MEAT BIRDS THREAD ~Plans, pics, pens, pluckers, processing! GRAPHIC!

[Beekissed]

Will be going this week to buy materials to make this cattle panel coop for my old ma'. The first stage will be for meaty chicks and then I will incorporate changes to turn it into a layer coop. I've decided to make it 8 ft. deep x 10 ft. wide x 5.5 ft. tall.

I'll also be checking for the chicks at TSC to see if they have any of the CX delivered or when they expect them in.

I've been ruminating on a few ideas...maybe I could get some feedback from you all?

I've been thinking about fermenting the grains I feed to the CX to increase the protein percentages and get more bang for the buck. I think they more or less ferment to sprout anyway but I'm thinking about keeping a rotating series of grains, reusing the water that has the cultures in it to accelerate the fermentation process and use this as the primary feed for the CX. Every once in awhile I'd like to add some of the fermented water to their water like one would do ACV. I'm also thinking of inoculating the fermentation liquid with the cultures from my ACV mother to accelerate the fermentation process so that it doesn't grow the wrong pathogens before the good can grow sufficiently.

Does that sound like something doable?

I know it would cut down on the total feed costs and provide a healthier meal for the CX and possibly work actively to reculture their digestive systems that are stripped by their constant diarrhea, thus allowing more absorption of nutrients through the small intestines and more absorption of liquids through the large intestine. After I came to that conclusion I found this study that contained pretty much the same info:

soaking feed
for 8 - 16 h before feeding increased the bio-availability of
phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and copper.

studies
have shown that wet feeding increases the feed
intake and growth rate of chickens (Yalda and Forbes,
1995; Yasar and Forbes, 1999; Mai, 2007). Pre-soaking
of broiler feeds for 12 and 24 h significantly increased dry
matter digestibility and body weight gain in male broilers
(25 - 40 days of age) compared with dry feed (Yalda and
Forbes, 1996). Bacterial fermentation of barley and wheat
whole meal flours with
-glucan-degrading LAB has
improved growth and early feed:gain ratio in broiler
chickens (Skrede et al., 2003).

Early access to semi-moist diets for day-old chicks
stimulates gastrointestinal (GI) development and prevents
dehydration during transport from the hatchery (van
den Brink and van Rhee, 2007). Rapid GI tract
development after hatch is essential for optimization of
digestive function and underpins efficient growth and
development as well as a full expression of the genetic
potential for production traits (Mitchell and Moreto, 2006;
Mai, 2007). Furthermore, the moistening capacity of the
crop of chicks during the first weeks of life is also
believed to be a limiting factor for the optimal functioning
of the gut when standard solid diets are fed (Mai, 2007).

I'm also thinking along the lines of the rocket mass heaters.....why couldn't one place a mass(flat rock, layer of bricking, etc.) in the brooder, with an insulating layer under it like thick cardboard, under the area of the heat lamps to provide more even heating of the space that would more closely mock the heat generated by a broody hen?

The heat lamp could be turned off in the daylight hours and the mass could retain some residual warmth but not at the level of heat that the heat lamp had...sort of like the type of heat the chicks would receive with their mother during daylight activity and thus slowly "harden off" these chicks much like they would be if they were being warmed by a broody.

I'm going to experiment with this as I am brooding these meaties outside and on the ground and I think the cold mass of the earth would saturate their space and bedding each night and leave the spots under the heat lamp the only place to congregate. With the heated rock below and the lamp above, they would have even heating at night and radiant residual heat in the morning from the heat lamp of the night. As the day progresses and grows warmer they wouldn't need the extra heat as much and the lamp could be turned back on as evening falls.

Just a few ideas I've been muddling over and wondered what you all thought of the concepts?

 

[Snowhunter]

Ruminating.. watch out for cud breath


I like your idea of the RMH... DH and I have been trying to figure out some way to mimic a broody w./a makeshift ecoglow type brooder heat that doesn't require electricity. I'll hafta muddle that through my brain for a bit and see what I can come up with.

As far as the fermenting.. I think it would almost act like a probios, helping thier digestive system make the most of every thing they intake. Terrific idea!!!

After my chicks are done w thier bag of feed, I plan on going to clabber/pearled barley and sprouted rye/wheat for feed. Gotta figure some kinda feeder I can put it in so they don't tromp in it and get it all nasty.

I wanted to do oats, but the boogers just won't sprout evenly enough to make a consistent amount I've got 2/3 of a 50lb bag and nothing to do w/it... Reckon I'll figure something out eventually.

 

[Beekissed]

I'd just feed it as is or ferment it also. I'm going to be using a trough style feeder with a welded wire topper to keep them from getting in it.

 

[Snowhunter]

Oh, and I have an interesting tidbit to pass along, while I'm waiting for the pics to send from my phone to my email...

The CX have NORMAL chicken poops! Wierd thing to celebrate, but I thought it was rather cool myself

I also did an "experiment" and did the clabber w/crumble sprinkled over in one pan and a feeder of straight crumble in the other. They went for the clabber mix and only ate for about 5 minutes before they went for a drink then decided to loaf around the coop. Only a few went over and took a few bites from the straight crumble mix. Hmmmm

Bee, I think your suggestion of fermenting the oats is a good one. I might as well put em to use, otherwise its just money wasted. And we all have throwing money out the window!!!!

 

[Beekissed]

I think this is enormous news considering what is the norm for these birds! It will be interesting to see how long you can get those results, how much more the birds will gain if they aren't losing it all out their backsides and how much feed they won't need for the very same reason. After this is over, if you have successfully managed to keep your birds from excessive diarrhea throughout their life, it would be great to start a thread on BYC in the Meat Section, detailing your success.

Most people there are thoroughly convinced that these birds are some kind of freaks that are doomed for poor health, that they must be fed high pro continuously to make weight gains, that it is normal to expect them to be unable to walk, have green breast meat and have filthy, stinking living quarters.

 

[animalfarm]

I think this is enormous news considering what is the norm for these birds! It will be interesting to see how long you can get those results, how much more the birds will gain if they aren't losing it all out their backsides and how much feed they won't need for the very same reason. After this is over, if you have successfully managed to keep your birds from excessive diarrhea throughout their life, it would be great to start a thread on BYC in the Meat Section, detailing your success.

Most people there are thoroughly convinced that these birds are some kind of freaks that are doomed for poor health, that they must be fed high pro continuously to make weight gains, that it is normal to expect them to be unable to walk, have green breast meat and have filthy, stinking living quarters.

I don't think any of these things. I like Cx and find they are pretty much like regular chickens with really suck up personalities.. I feed high protein to all my chickens as they just plain do better; growing, feathers, health, eggs and fertility.

I also do not feed commercial; I feed corn and soy free except in the coldest part of winter when I add a bit of home grown corn for energy. I feed clabbered jersey milk in the summer and fresh in the winter in heated dog bowls. On a side note, if you feed all your stewing hens and old roosters a raw milk mash for 2-3 weeks before butchering and cut the free ranging down, they are no longer stewing hens and roosters. They are every bit as good as a young bird and I am talking DPs and not just Cx.

 

[Snowhunter]

OH! I forgot to mention the amounts of clabber and chick started in my previous post.. 1pint clabber and about 1/2C crumble. They didn't finish it all in one sitting.. I'll be interested to see how much they've eaten by the time I get back out there. Also, this is for 10 broilers and 25 Large Fowl chicks, so 35 chicks are actually going through fairly minimal feed, all things considered.

Ok, now that I got some lunch and the pictures FINALLY loaded properly.. here's some fro earlier this morning

I cleaned and refilled thier water.. I think it was a touch cold, compared to thier body temp, as some had the shivers and decided the heat lamp would make a good pitstop. Duly noted and I'm gonna see how they do with more tepid temp water tomorrow morning.

And heres the CX poop.. looks like a normal chicken poop, don't it? I was very happy to see this

 

[Snowhunter]

On a side note, if you feed all your stewing hens and old roosters a raw milk mash for 2-3 weeks before butchering and cut the free ranging down, they are no longer stewing hens and roosters. They are every bit as good as a young bird and I am talking DPs and not just Cx.

Thanks for that tidbit AF!!! I'll file that in my brain for future reference

 

[Snowhunter]

So I'm tryin to figure out a good simple movable coop thingy for when I get the CX out on the dirt. I really need to get it done ASAP cuz I know they'd benefit from the exposure for sure. And something light enough I can just pull it but something that won't blow away with the nasty spring winds we get.

I already had a detatchable run from an old coop I was gonna use, but I needed one of the 2x3's for my redneck greenhouse

I wonder, if I could "strip" range em, kinda like MIG grazing, and use my old dog house for them for shelter (since they don't roost) Hmmmmm.... I may have just made this TONS easier on myself...cuz I got the extra fence and step in posts, and it'd work just the same as the movable coop with less work overall...

My Mantra-Work Smarter not Harder

Hey Bee.. the big coop I've got the chicks in is 8x10. Not sure if it'd help any, but I can get pics of the whole thing for you, inside and out, if it might help? Its a bit "fancy" but it'd be easy to rework materials and design for a smaller budget for us more frugal minded folks

 

[Beekissed]

Any pics are great! I love the ones you have posted already as they really show the consistency of the food and the growth of the chicks, particularly next to the standard DP breed chicks.

I think no more chicks than you have that the strip grazing idea is great....do you have a dog to protect them? I couldn't remember what your setup was in regards to protection while on pasture.

That's the beauty of CX...it takes nothing to keep them contained...they ain't flying anywhere.

I'll be pasturing here at my mother's place and her grass is, to say the least, something to be desired...mostly weed and moss, as her soil is acidic. I'm hoping they can forage something anyway and will try to keep them in the grassier areas for this purpose, but they will still have wooded, leaf litter in which to forage for insects and grubs. I'm hoping to sprout some corn/grain later and let it get green before feeding and just keep rotating that with the fermented grain and their own foraging to get some healthy foods in them.

Well...went to town today to check out the chick prices at TSC. Too much. I'm currently shopping for good prices online to see if I can shave that price any lower. They are asking $2.49 shipped/per chick.

If I can't get it any lower than that online, I'll probably just buy right from the store....but they never know what they are going to have and how many they will have. What a way to run a business! The CX chicks I saw there today were tiny compared to the ones I got last time from a TSC across the state.

We got the materials for making the hoop house and I will add up the cost later and post it. For the size, I can't imagine any cheaper way to build one without scavenging lumber for free from someone who wants a building torn down. Even then it wouldn't be lightweight enough for a woman to drag around.