In the interest of adding some new threads to the forum, here's what thought wandered through my head today....

It looks like we're going to get possession of the house around July 3rd, but since we need to get the basement waterproofed we probably won't actually move in until July 14th. I was thinking of getting Keith's dad to help me build a chicken tractor (or tractors) and setting them up on the area where I want to have my garden next year. My thought is that their droppings could break down over the winter and help increase the soil fertility in that area.

So I'm wondering, is August too late to start a batch of meat birds? I don't have an incubator so I'd be starting with day-old chicks. I checked the Murray McMurray website and it looks like they deliver through October. I was thinking that if I got started in August I could butcher them by mid-October. Any suggestions on breeds? Given my short timespan I'd need something that grew pretty quickly, but I've heard that some of the big meat birds don't do well in tractors because they're too stupid to forage. How many birds can you fit in a tractor anyway? Anybody know of a website with plans?

Off to search the web.... :)

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2003

Answers

I had gotten a couple of chicks from the fair in August. They were white and got really big in a few months. So big, in fact that they had trouble walking. I never knew what they were. I always gave my chickens food even though they free ranged.

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2003

I recommend anyone wanting to do chickens in movable pens to get a copy of joel salatin's Pastured Poultry Profits. Covers everything, including plans for pens.

You will want to order Jumbo Cornish Cross for extra fast growth, although they are obnoxious. I used mostly Cornish Roasters (Murray MacMurray has em). They grow a little slower but still will be ready in about 8 to 10 weeks, depending on how big you want em. They will forage good enough; if you move them in the morning, and don't give em any feed till noon, they will eat the grass till they are fed, cuz they're pigs disguised as chickens and cannot go five minutes without stuffing their faces with whatever is available. Put them on short, fresh and tender grass;if it has some clover or dandelion or other broadleafs or such all the better. I raised about 65 birds in a 10 X 12 pen, even though lots of folks put a whole lot more in there, I didn;t like the way they got the area so soiled in 24 hrs when they got some size on em. They crap as much as they eat after all!

Chickens R fun!

It's an excellent plan to put them in next year's garden area.

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2003

I've read Joel Salatin's book but it's been a while so I've got in on reserve at the library, along with Andy Lee's chicken tractor and day- range poultry books. I'll probably just do a batch of 25 since that's the smallest order Murray McMurray will take. I think I may do the Cornish roasters instead of the Jumbo Cornish cross to try to avoid the leg problems, I don't mind if the birds are a little smaller come butchering time.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2003

Sherri, you're gonna have to buy these books.....you'll refer to them all the time.

And trust me, the Cornish Roasters will be plenty big enough! If you grow them for 12 weeks they'll be huge.....like dress out at 7-9 pounds, little turkeys!

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2003

Oops, why did my bird's name show up as my name. well, that was me, aka Willie

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2003

I wondered about that too, Dee! Oh well.

Sherri, my last experience with chickens was bantams about 35 years ago, so I guess I won't be much help! ;-)

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2003

Thanks all for the information above - I am supposed to begin constructing a 'chicken tractor' today for our home and am in process of gaining information as required. Thanks especially for Joel Salatin book.

Good luck with your tractor Sherri C. - we are building to build up our soil and for the quality eggs. Well, hopefully better quality eggs.

Have a great Memorial Day everybody.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2003

Sherri...you'll find that meat chickens are sooo easy to raise!! We raise ours in the baby goat's pen (in the barn) after the "kids" are sold, for about four or five weeks (on layer mash). Then we move them out into a 10x8ft. outside pen with a small A-frame for shelter. They spend about a month there eating just plain layer pellets and kitchen/garden refuse. We let them out to free-range for about an hour or so every day. By the time they're 8 to 9 weeks old they weigh 4 or 5 lbs. (butchered). We feed no medicated grain and we also give them free choice goat's milk along with their water. I think the extra calcium in the milk helps deter joint problems. August is definitely not too late to start chicks...they grow so FAST!!! And like EM said, they are alot of fun especially when they chase each other around trying to catch the juiciest moth or bug!!!

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2003

BTW...I've never tried a "chicken tractor". We just alternate where the outside pen is placed each year. I guess that's similar to what a chicken tractor is :-)!! Mine is used for a "turkey pen" after the meat chicks are done with it.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2003