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

[Snowhunter]

I'm going to try my meaties with the grains but I never buy or use dairy here unless it is buttermilk and I ain't wasting any of my precious buttermilk on a chicken! I'll stick with giving them Braggs style ACV for the cultured probios for increasing their nutrient absorption and replacing mineral and sodium loss.

Actually, you could probably take about 1/4C of the buttermilk and mix it in with milk and that should clabber. Just don't forget to save 1/4 of the new stuff for the next batch

I think you're right on the explosive poops of the CX

All the meaties are doing really well, growing like weeds compared to the tiny BA chicks. I'm only going through about 2lbs of feed per day for 35 chicks (I was bad and picked up 10 SQ RIR chicks a few days ago too good of a deal to pass up for a breed I've been lusting after for awhile) While the BA are 1/2 the size of the CX, these RIR chicks, at 1 wk old are about 2/3 the size of the CX so I'm interested to see how they all grow out together, being on the same feed regimen for the next 8 weeks.

Oh, I checked the label on the feed bag, its actually 24% Gamebird layer/breeder. I forgot I'd gotten that, with the added calcium for the CX and thier skeletal structure issues, to see how they did. Just another experiment, and they're none the worse for wear so far. Neither are the BA's. So we'll see how they do. I remember watching my Del teens go NUTS over oyster shell last year when I turned them into the big coop with all the layers, so it seems they were needing calcium. Took em a couple days and then they only ate some every now n then.

 

[Beekissed]

How's the pasty butt now? They all look great and I love your brood pen! Very nice. I'm looking into some RIRs right now also.

I'm thinking of starting out my meaties on nipple waterers as their brood pen will have an earthen floor but I haven't made up my mind yet. I sold all my great chick waterers in the sale last year and I had hoped to start and use nipples on this batch and the layers when I get some here.

 

[Snowhunter]

No pasty butt!!! After a couple days, they all settled and figured out where the right spots for keeping warm are!

Thanks! Actually, its an 8x10 layer coop that my Dad INSISTED he build me when they were out here last fall. Its made of actual plywood with a tin roof and all, whereas stuff DH and I build are out of recycled materials or cheapy OSB I didn't have the heart to tell Dad we didn't really need it. I only see em once a year so I think that was his way of makin it up to me, or somethin. He's very proud of it, and so am I Its just fancier then anything else I have My poor Dorkings got kicked out to a small pasture coop so the chicks could have the nice cozy coop

We had discussed having the nipple style waterers before, but since I already had all the chick waterers and such, its just cheaper to use what I got We used some for our pigs, though, and it worked REALLY well, until they figured out they were good for scratching on too

I'm going to start introducing some clabber to the chicks diet this week, and have started sprouting oats (they take longer ) by 2 cup batches so they'll be ready to introduce at the middle/end of this week as well.

Hopefully in a week or two, the weather will be decent enough I can get the CX out in the garden area for a few hours a day, since they stay super warm by design. But I reckon I'll just hafta wait and see.. and now that I've said that, I reckon we'll have some sort of freak snow storm

 

[Beekissed]

Supposed to snow here tomorrow but I doubt you'd get it in your area. Shoot, the birds are already collecting nesting material here...saw some today! Can't wait to see how much feed you save by sprouting and clabber.

I'm going to try different grains to sprout and see which are easiest. I bet corn is pretty easy?

 

[rhoda_bruce]

My first round of araucanas will hatch on the 24th. I'm putting more araucana and eggs from my sex-link project in today. By the time I'm able to slaughter from these hatches, I'll be completely out of Cornish X's from the freezer. Hoping for lots of sex-link pullets because they will fund my meaty project. This is the first year I can guarantee the sex of my chicks. Big time excitement.

 

[Beekissed]

You'll have to post pics and success stories you know! I love to show experiments on threads and tell about what works, what didn't and why, etc. This forum is great for learning by others successes and mistakes, one is as useful as the other.

 

[peteyfoozer]

My first batch of meaties gets here April 9th. THe bummer is, I have to dry off my Jersey cow by May before she freshens! I give a lot of clabber to my layers, and they love it!

 

[Beekissed]

She's a beautiful cow! How blessed you are to have a good milch cow!

 

[rebecca100]

Hey Bee! I was looking up meaties yesterday. How much do you figure your going to pay for chicks? All I found were around $2 or plus shipping. I figure that if I could get some then I could let them free range during the day because the place is fenced and they can't fly. (at least the ones I've seen couldn't) I'm really going to try to get my own meat and veggies this year as cheap as possible. I am seriously considering them if I can get them and raise them cheaper than store bought.

 

[Beekissed]

You can! I did a couple of years ago and it was cheaper. Now, I see that chick prices have doubled, so I'm not sure just how much it will be this year. It will still be cheaper than store bought chickens and you will never taste such chicken as raising your own....

I'm hoping to advertise a home processing workshop out here and maybe defray the total cost of buying and feeding the mob. If I can just get 10 folks to come and learn, I've heard the standard fee to charge is $40 ea. and they get to keep their bird but I figured I'd charge $35 and see if anyone is interested in this area.

I'm waiting to hear how cheaply I can get the CX at TSC. If I can get them cheaper by ordering them myself, then I will do so. I just really liked the convenience of getting to look at the chicks before taking them home if I can purchase them at TSC.