Ohiofarmgirl'sAdventuresinTheGoodLand-where ya been? whatcha been doin

[Quail_Antwerp]

here's your shake!


:bun :bun :bun

 

[Farmfresh]

OFG I don't restrict the feed I just LOWER the protein. Switch to a 20 % chick feed or even a 15% grower ration or just start giving them some scratch grain mixed into the feed and I up the greens. Seems to work for me. You will be amazed by the growth rate. They pretty much DOUBLE in weight each week! Yes, by the way they taste pretty darned yummy as well.

 

[Bourbon Red]

After those nasty meat chick types are 3-4 weeks along I switch them away from the comercial broiler starter onto 14 % hog mash until they're big enough to eat whole corn. Then it's whole corn and greens - Oh - and milk of course - hog mash and milk - then whole corn and milk and greens. If you want roasters (and why would anyone wnat anything else...) you can easily and cheaply (if you have extra milk) take them to 12 weeks when they make GREAT roasters - huge! I don't have any leg problems, etc. at 12 -14 weeks with HUGE roasters fed 'natural' feed (milk being the key....)

Good luck on the goat birthin' - we're anxiously awaiting the first calf for the year. Come onnnnn HEIFER!

 

[Farmfresh]

I don't have access to milk or, I hear even better yet, whey.

When I have brought some of my Cornish Rocks from Welps hatchery to the roaster stage they were HUGE. I had one bird that DRESSED weighed 10 1/2 pounds!!! Now that is a chicken.

 

[kcsunshine]

Oops! I just had a vision of Monster Chicken in his huge red t-shirt with MC on the chest, sporting a yellow shiny cape. Monster Chicken comes to save the day- swooping in to eat all your bugs!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

hey KC!

we have one monster chicken ....or as we say "Frankenchicken" -- we kept one of the red broilers from last year (he was too creepy to eat) and dang.. he's big and horrible looking. eeeeeekkkk! but he gives the hens the business so hopefully i can get some of their eggs to hatch and i'll have some free meaties!

but i'm telling you - he does NOT look like a superhero! no dashing good looks that is for sure!

Quail - thanks for the shake!
FF - great advice, i'm putting it into play
Bourbon Red - Ah yes Farm Master, I am but you pupil...

golly we separated the kids from debbie last nite and she gave about a gallon of milk this morning! whooot! wow she was about to pop - talk about a 'hocker knocker'

still nothing from Little Nibbles.. i'm going to back to thinking she just wants attention. i'm going to start ignoring her.

 

[Farmfresh]

Oops! I just had a vision of Monster Chicken in his huge red t-shirt with MC on the chest, sporting a yellow shiny cape. Monster Chicken comes to save the day- swooping in to eat all your bugs!

More like a big fat couch potato slob wearing a holey red T-shirt, a ball cap on backwards eating a platter of Twinkies. No swooping in here!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

aint that right!

well we got them moved. i had to touch them and they were gross.

but

they were happy to pop around in the grass in the tractor so that was encouraging. the funny thing was they were afraid to go into the enclosed brooder where they are supposed to sleep! we laughed and laughed.... we'd pop one in and another would run out. it was like a clown car of meaties!

 

[big brown horse]

They sound gross. :/ What are some heritage breed meaties? They aren't as gross are they?

Bald, heavy breathing, fat, lethargic baby birds sounds just NASTY!

 

[kcsunshine]

I could live without tv if I only lived at your house.