# Meat Chickens



## Retiredontheriver (12 mo ago)

Just got my summer run of White Cross chicks. I usually raise 20 or 30 a year but have cut back to 10 this time. I have been looking to cut cost so I am going to raise a few during early summer. I have raised most of my chickens during the spring but heating the coop is costing me a lot. I hope I can raise these without providing a lot of heat in the coop. The only thing that I have a concern with is the temperature in the coop during the day. Meat chickens can get very stressed in extreme heat once they have feathered out. Was wondering if anyone raises Meat chickens in the summer and how you handled the heat in the coop.
Thanks


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

Big fan.
lots of food
lots of water
I’m sure you know this, ventilating the coop is essential for raising chickens without disease.

I only raised the Cornish cross a couple times. The white rocks were vicious creatures, but man did they grow.

There’s a guy by me that readies them for the freezer for a buck apiece, I may get back into it.


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## MichiFishy (Sep 17, 2019)

Obviously you already bought these birds, but maybe give another breed a try on your next batch? Everytime I have done Cornish X's, I say "never again". There are breeds like the Freedom Rangers, that are not as delicate, not as gross looking, taste just as good and are more independent. Big downside is time to butcher weight, like 4-6 weeks longer. But they will leave the feeder to free range, so it doesn't add as much expense to their food bill as you might think.


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## Retiredontheriver (12 mo ago)

I get them up to between 6 and 7 pounds in 6 weeks. I wished I could find someone to process for that. I paid 3 dollars each last year. I'm trying to get my cost down to less than 2 bucks a pound but with everything going up who knows. Yep I keep my coop well ventilated and will probably open up some more vents. I put a run on to the coop and hope they will stay out most of the day. I feed for 12 hours. Do you feed all day or do you take feed out?


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## Retiredontheriver (12 mo ago)

MichiFishy said:


> Obviously you already bought these birds, but maybe give another breed a try on your next batch? Everytime I have done Cornish X's, I say "never again". There are breeds like the Freedom Rangers, that are not as delicate, not as gross looking, taste just as good and are more independent. Big downside is time to butcher weight, like 4-6 weeks longer. But they will leave the feeder to free range, so it doesn't add as much expense to their food bill as you might think.


I have thought about raising those. I may give it a try next year. Do you raise in the summer? My biggest cost is trying to keep a warm coop while they are getting their feathers.


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

Retiredontheriver said:


> I get them up to between 6 and 7 pounds in 6 weeks. I wished I could find someone to process for that. I paid 3 dollars each last year. I'm trying to get my cost down to less than 2 bucks a pound but with everything going up who knows. Yep I keep my coop well ventilated and will probably open up some more vents. I put a run on to the coop and hope they will stay out most of the day. I feed for 12 hours. Do you feed all day or do you take feed out?


My biggest problem was cannibalism if the feed pan wasn’t full. They will eat their brother and down to the bones in minutes. They are just nasty little dinosaurs.

I put the water at one end of the pen, and the food at the other so that they will develop their legs rather than just laying there with their head in the feed pan, and then roll over to get a drink.

The kid that does processing around here is the son of a friend, that operates a farm to table organic chicken supply for some local restaurants. He has a different crop of chickens I think every two weeks.

He gets top dollar for them.
but that isn’t why a person should consider raising their own chickens. We should do it because we know what it is that they ate.

You can manipulate the flavor of the chicken via their diet. Myself, I don’t really care for the flavor of free range chickens that eat a lot of green stuff. I don’t like the eggs either.


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## Gsphunteronpoint1 (Mar 8, 2018)

I used to do Cornish cross in the summer, a good fan and cool water available was all I ever used. Only lost 1 bird to heat and that was my own stupidity.

Feed for only 12 hours, anymore than that and it can cause health problems. I did as gamekeeper said and would spread out my feeders and waterers to force them to move.

I have since switched to the freedom rangers and have been much happier with this breed. A lot more cost effective and all around better bird in my opinion.


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## snortwheeze (Jul 31, 2012)

@Old lund does meat chickens. He could probably be helpful


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## Old lund (Apr 20, 2016)

Give them plenty of space , I have my pen set up so the lights are in the back third and the front 2/3 is open on the top . They will go where they are comfortable , the first 2-3 weeks they need to be 85-90 * until they start to feather out . Make sure they always have fresh water , one thing I have found is I feed them 26% Turkey starter crumbles and have not gotten a broken leg after that , I keep the feeders full 24/7 and at 5.5 - 6 weeks they are ready to process . Have fun with your birds I have a batch of 25 coming this week


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## wally28 (Jan 14, 2010)

Hey, we did 30 freedom rangers and I'll never raise cornish rocks again, mortality rate is high and broken legs. The rangers will forage, walk up a ramp to the coop, and act like "normal" birds. They take another 3 weeks or so but are worth it. Dressed wt averaged 6 pounds.


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## wally28 (Jan 14, 2010)

And no health problems.


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## Retiredontheriver (12 mo ago)

Got these on June 1st.


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## MichiFishy (Sep 17, 2019)

Retiredontheriver said:


> I have thought about raising those. I may give it a try next year. Do you raise in the summer? My biggest cost is trying to keep a warm coop while they are getting their feathers.


I usually start them towards the end of May. Maybe get creative with alternative heating methods? A few 5 gallon buckets with lids left out in the sun, then moved into the coop over night?


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## Retiredontheriver (12 mo ago)

I usually start earlier but giving a late run a try this year. I have not had to heat coop but a couple of times since bringing from the brooder. I have been keeping a fan on during the day. Guess I'll see how much stress when they put on a few more pounds. So far they seem to be taking the heat ok. I have a run built in the shade and they stay in it most of the day. They dig down to the dirt to stay cool.


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## Grave-Digga (Feb 25, 2015)

We have raised more than 200 Cornish cross and Freedom Rangers combined for years now. 

Cost is supported by bird sales after harvest. Free chicken for us for a year. 

We have found that starting them in the warmer summer months makes for the best weights. We use a brooder and then wrapped chicken tractors until they are big enough to remove the wrap. The tractors are open with chicken wire to contain them protected by electric fence on the outside. 

We move the tractors twice a day to fresh forage. Old gutters work great for food troughs with water at each end of the 16 ft long tractors. 

Very successful operation


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## Grave-Digga (Feb 25, 2015)

As for processing. Find some Mennonite gals. They are great


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## jiggin is livin (Jan 7, 2011)

Grave-Digga said:


> As for processing. Find some Mennonite gals. They are great


Who takes care of the Chickens after you are done processing the Mennonite gals?


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## big buck 75 (Sep 6, 2010)

Anyone raise meat birds in the late summer into the early fall.


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

jiggin is livin said:


> Who takes care of the Chickens after you are done processing the Mennonite gals?


Is that what they call it these days?


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## Old lund (Apr 20, 2016)

big buck 75 said:


> Anyone raise meat birds in the late summer into the early fall.


I do I try to have the winter batch in the frezzer by the third weekend of September so I can focus on deer hunting and perch fishing


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