New Meat Chickens

So, Caleb and I decided to raise a few meat chickens over the summer. Actually over the next like two months.

That's how long they take to get to butcher size.

We went to our local Tractor Supply and bought ten Cornish Rock chicks. We would have gotten a Red Ranger to put in with the others but they did not have any. We where planning on getting one because of this YouTube video which says that the Cornish Rocks may be more active foragers when they are with Red Rangers than if they aren't.

Anyway, when we got home we put them in the big black tub with bedding, feed, water, and a light. We did not have a heat bulb so we used a normal one that only put off a little bit of heat. Not optimal but it was not very cold outside anyway.

The next day when we went out to check on them one was dead. I think that it got too cold.

Two days after we got them one was missing, bringing our total down to eight.

We thought that it ether got out and died in the cold or something small had gotten it.

Now before we go any farther let me explain something. Caleb and I had decided to only let them have feed during the day. Several YouTube videos said that if you only give them feed half of the time that their legs will be able to keep up with their weight gain and not have as many leg problems.

So we put their feeder in the pen all day and take it out at night.

Anyway, the later on we counted and there were nine again.

I think that it somehow got under the feeder and was there when we counted the first time and we thought there where only eight.

I will try to post some pics soon. Until then...

Seeya