup or 2 of feed in the tray feeder as well as the gravity feeder. They have lights from that time until I let them outside around 9.

Hmmmmmmmm.....it could be Ideal's birds

 

[Farmfresh]

That is what I am inclined to think as well. I think your feeding is fine just as it is. The strain of bird can make a huge difference. I have bought birds from Ideal before, however I always bought laying stock not meaties. The layers from Ideal seem to be fine.

Not to worry ... it may take slightly longer to gain the weight, but the birds you have will finish just fine. Al, dear Al ... sometimes you worry too much!

 

[AL]

That is what I am inclined to think as well. I think your feeding is fine just as it is. The strain of bird can make a huge difference. I have bought birds from Ideal before, however I always bought laying stock not meaties. The layers from Ideal seem to be fine.

Not to worry ... it may take slightly longer to gain the weight, but the birds you have will finish just fine. Al, dear Al ... sometimes you worry too much!

LOL *gasp* not me!!!

I'll be ok... I just want to get finished with these nasty things. And butchering them while I am good and mad at them will help too

 

[lorihadams]

I got mine from Meyer last year and this year. I had more dead loss this year but I had twice the number of birds too. I think out of 62 I've lost 5-6. They have been pretty typical deaths though, 2 accidental as chicks, one unknown, one crushed during a storm when our tractor turned over (seriously gotta get a wind turbine out here), one suspected stress or heart attack this past week....couldn't tell cause the other birds turned cannibal on it and ate the whole top half from the breast up by the time I found it the next morning.

I've been pretty happy with Meyer overall though. Never gotten anything from Ideal. I've heard positive things about Welps meaties before too. I think you're just jumpin the gun though....give them 2 more weeks and you'll be surprised how much bigger they'll be.

 

[AL]

Thanks. Yeah I came into the whole meatie thing with a total misunderstanding. I did zero research into this and based all of the planning / expectations off of Ideal's website - which says
"

When broiler rations are fed, producers can expect a six pound broiler in six weeks or less. When growth rate exceeds genetic potential, Ascite, fluid in the body cavity, and/or leg weakness may result and it may be necessary to restrict the feed to slow down the growth rate. "Cornish Rock Hens" are Cornish Rock females fed a high energy - high fat ration and processed when they are 4 to 5 weeks of age"

But I am guessing they mean broiler rations the entire time. I only fed the gamebird conditioner the first week and 1/2 or so, but I didn't adjust my expectations on when the birds would be ready to process.

 

[AL]

I was out of town all day yesterday - so I dumped a couple of pans full of feed, a big dog bowl of water adn some fresh shavings for the meats. My layers had plenty of scratch and feed. I really needed to stay home and shovel out the rest of the meatie shelter but the decision wasn't very hard - shovel nasty meat poo or go visit a friend I haven't seen in a couple of years.
The visit was multipurpose. Primarily I went because it was my friend's birthday and I wanted to surprise her. I talked to her DH and told him my visit hinged on what it was going to cost to get my truck ready for the trip because the brakes were bad.

Well, the shop quoted me $542 . I told her DH and he said forget that, buy the parts and bring them with me. So for $239 and a 3hr trip to visit dear friends I got my brakes fixed. It took him a few hours because the passenger side rotor and caliper were so messed up. He said the caliper was stuck in the closed position and he has no idea how I made it this long without the brake locking up on that side.

I didn't get home until after 11pm. My dad had walked up to my house and closed up the meatie shelter, turned on their light and watered the horses for me. Wow. For my dad to do something like that is quite surprising.

This morning I picked up one of the biggest meaties and weighed it - right about 6lbs. One of the smaller / mid sized ones was right around 5. I just hope the big one doesn't have a heart attack from the stress!

Meat question - One of the meaties has poo stuck all down its rear. It looks like it has diarrhea. I found a couple of "poo puddles" that had what looked like a red, fleshy ribbon in them. It wasn't a round worm, but it was definitely nasty. Is this a concern come processing time? If the bird is sick do I need to cull it and get rid of it?

 

[BarredBuff]

They could be getting ready to get coccidia. You may want to go ahead and butcher them.