When Mom and Dad went to Australia in November and I was tending the cows daily I realized how much I enjoyed having something to do other than my normal daily tasks. I liked checking on the cows to make sure they were all ok. I knew then I'd really like to learn more and do more outside.
In February I decided that I would really like to try raising meat birds. Thankfully mom wanted to as well, so we have ventured together in this new experience. We ordered the chicks through a company in Black Creek (Reliable Poultry Service) and picked up the 33 COBB 500 chicks on March 15th in Errington. We ordered 30 and they had sent a few extra. Mike and Beth also got 30 and we ordered all together.
The Meat Bird Chicken Coop
Mom, Kate and I had built a brooder box from material we had on hand... found in dads shop. Kate has mad drilling skills. Mom is brave with a chop saw. I was ensuring our measurements were all correct. We ended up with a cute brooder box. We used the old sheep/llama shed near our home to house the chicks. We filled the brooder box with pine shavings.
Brooder Box
Day of Delivery
1 day old
When the chicks were 2.5 weeks old we extended the box to 2/3 of the coop, and a week later (at 3.5 weeks) to include the whole coop except where we keep the feed (in an old garbage can with a lid to prevent critters from stealing). The whole coop is lightly covered with the pine shavings and we've bought 4 bags of it. We won't need another bag. We cover highly pooped areas with the shavings and when they're gone we will take the shavings and add them to our gardens. Chicken poop is the best fertilizer. The chicks needed the heat lamp on all the time for the first 3 weeks. For the next week or week and half we had it on at night or on particularly cold days. For the last week and a half we haven't had the heat lamp on at all.
2.5 weeks old
When the chicks were between 4 and 5 weeks and the weather outside was delightful we decided to start encouraging them to go outside. We have started feeding them outside, except for when it is raining. They slowly adjusted and now regardless of if their feed is outside will be outside, even if it is drizzling. When I am in the pool yard in the garden and they hear me talking to the girls they will run over to the fence where I am closest to. We built up with the shavings a hill for them to get outside as there is roughly a 10 inch cement door jam. They have played in the shavings, aka ruined the hill, and now just hop onto the cement and then in or out.
3.5 weeks old
For roughly the first 2 weeks we fed "starter crumbles" and since then we have fed "grower crumbles" and next week or later this week we will start feeding them "finisher pellets." The birds are going to Al's Feathers Be Gone on May 10 to be butchered at 8 weeks old.
Last week Mom took pictures to the farmers market with her and the men she has tables next to had nothing but high praise for how the meat birds looked, and one was determined to have his get outside more.
5.5 weeks old
Yesterday 3 were flying over the barrier to where we keep the food and stand while we are in the coop... I was brave and picked them up and put them back. I haven't wanted to touch them but I was brave and took care of it.
I LOVE the idea of feeding my family food that I know where it came from. I know these birds are well cared for. They've run around outside. I know they are healthy. We are selling some of our batch to cover the start up cost and cost of raising them. They sold VERY quickly. This time Chris and I are selling the majority of what we've raised and will eat our chicken for free :) Next time we will keep more to last us through the fall/winter and end up having some cost.
We are getting 20 of a different breed of meat bird (Sassos) around May long weekend, that will be 4 weeks old from a man at the market. They forage more and are slower growers and will be butchered at 12 weeks old. Mom and I plan to get more COBB 500 in the middle/end of August.
Side note: We have had 3 die. One early who just wasn't growing- failure to thrive. One got a hurt leg and we had to kill it (and by we I mean Mom and Dad). And finally one died last week while eating- we think it was over eating and had heart attack (Mom buried it).
This is totally a record for me so I remember next time... or next year... or for anyone who wants to try it!
In the middle of April Mom and I bought some point of lay hens. She already had 8. I bought 4 and she bought 12 more. There are a total of 24 layers in the coop near her house. I LOVE collecting eggs every day. Being pregnant and on a high protein need I have 2 eggs every morning. I love not buying eggs at the store. I think eggs are a ridiculous price in the grocery store. And also did you know that eggs don't go bad for 6 months... so when the egg carton says their best before date... they're actually OLD eggs!!! Yuck.
This past week I planted a portion of our garden. The pool yard has raised garden beds. I planted 7 tomato plants (3 early girl, 2 cherry, 1 gold roma and 1 beef steak), beets, broccoli (that I had started inside in March), carrots, peas, swiss chard, kale and bok choy. I also transplated a chive plant from moms into the garden. I have never gardened. I hope that this is successful and we have a plentiful harvest. I have 16 pepper plants that I started inside too that I transplanted into 4inch pots this last week. They look real healthy. I plan on growing them in the garden shed that has lots of windows so the plants will be nice and warm and hopefully produce very well. There is talk of Dad rototilling the "old garden" (where we grew things when I was a kid) and if that happens I will plant more of everything and add zucchini, cucumbers, beans, peas and corn.
Dreams do come true!
This is the raised garden boxes, I've transplanted the rose bush elsewhere. The peppers will grow in that garden shed.
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