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["Robert Walton" <waltonrp AT gmail.com>]

> Did you feed your roosters any differently than your pullets?
> This is something I am debating, whether or not to feed the meat birds
> more protein.
>

Nope, these are raised by the hen, run loose birds. They eat some
chicken feed, scratch grains and clean up after everyone else.

I use an 18% broiler feed on the broilers, but I'm not sure if I'll do
broilers (cornish cross) again. They do a better job converting feed
to meat, but in reality, I think that the regular chickens do a better
job. They do a lot of clean up of feed, poop grains and bugs that are
free and I can just butcher them as they come on, so that saves
freezer space.

I have to buy 50 broilers and feed them broiler feed. They require
care and I end up with a bunch of birds in the freezer costing me
money to store.

I'd probably feed the higher protein feed if the birds were closed up.
I can't buy soy here. I'm thinking to buy or barter some raw soybeans
from a local farmer (or grow my own), next year. A little extra soy
would be good to feed to broilers and stuff like that. I also have
some iron clay peas to plant next year and they would serve the
purpose also. The soy has to be roasted or boiled, so would probably
be a pain.


Rob - Va