The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: MikeM on August 14, 2011, 04:17:25 pm

Title: buying table birds
Post by: MikeM on August 14, 2011, 04:17:25 pm: Hi all,

Sorry if this has been asked before but I couldn't find anything that completely matched. We're looking to move into rearing up some table birds. I've been reading around, but I'm unsure at what stage it is normal to buy them. From what I've read, it seems normal to buy them at one day old then rear them up from there, is this the only way? Presumably if I do this I'll need a heat lamp and somewhere secure to contain them.

TIA
Title: Re: buying table birds
Post by: Rosemary on August 14, 2011, 04:54:03 pm: Since the meat strains areready for killing at around 12 weeks, buying day olds seems to be most common although you can sometimes buy growers, off heat.

Yes, you'll need a lamp, a spare bulb, feeder, drinker, chick crumbs and somewhere to keep them secure.
Title: Re: buying table birds
Post by: DJ_Chook on August 14, 2011, 07:06:32 pm: You can buy as day olds & sometimes as growers 6 weeks old and off the heat. I buy day old cobb ross hybrids, little monsters they are and as fat as a supermarket rotisserie chicken at 6-7 weeks old.

I buy mine from http://www.cyril-bason.co.uk/ (http://www.cyril-bason.co.uk/)

Day olds were about £1.70 each, growers (5 weeks old) were £3.70 each.

After I have raised them to a good weight I...
Finish on corn
Starve overnight
Kill -broom handle
Drain -blood
Scald -very hot water
Pluck - undress of feathers
Dress -gut, truss up into supermarket shape chicken, wrap in clingfilm.
Rest on plate in fridge for 2-4 days
Freeze or cook.

They eat LOADS, they cost a fortune to feed, they have a nasty habit of 'going off their legs'. When I kept them in a smaller space the meat was tainted, when I put them in the barns with 5 sq meters each they meat was lovely. If you want to free range them get hubbards. Do bear in mind that they will need heat till they are 3-4-5 weeks old depending on how they feather up. I put 12 day old chicks in an 8ft by 4ft brooder + 2 heaters in the barn till they are 2 weeks old, then they get let free into the barn with more heaters till they are 4 weeks old, then the heat gets turned off. If it's winter the heat is on till 5-6 weeks. If they are still on the heat at 5 weeks old you will need more than one heat source as they will pile on-top of each other under the heat and end up suffocating.

None of this has put me off, I usually have some table birds on the go but having a break at the moment so that the barn can recover.
Title: Re: buying table birds
Post by: MikeM on August 18, 2011, 08:29:08 am: sorry for the late reply, been busy. Thanks for the replies and the thorough tutorial. Much appreciated.
Title: Re: buying table birds
Post by: Victorian Farmer on August 18, 2011, 09:22:28 am: i think iff you contacted a fuew members and took there unwonted cockerels away it would cost no think but feed id give 50 road or Sussex free every 2 months
Title: Re: buying table birds
Post by: MikeM on August 18, 2011, 09:51:12 am: ;D

I have heard that young cockerals are not worth a lot on the open market.
Title: Re: buying table birds
Post by: Victorian Farmer on August 18, 2011, 09:51:32 pm: free
Title: Re: buying table birds
Post by: Barrett on August 20, 2011, 03:47:27 pm: HI MikeM, I did table birds last year and still refusing to buy the shop rubbish am tempted again, Cyrill Bason they will deliver to you £1.25 for day old or they do 5 weekers off the lamp not sure how much they are go on there web site I have bought layers from them as well never once had a dud one, should you have some that are getting bigger quicker than the others kill it at 10 weeks or it will have a heart attache and die.