Guest guest Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 The broilers are much different. Our largest one was 12 pounds last year. I raise heavy breed roosters and broilers both for meat. We prefer the flavor of the roosters better (and yes they are much smaller) but we live in the city and the neighbors are much happier with us when we raise the broilers! The broilers will grow very quickly. Don't wait too long to butcher them. They will get to the point of being so top heavy they can't stand up and walk. Once they can't get up they lose their will to live and will die quickly. The roosters are a much hardier bird than the broilers. The broilers tend to have more leg problems and need a little more babysitting but it's for such a short time period it's not that big of a deal. Enjoy your chickens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 >The broilers tend to have >more leg problems and need a little more babysitting but it's for such a short >time period it's not that big of a deal. Enjoy your chickens! Thanks! What is a " heavy breed rooster " and how big do they get? And what is the difference between a " heavy breed rooster " and a broiler ... I thought broilers were also roosters? -- Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 or, you could consider heritage breeds, like barred rocks, for example. www.mcmurrayhatchery.com heritage breeds are smarter too - and that's never bad! they can take care of themselves and they have far fewer health problems. give'em a shot! katja At 02:48 AM 4/8/2004, you wrote: >The broilers are much different. Our largest one was 12 pounds last year. I >raise heavy breed roosters and broilers both for meat. We prefer the flavor >of the roosters better (and yes they are much smaller) but we live in the >city >and the neighbors are much happier with us when we raise the broilers! The >broilers will grow very quickly. Don't wait too long to butcher them. They >will get to the point of being so top heavy they can't stand up and >walk. Once >they can't get up they lose their will to live and will die quickly. The >roosters are a much hardier bird than the broilers. The broilers tend to >have >more leg problems and need a little more babysitting but it's for such a >short >time period it's not that big of a deal. Enjoy your chickens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 is that normal? for chickens to be so abnormally large that they lose the will to live? i had sort of thought my pastured foods were spared from these scenarios. I'm going to have to call my chicken supplier and ask her -- our frozen, plucked broilers are between five and six pounds. Elaine Don't wait too long to butcher them. They > will get to the point of being so top heavy they can't stand up and walk. > Once > they can't get up they lose their will to live and will die quickly. The > roosters are a much hardier bird than the broilers. The broilers tend to have > more leg problems and need a little more babysitting but it's for such a short > time period it's not that big of a deal. Enjoy your chickens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 in my experience, only for frankenanimals. katja, the proud new owner of some bea-yooooo-teeful highland cows. shaggy! with horns! At 01:44 PM 4/8/2004, you wrote: >is that normal? for chickens to be so abnormally large that they lose the >will to live? i had sort of thought my pastured foods were spared from these >scenarios. I'm going to have to call my chicken supplier and ask her -- our >frozen, plucked broilers are between five and six pounds. >Elaine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 > Thanks! What is a " heavy breed rooster " and how big do they get? > And what is the difference between a " heavy breed rooster " and a broiler .... > I thought broilers were also roosters? > > -- Heidi Jean Here's Murray Mc Murray's heavy breeds http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/category/standard_breed_chicks.html Partridge Rocks, Silver Laced Wyandottes have the nicest feathers I think. We got their large breed mix before Red Star was only one with bad disposition. Wondering with broilers getting up to 20 lbs. if raising is extended wheather they are really capons I raised for 4-H projects when I was a kid. Did get some 5 years ago or so at farmer's supply but they were called capons. Capons are white large breed roosters that have been caponized, their gonads removed at a day old. Can be done with any breed rooster. With their testosterone not there for reproduction thinking they concentrate only on eating and gaining. Wanita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 I have been looking at getting a heritage heavy breed, but I am a little overwhelmed with the different varieties. I do not own my own land, but can " borrow " some, I have my garden on this land and it is total over 1/2 an acre. I will need to make one of those movable pasturing chickens chicken coop. Are there any breeds that would suit me the best. I of course would like the chickens to gain fairly fast and will get just roosters since they are cheaper. I have four children and would rather the chickens were not too unfriendly! a Re: Thunder chickens or, you could consider heritage breeds, like barred rocks, for example. www.mcmurrayhatchery.com heritage breeds are smarter too - and that's never bad! they can take care of themselves and they have far fewer health problems. give'em a shot! katja At 02:48 AM 4/8/2004, you wrote: >The broilers are much different. Our largest one was 12 pounds last year. I >raise heavy breed roosters and broilers both for meat. We prefer the flavor >of the roosters better (and yes they are much smaller) but we live in the >city >and the neighbors are much happier with us when we raise the broilers! The >broilers will grow very quickly. Don't wait too long to butcher them. They >will get to the point of being so top heavy they can't stand up and >walk. Once >they can't get up they lose their will to live and will die quickly. The >roosters are a much hardier bird than the broilers. The broilers tend to >have >more leg problems and need a little more babysitting but it's for such a >short >time period it's not that big of a deal. Enjoy your chickens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Well, that's kind of what I'm feeling ... that these are NOT normal chickens. They couldn't survive in the wild, they are a freak of genetic breeding. OTOH, I REALLY like big broiling chickens, and now I find out that this is how they get them! But it also depends on the food ... they grow bigger with more protein? I'm getting some goslings too ... I think they get big without being " weird " , and they eat mainly grass it seems? so that will be an interesting experiment. -- Heidi Jean >is that normal? for chickens to be so abnormally large that they lose the >will to live? i had sort of thought my pastured foods were spared from these >scenarios. I'm going to have to call my chicken supplier and ask her -- our >frozen, plucked broilers are between five and six pounds. >Elaine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 >or, you could consider heritage breeds, like barred rocks, for example. >www.mcmurrayhatchery.com >heritage breeds are smarter too - and that's never bad! they can take care >of themselves and they have far fewer health problems. >give'em a shot! >katja The " Cornish X Rocks " is the breed these are ... I've had some of the other breeds too. Mostly I have Americanas and Rhode Island Reds ... the occasional rooster has been rather small, certainly not " roaster " status. But that site has some interesting ones ... and you can get a mix, which is cool. -- Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 > katja, the proud new owner of some bea-yooooo-teeful highland cows. shaggy! > with horns! Oh Katja! I want one! I want several! Where did you get them? Do you have any pics? Rhea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2004 Report Share Posted April 9, 2004 At 09:39 PM 4/8/2004, you wrote: >Oh Katja! I want one! I want several! Where did you get them? Do you >have any pics? > >Rhea i don't have pics yet, but i will soon. i'll scan and send (unlike those *other* pics chris or paul or one of The Boys is waiting for...) i got them from jim welch, owl rock farm. he's really well known in the highland world. they're animals i could show, but that i'm not the showin' type. he's got good animals, that's for sure. he has more for sale and will trailer them reasonably, if you're serious about wanting some. they're bred and all come in around $1k. they're really quite lovely, though have i mentioned how much *bigger* the horns are now that i'm responsible for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2004 Report Share Posted April 9, 2004 At 05:24 PM 4/8/2004, you wrote: >I do not own my own land, but can " borrow " some, I have my garden on this >land and it is total over 1/2 an acre. I will need to make one of those >movable pasturing chickens chicken coop. Are there any breeds that would >suit me the best. I of course would like the chickens to gain fairly fast >and will get just roosters since they are cheaper. I have four children >and would rather the chickens were not too unfriendly! > >a hey, paula: hens aren't that much more costly - cents is all! and they're much friendlier. i've found barred rocks to be a great beginner bird...give them a shot! -katja Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2004 Report Share Posted April 9, 2004 >I of course would like the chickens to gain fairly fast >>and will get just roosters since they are cheaper. I have four children >>and would rather the chickens were not too unfriendly! Roosters are mainly for *eating* and you want to eat them before they turn into roosters ... when they become roosters they get tough and mean. My little boy was trying to get us to run them over with the car when they were loose and the kids wouldn't go outside. Plus they were roosters from a breed that seems mainly good for egg laying, and were really scrawny. Now the *broiler* breeds you don't keep very long. The commercial chickens you buy are only like 8 weeks old. I don't know about the heritage breeds (though thanks, katja, I should check them out!). Hens are cool though. All the ones I've had are nice enough (though you don't want to try picking them up unless you've hand-trained them as chicks!). They'll stick around even out of the cage, and eat all the bugs in your yard (and poop on the sidewalk, and dig up baby plants, but they do weed the flower beds nicely). I've found the Americanas to have the best " sense " and ability to keep themselves alive, and the Rhode Island Reds. The Barred Rocks ARE nice though, and seem very calm. And it's really nice to have home-grown eggs. As for cost ... the main cost is in food, not the chicks. If you have a chicken tractor or let them roam, they can find a lot of their own food. Mine get all our leftovers too ... they make a great garbage disposal. Stale cookies, that stew no one liked, fat you skimmed off something and don't need for anything else, the stuff kids leave on their plates, half glasses of milk, crackers that got bugs in them, bones with meat attached, watermelon rinds ... it all goes into the " chicken bucket " with some kefir and I let it sour til I'm ready to give it to them. -- Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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