4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[TAJ]

I have mentioned my 2nd batch of meat birds here: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=36752 but yesterday one died (sad even though we would have killed it ourselves in the next couple of weeks anyway).

 

We tried out a variety of birds, but it is the fast growing Ross 308 'standard broilers' that have been so sad to watch. They started growing fast, but did act like chickens should for the first 3-4 weeks, although they still ate a lot. Since then they have become super-size eating machines. Whilst these would have been killed at 39 days old in a broiler shed they have had dark nights so only feeding by day since they were just under 5 weeks old and the two Ross cockerals have been resting walking down the run just to eat! One died (I presume heart attack) during the day yesterday, so we killed another large bird today (only 49 days old) and he is a decent size meat bird. Another one is looking rather large (female?)and I think will also go during the next week.

 

The other 3 (2 are slower growing 'free range' birds) are big, but still run around, although they are eating machines also.

 

What I have found hard with these fast growing birds is that the obesity gene is so bred into them that I actually think they would have been happier in a broiler shed! Every ounce of natural chicken behaviour has been bred out of them, I got them as day-old chicks and have given them space, descent food and an enriched environment but they would be happy just sitting and eating for their 39 day life - I think having to walk down a run for food/water, getting fresh air & grass is so unnatural to them they simply cannot cope with it.

 

I think it is a big shame that the demands of the British public for cheap food has led 'us' to breed such unnatural birds - what this experience has shown me is that a lot of it is nature, not nurture - they are born just wanting to eat and in a very short space of time putting them down is the kindest thing for them

 

Tracy

[Redwing]

Hi Tracy

 

I have been reading your thread with interest as I am looking to get meat birds, I am worried about getting the broiler type as there seems such short window of opportunity to kill them before they get too unwieldly for a novice

 

I am saddened to read your experience of their nature, what a real shame

 

May I ask what type your first meat birds were?

[missuscluck]

Oh dear this sounds so familiar. Lesley and I have discussed this at length on one of the other previous threads on raising your own meat.

 

I had exactly the same experiance as you. I have blogged about it too see link at the bottom (It was last summer so you will have to skim back a bit) I found it all very sad and felt just the same as you. Ours had the ground to free range and chose to sit round the food all day. Some of them spent so long sitting they didnt even feather fully underneth.

 

Apparently there are lots of different strains of Ross Cobbs and they are not all as bad as our joint experiance. Some are a little better.

 

Ours were just like yours though. We lost one to a heart attack then a few days later we had to dispatch the lot. We had 18 birds left at this point.

 

Our next meat birds are light sussex, a traditional utility breed. We have two mummys hopefully ready to breed from in the summer. No good if you want your meat quick though. I prefer the idea of dispatching one or two at a time.

 

Like you say, what an eye opener into the way chicken is produced.

[TAJ]

Hi Tracy

 

I have been reading your thread with interest as I am looking to get meat birds, I am worried about getting the broiler type as there seems such short window of opportunity to kill them before they get too unwieldly for a novice

 

I am saddened to read your experience of their nature, what a real shame

 

May I ask what type your first meat birds were?

 

The first ones were a mixture of JA757 (also known as County Golds) and Coloryields - both 'slow growing' - these were sold as ready to kill at 72 days and the last ones we did at 14 weeks, so a bit longer.

 

Don't get be wrong about the current lot I got the mix I did on purpose to see how each would fair - and now I know, I have certainly learn't a lot about broilers from the experience. The slower growing ones I have left (sold for the free range meat market) from this second batch that are cobb cross type seem to be doing well. Apart from the weight issues with the Ross ones these birds have been healthy - no sneezes, etc so I would certainly have the slower growing ones from this supplier again. The first lot were OK, but came with one having a cold and eye infection, which was then past to the others and 3 out of the 4 ended up not being the breed I actually purchased.

 

I would certainly get the cobb-cross day-old chicks (90p each) that are designed as slower growing free range birds again, just not the broilers at it is sad to see their unnatural growth levels, even when they are free ranged.

 

Tracy

[Redwing]

Thanks for the info, the slower growing ones certainly don't sound such a scary prospect.

 

The ones I like the idea of otherwise are Ixworth birds or the light sussex

[mostin]

Just out of interest how old are light sussex when they are ready to eat? I was wondering about hatching some light sussex eggs next year and keeping the girls and eating the boys, but will they all still be too young to tell by the time it comes to dinner time?

 

I too am saddened by the broiler chicken breeds. I always assumed that if you gave an animal it's own space and a lovely environment it would improve it's quality of life, but it doesn't seem to make a difference to these poor chooks.

[bronze]

As you know I hatched hubbards. I still have two. I can't believe in what good shape they are considering they hatched on the last day of school before the summer holidays last year.

From reading these posts I'm glad I have this type though I didn't know much about them when I started. (the eggs were free)

[TAJ]

I think light Sussex are ready for the table at 6-9 months, but crowing could start around 5-6 months? I crow and I am sure they would go! In the old days they would be made into capons, so they grew fatter and did not crow to grow on for the table.

 

Tracy

[mostin]

I think light Sussex are ready for the table at 6-9 months, but crowing could start around 5-6 months? I crow and I am sure they would go! In the old days they would be made into capons, so they grew fatter and did not crow to grow on for the table.

 

Tracy

 

Thank's Tracey. I'm glad it's that way round, I was worried I would have to guess which were girls and which were boys when it was culling time, but if I just have to wait for the crow, then that is alot easier, in theory .

[TAJ]

Well the last two (slower growing) go tomorrow - one is enormous! They were to go this weekend as it really is time to go - or really they should have gone a couple of weeks ago.

 

With the new pure breed egg layers coming Saturday I do need to get rid of these so I only have two flocks, not three!

 

Tracy

[TAJ]

Table weights for these last two (at 13½ weeks) were 7lbs 12 oz and 5 lbs 12 oz - they had lovely golden skin, due to the variety and their mixed corn rich diet of the last few weeks - these free range type birds have still been eating machines, but more healthy than the broiler type - I think we will do these ones again come winter.

 

Tracy

[Aunty e]

I had two sussex cross cockerels for meat last year, both were in with my girls from being about six weeks old, and neither crowed until they were eight months old. They both dressed out very nicely at that age and certainly had a lovely time until they broke their vows of silence. Oddly, one of them crowed a good two weeks before the other even though they'd hatched at the same time. We had a sunday roast (for four), casserole and then a risotto from each bird.

[Lesley]

Good weights Tracey - odd how they can all be so different isn't it!

[TAJ]

Good weights Tracey - odd how they can all be so different isn't it!

 

I think one was a boy and the other a girl.

 

Tracy

[WitchHazel]

Thanks for this Tracy.

 

We've got our first batch of table birds, they came from France (not our choice), so I've no idea what they'll turn out like.

 

When I went on the kill pluck gut course, the bird I dealt with was a Ross Cob, and it put me off a bit tbh; it was only 9 weeks old, and that wasn't really my idea of giving a bird a good likfe before despatching it. It tasted fine, don't get me wrong, but it just wasn't what I wanted from a free range table bird.

 

We're going with this french breed with a fellow allotmenteer who does this regularly, but it meant taking on 25 chicks which (again) isn't really what I had planned.

 

Anyway. We're doing this lot, then we'll review and if we di it again we'll go for slower growing breeds.

 

Personally, I'd find it really helpful if you could sum up in one post what breeds you've had, and how you found them. (and the same for any others who have tried different breeds).

 

Thanks very much for your help

[TAJ]

Will do a separate post as you request - I was at wernlas this weekend (collecting new layers) his recommendation was a Dorking crossed with a cornish game bird would give a good slow growing meat bird. I now have a dorking, but I live too close to others to get a cornish game cockeral! The one thing I do find with these 'meat birds' is that their lack of personality and being plan white makes them easier to dispatch than if they were pretty and interactive hens I had grwon fond of.

 

Tracy

[WitchHazel]

The one thing I do find with these 'meat birds' is that their lack of personality and being plan white makes them easier to dispatch than if they were pretty and interactive hens I had grwon fond of.

 

Tracy

 

That was what I had thought too, Tracy. I know that Sussex are good dual purpose birds, but they are just sooo pretty (and I had a Buff sussex as one of my original three) that I imagine I would gind it (even) hard(er) to dispatch them!

[Redwing]

Two of our meat birds have super personalities the other three are just birds to me

 

They are all now living outside thank goodness, my kitchen walls look in a sorry state

 

I am afraid I don't know what breeds they are, there are two different ones though, they are sold as meat birds so i guess they are some sort of Hubbard type bird, the darker ones are sold under the name Country Gold

 

[Lesley]

I'll start a new thread on meat bird breeds.......