The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: suziequeue on July 04, 2012, 11:14:58 am
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We have just separated our three cockerels from the rest of the flock and plan to limit their living space a little (10 sqaure metres of grass each) and feed them up before the broomstick (thanks Jaykay - we'll give this a try)
Any suggestions on what we should feed them aside from growers pellets? Lots of corn? Any other tasty bites? ;D
Thanks
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Our cockerels that went into the pot, continued to live with the flock and so had the same diet - layers pellets and corn.
There was a thread not too long ago about feeding birds destined for the table and I think the general feeling was to swap to a grain based diet - more natural. Don't know how you find it on here ..... there must be a way ::) ;D Do I remember correctly that Castle Farm's website is a good one for this kind of thing. ???
Think you can get fattening pellets.
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Thanks ITH. I'll look it up
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Suzie Q - how old are yours and were yours cockadoodling? or how did you know. My LIght sussex/Marran are 7 weeks old now ad I still havnt got a clue - I'm sure tha last lot were scrapping by now! Dare I hope they are all hens? (Mind you I am relying on some for meat) . It was a great thread on life without layers pellets. Mine are on Growers and mixed corn at the mo. Confused about just how much free ranging they need to do if I move to just mixed corn (re protein and minerals), and just how much to allow if I want tender meat - that balance betweeen happy birds and tasty meat...
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Perhaps I was just lucky. We have only eaten one batch of ours. RIRs x Friesian Fowl ..... not intended for the pot but a hedgerow hatch that had to be dealt with. Just treated like the rest of the flock .... layers, corn and full time free range over a couple of acres. Dispatched at around 5 months old. Okay, not lots of meat but with a Friesian in there you wouldn't expect huge birds. The meat was lovely ... tender and juicy ... and made 2 meals for 3 people (albeit not big meat eaters).
I suppose it depends if you only have a few birds to deal with or a big batch as it were. If only a few maybe its not worth making too many special arrangements.
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There was a thread not too long ago about feeding birds destined for the table and I think the general feeling was to swap to a grain based diet - more natural. Don't know how you find it on here ..... there must be a way (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/Smileys/default/rolleyes.gif) (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/Smileys/default/grin.gif)
At last....... on page 15 :o
http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=23524.0 (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=23524.0)
....with me saying " I will be watching this thread with interest...." well that didn't last long :D ::)
Thanks :thumbsup: