Broiler Chickens

[GaryD]

Never mind Phil......it's very useful information.....and that's what the Search function is for, anyway.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

We processed the last six of our broiler chickens today.

Our chicken harvest added up to 23.2kg......with a high end weight of 4.4kg and a low end of 3.3. The average weight across the batch was a tad under 3.9kg.

Our usual practice with large broilers is to cut them up into pieces. Several of the breasts tipped the scales at 500g each.

As a matter of interest, these chickens were 16.5 weeks old. By now, the meat is slightly darker than the chicken that comes from the supermarket and is considerably firmer, carries less fat and (in my humble opinion) tastes much better.

With this batch, I kept the gizzard (a powerful bluish brown organ) that enables the chicken, in the absence of any teeth, to grind up its food. The gizzard is cut in two and the uneaten food is flushed out before removing a thick membrane. It is used to add flavour to soups and stock and is very edible.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

The broiler shed is quiet now that the last of our meat chickens is in the freezer.

This weekend, I get to clean out the shed and straw yard. It helps me to think of it as another harvest. All of that composted straw and chicken poop for the garden.......in return for the sweat that it will take to move it around.

Gary

[FeyWind]

Do photos get removed from these threads? - I'd love to see your set up (am about to buy some broilers for myself) but I can't see any of your old pictures.

Thanks

[GaryD]

Hi Feywind,

In normal circumstances, the photos would be there but we had a mishap during the last forum software upgrade and we lost many images.

I've dug up some broiler images so you know what you can expect.

1 - They all end up looking like this (if you're lucky) so don't name them. Our most recent batch of broilers weighed up to 4.5kg dressed......at around 70 - 80 days.
2 - Our meat chickens free range - and the range doesn't get any freer than this.
3 - A group of healthy broiler chickens at about seven weeks of age.
4 - The end result.....mmm!
5 - A healthy broiler cockerel


Gary

[GaryD]

Here's a few more.....

1 - One of our two chicken houses.
2 - A bunch of broilers chowing down on BSF larvae.
3 - Our second chicken house.
4 - Day old broiler chicks
5 - Broilers at around 20 days.

Let me know if you'd specific images and I'll see what I can dig up for you.

Feel free to ask questions.

Make sure you've got some means of brooding your chicks (keeping them warm)......before you bring them home. They'll need to be kept under supplementary heat for about 3 weeks (as we go into summer).

Gary

[FeyWind]

Thanks Gary,

That explains the lost pictures - I thought you might remove them to save hard drive space. 4.5kg is huge!!! I brought them home yesterday. I've had day olds before so I set up like last time - a large box with wire on the front, a bowl with a 1 litre bottle with holes in the bottom for water, a modified plastic pot (for potplants) in a dish for food and a 40W incandescent globe under a terracotta pot for a heat source. I tried 60W but that seems too hot for them.
I ended up with 2 week old chicks because someone hadn't picked up their order - they only charged me day-old price so that was great. Also found what seems to be a half made rabbit hutch or bantam cage on the kerb for throw out so scored something for when they go outside. Tomorrow I'll pick up a bigger box from a whitegoods shop (hopefully) as they are bigger (and the box smaller) than I anticipated.

Gee they eat lots don't they. The chicks are always eating, much more than any other chook I've seen. I now understand their huge growth rate.

FeyWind

[GaryD]

Hi FeyWind,

You got a good deal on the two week old "day olds".....that's a great headstart.

I use infrared heater globes (rather than incandescent globes) because they don't produce light. Too much light can result in feather picking and that leads to cannibalism. Keep an eye out for any sign of picking and isolate any victims immediately.

If you think they're putting away the feed now, waiting until they are about 5 or 6 weeks old.

Good luck with them.......and yell if you need a hand.

Gary

[FeyWind]

Here are some pics of my set up. I had them in a smaller box when they first came home, but within a few days I picked up a fridge box from a shop and have it lying on it's side with a viewing hole and top access hole cut out.
The brooder lamp is just a canniballised desklamp inserted through a terracotta pot.
sleepingchicks.jpg

Food and water containers are likewise simple to make (although the water one doesn't work properly and needs to be squeezed to fill the resevoir)
chickboxeat.jpg

The box sits where my kids can gaze at the chicks whenever they like - and show picture books to them in the case of my youngest. And yes..... I have told the kids that we will be eating these. It is a bit of an experiment with them as we haven't slaughtered any animals at home in their memory.
chickbox.jpg

[GaryD]

Hi FeyWind,

That's a lovely chicken brooder arrangement......and I'm delighted that you have taken account of the essential requirement for them to access bedtime stories as part of your design.

If I could make one small suggestion......move feed and water closer to the brooder lamp......so that they can always access it without getting chilled.

I like the way that you are taking your kids on this journey.

While the broiler chicks' story will have an unhappy ending......it will be an important lesson for your children.....about life and death and how food gets to the dinner table.

Gary