So I've been raising a few chickens. Surprised, right? Well, the meat birds I've been raising are bred to be harvested at between 7-9 weeks, and end up at a dressed weight of between 4.25-6.5 lbs, depending on if it is a hen or rooster.

Well, I decided to push that envelope just a bit. I went to 18 weeks.


No, that isn't a 7 ounce Coors can. Bird on the right is 4.5 lbs. Middle bird is 13 lbs. That turkey sized chicken on the left, 18.1 lbs.

hankster thought you were showing cocks

Started them off on 27% protein for two weeks. Switched over to 19% through the grow out stage. Had them on grass from week 4. I still have 5 left, alive. Waiting for the right event to cook one. The two on the left are for this weekend. Might have to reserve one of the pigs for the SRC this year.

Still wish I had gotten all roosters. Imagine a pen with 8 birds weiging in at a combined weight of 160 lbs? Poor planning and too busy on my part, so I got straight run with hens and roosters. The center and right birds are hens. The bird on the left is a rooster. The 4.5 lb bird was killed at 7 weeks.

i know you would like that but no its not so just google image more big freakin chickens.

yeah, typical lol. I guess be more gay? good luck making ends meet Gulliver. just a word of caution: don't spoil gulliver's nightly fantasies of abu or he get's quite cranky.

Geezuz Andy.. that "smallish" 8 pounder you left here last year kept Kay & I fed for like a week. Then we made chicken noodle soup.

Andy,
Cornish X? Any problems with crippling and other fast grow problems? Just finishing up a PVC tractor for meat birds. Inquiring minds wanna know how good they cook up. Maybe have an opportunity for a sample on Saturday?....

Biggest turkey was 42# in the round, 36# in the pan.

Nice gentle bird. Miss him. My current tom is an ass. His time is short.

The high protein help the heart and other important growth off the bat. These birds suffer from "flip", or heart failure, if you don't watch their feeding schedules. I've had mortality as high as 15%.

By watching your birds, and actively culling weaker birds (for dinner) you end up with the best of the best at the end of your growing cycle. I had 13 of my best up to 14 weeks, then lost 3 to a very hot day. Those were the only unplanned deaths out of 65 except for chicks that were dead on delivery. Best results yet. Yes, they are CX.

The rooster's legs were solid. The hen, she was developing leg issues, and it was her time. My remaining 5 are very solid birds.

They will be one of the many main courses on Saturday.

Why don't you raise some pheasants?......You could eat the bird and sell the pelts.

I do raise pheasants. We hunt ours.

Andy,
We'll compare notes on Saturday, but I'd be interested in knowing your feed source/blend for adjusting protein content. Also, if the birds roosted up or stayed on terra firma. Doesn't appear to be any keel issues in the photos. Fixed paddock or movable tractor on grass?

The big birds were probably crossed with a giant breed like an Austrolorp or an Orpington along the way. There is a breed called the Jersey Giant that was bred to replace the Turkey for meat production.

They are Cornish Cross. These are basic meat birds that everybody raises. I have been working on making my process better over the last 3 of 4 years, is all.

Feed is "Payback" brand, turkey and pheasant starter is 27%, then I move them over to all purpose, 19%.

These are raised in movable pens. 8'x8'x2' PVC pens.


You can start out with 25-30 birds per 8x8 pen when they are small. You will need to move the pen daily, and as they grow you need to reduce the amount of birds in the pen. They start out in a brooder, then at 3-4 weeks, depending on weather, they go outside.

The pens create a swath of destruction.

But the following year it is the greenest part of your lawn.

That makes sense. Jumbo X's will out eat a pig lb for lb.

Besides the ubiquitous 1" PVC pipe fittings, Circo makes some nice UV-stabilized PVC 3 & 4 way PVC fittings for framing up these tractors. They also make PVC slip T's for hinging PVC doors. Had their local distributor order some up for me awhile ago. A little more coin, but the results are nice.

Linky

I've seen those, but I chose the Hill William way and made it work with what I had on hand..

big chickens?

http://youtu.be/rT4UmxqoFt4

Nice work, Dogfish. As someone completely uninformed on the topic, It is interesting to hear that the output can be controlled to such a degree.

I'm thinking Dan......
speaking of Pandora's box......can you imagine? Magnum Dan?

just funnin Dan......just funnin.....put those matches down....OK?