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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Robert Walton wrote:
> > 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.

ok


> 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 bought some of those cornish cross broilers from Murray McMurray, too,
a few years back...never again.  They are so big, genetic freaks, that
they don't move around, they just sit and eat what you feed them.   I
did not like that.  I swore that I would not do that again.  I did,
however, buy a Dark Cornish rooster and tried to make my own crosses,
but I lost the rooster before that came to fruition.
I think the CC Broilers may get to butcher weight quicker, but you can
get the same results with your own heavy breed mutt chickens and a bit
more time.  I want to eat a chicken that walks around and gets a varied
diet, that's just me.
> 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.

Keeping them alive until you need them is always the best, I think, but
I seem to lose a lot of birds to predation, so for me, it is a safer bet
to put them in the freezer.
I am anxious to see how many roosters I get out of all this hatching.


> I'd probably feed the higher protein feed if the birds were closed
> up.

That is what I am thinking...we won't get many bugs until March or
later, and these roos should be in the freezer by then.


> 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.

I was going to grow soy one year, but then changed my mind.  You could
probably easily grow it in rows or even as a cover crop of sorts.  I did
buy some one year..stupidly...I didn't know it had to be cooked and
couldn't be fed as a raw bean....
I bought the soy hoping to use it in my goat granola...I also used kelp
and beet pulp...I don't know if chickens can eat that, but it is a
thought for you.  With the beet pulp, you may have to soak it, but you
would not have to cook it, I don't think.  It was cheap, too..Adds
protein...

B

--
“Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to
hate. Hate leads to suffering.”        Yoda