sheila mayberry

Maybe I didnt ferment it right be I will try again in the spring. I really like the idea of it and if it will make my birds healthier the better.

I tried the fermenting when thwy were about 4 weeks old but couldnt get them to eat it. Maybe I didnt do it right. Will you give me your recipe? Maybe I didnt start them early enough or maybe I didnt get the fermintation right, But I will try this again in the spring when we get the next batch. I really would like to use something like this if it would cut down on the smell and the water. Boy did mine drink the water. For raising meaties for the first time, I think I did go. I am amazed at how many post on the losses. I also think that most use the broiler feed for their CX and I didnt. I didnt want mine to grow so fast that they had problems. And I personally think by giving them the layer feed that it provided more calcium that helped with no leg issues. Yes by the time I butchered at 11 weeks they were started to get where they waddled some when they walked, but up til butcher they all were still foraging and running around and even flying some. I even had one guy slam into my leg like he was trying to spur me. I looked at him like really? Now will be the taste test as we havent had any yet. We just butchered yeaterday and by the time that was over I wasnt in the mood to cook a big meal but this weekend we will have the tatse test. I am sure they will be as good as our first fresh eggs. Also next spring I am going to do turkeys. I am leaning towards Midget White because of the size and reported taste and the fact that they breed naturally. I plan on keeping a tom and 2 hens so each year I can hatch out my own instead of buying poults each year. I wish we could do the same with the CX, but they are so inexpensive that the cost are not that bad. I am just trying to get a little more selfsuffient and I detest what Big Ag does to our food. I have had a lot of people at work ask me how I can do this, but I tell them my chickens had a good life that I nurtured them til its time for them to nuture me. The circle of life.

Jay mine ranged good too. They were let out everyday with my layers. Alot of mine dressed out at 5lbs or more. I didnt have any leg problems or sudden death like alot of people I have read. They were very friendly birds. Kinda made me sad to butcher them I fed mine chick starter for the first 3 weeks then put them on layer mixed with scratch. They also got once in a while pumpkin and table scraps that I would give the layers too. Out of 35 I only lost 6 and those were early on. One was weak at the start and didnt make it 2 were piled upon cause it got too cold one night one got under a big bowl and I didnt know and didnt find it til the next day one was a crooked beak and one I have no idea but thats when they were around a week old. As they got older I found them to be really hardy. They were pretty messy but probably because I had so many. My neighbor and I are going to do some more come spring and see if its easier to do in the spring. This year when the heat stopped it stopped and got chilly pretty quick.

This is my first time raising cornish cross. I ordered 35 from Schlecht hatchery. I have 29 left of which 28 will be butchered tomorrow. Mine range with the other chickens and aside from them eating alot and very messy, they have been extremly easy. I got mine in September to do a fall harvest of them because we had such a dry hot summer I didnt think they would do good in the heat. I really cant tell you what the feed conversion was as I really didnt keep track, but they have grown relatively slow. They were hatched September 6th and butcher date is Nov 28th. Most I would say are around 5 to 6lbs right now. I do feed them 12 on 12 off. They are all pretty active but kind of ratty looking compared to my layers and roosters.