[Maddox]

Dispatch was Ok, calm and I didnt feel they knew what was coming or suffered, we chopped off there heads (I only used this method as they were sooo big) it wasnt as bad as I though very quick with very little wing flapping and not as nearly as much blood as I had thought there would be either.

Plucking was fab, but then again Ive alway enjoyed doing it and gutting was fine(we get given pheasant from the game keeper, so Ive plucked and gutted before).

I didnt feel as bad as I had thought, once they were dead from then on all I cold see was a lovely chicken dinner. Im certainly going to get another batch of meat birds but think I will wait until end of Feb when the weather hopefully has improved and I have some minor repairs to do to the hut.

Maddox

[MiriMaran]

Its funny a old world - we fattened a cockeral recently and didn't have a problem doing the whole thing, but I could never eat one of our layers as they were never bought for food!  We are hoping to get meat birds this year.

Glad it all went well.

[Maddox]

Aaaah me too, if I had to do one off my layers that would be a whole different story!!!

As these were for meat, I treated em as such, no cuddles and no names..lol


Maddox

[Gecko]

Hi Harry, Yes, they can be slowed down by free ranging them & restricting the amount of food you allow them. I have to say though,  it wasn't much of a slower growth rate. It's a difficult choice.. they are always hungry little things, it breaks my heart to see them chirping for food when trying to restrict what they eat. I don't restrict their chick food, I let them free range from 6 weeks old

I get all my chicks from Cyril Bason. http://www.cyril-bason.co.uk/ They do deliver, but I only live 30 mins from there, so I collect.

Day old were about £1.60 each, growers (5 weeks old) were £3.50 each.

When I did my costings there was nothing in it, from 1 day olds to 5 week old growers. It was costing me about £3.50 to get my birds to 5 weeks old. I always buy the day olds. I got the growers once and they weren't  that great.

I sorry I've hijacked this thread. If I can sus it out.. I'll do a new thread with some videos of my meat chicks. I've a 6 week video diary of my 1st ever batch.

DJ Chook

Hi

Would be really interested in seeing the video diary as about to take the plunge first time with meat birds.  PM if you would and maybe you could email if not sure how to put on thread.  (Or You tube?).   

Question for all really...  Looking at numbers, thinking of about 15-20.  Dos this seem about right.. too many..too few?  Also the size of the brooder concerns me.  Its ok for 15-20 day olds but at 5-6 weeks old Im worried it may be cramped.  Any advice about size of brooder compared to number of birds etc?  thanks

[MiriMaran]

I would also love to see the video as we are thinking of doing meat birds this year.  If I was you Gecko I would have what you feel would comfortably fit in the brooder.  We plan to start off with only a few birds and see how it goes and then increase numbers at a later date.

[harry]

you said you killed and cooked it..... with the others hang some of them for 1, 2 or 3 weeks, somewhere cold, i use and old tall fridge, hang by the legs plucked but not drawn, try that.

[Maddox]

Thanks Harry will def give that ago.

Maddox

[harry]

best hang 3 then try one each week for prefered best. if hanging outside got to be rat proof and cold, if you like it buy and old fridge for a tenner.put all the racks on the top shelf for one strong shelf to hang from, i got a 6 foot tall fridge to hang 3 geese in. the meat can sometimes go a bit black in places, 3 weeks, thats good, you wont see that in good butchers as its trimmed off beaf to look better.and you will never see it in a supermarket as they are to fresh.