Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

homestead - Re: [Homestead] Eggs

homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Homestead mailing list

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Eggs
  • Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:27:10 -0500



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




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page