Who has raised chickens?

[culthero]

My co-workers and I are taking turns spending a week up at a farm tending Cornish Cross Broilers.

8 of us have went in and purchased the feed and the chickens for 7 bucks per chick, raising them on open grass - ironically across the street from a Golden Plump chicken mill. I just recently finished my week, but I am excited to get my semi-free range chickens (please note we used a 10' x 12' pen moved daily to prevent parasites and whatnot) in early September come rendering time.

Anyone else get the joy of raising happy animals that taste much more delicious cause they eat bugs and worms and whatnot?

[culthero]

That's what I get for asking who farms at 2:30 AM CST.

:D

[brekke2]

growing chickens is fairly easy, it helps if you feed them some grain along with their natural food. I raised chickens when i was growing up in the San Fernando Valley just north of L.A. also rabbits turkeys and pigeons. This was back in the 1930's don't think you could do that any more. Now all I do is grow vegtablesw and fruit trees Now live in the central valley of California near Fresno great area for peaches plums, [pears etc., etc. Also grow three kinds of grapes. only have small lot so ony have 11 fruit trees two oranges and a black jack fig. pllus four blue berry bushes. live in the city so can't grow chickens or other small anamals. but live close enough to the county that we can hear the cows in the morning from the local fRM about 1/2 mile away from the house.

[RTchoke]

I have 19 of the pesky buggers right now. I'm rather annoyed with them right now because they ate my two favorite hostas AND tapered off on their egg production. I keep telling them, chicken and dumplings is sounding awful good right now, but they don't seem to be listening.

[VA-165 Boomer]

I have 19 of the pesky buggers right now. I'm rather annoyed with them right now because they ate my two favorite hostas AND tapered off on their egg production. I keep telling them, chicken and dumplings is sounding awful good right now, but they don't seem to be listening.Do you supplement with a laying mash?

[RTchoke]

Do you supplement with a laying mash?

Yep. We are wondering if it isn't the temp fluctuations. It was over 100+ degrees here for a couple weeks then rained and turned cold for about 4 days (as in 40 degrees at night).

They haven't done this before. The only other time we has production issues was right after they molted. It took them longer than normal to get back to laying but they eventually did. Now out of the 19 I'm lucky to get 2 eggs a day. :eh:

[VA-165 Boomer]

high temps can do it

[RTchoke]

high temps can do it

Thanks. All the reading I have done just has me more confused than anything. Every "chicken manual" :razz: says something different so you end up second guessing what you are doing.

The only variable we have had lately is the much hotter weather so we went with that theory. Glad to see we may have been right. :D

I'm hoping they will get back to normal soon. Weather is more moderate the past few days.

Oh, they are still on the list for eating my hostas though. :angel:

[RickRhetoric]

I once raised a few chickens, about 10 or 15, but they all turned into pets and I didn't have the heart to kill them.

All meat products on my table come from the supermarket where no animals are harmed in the process.

[WJStafford]

7 bucks??? That's a little (2X) high...

Boomer is right, the heat plays a huge factor.