2020 Meat Birds - Week 2

We are currently in Week Two of our Annual Meat Bird Project.  We've continued to move the brooder walls outward.  The different thing about this year is that we put them on grass from Day 1.  They really enjoy the grass.  In prior years, we didn't move them out of the garage and put them on grass until Week Three or Four.  This is a good thing and is more natural for the birds.  One thing we've noticed is that when we expand the size of the brooder, the chicks run to eat the blades of fresh grass BEFORE they eat their Chick Grower Ration.

Over the past week, we've put in larger waterers to meet the needs of growing birds.  We have two of them in the brooder along with 3 feed troughs.  We have heat lamps hanging over the chicks, but really don't need them during the day as it is warming up into the 80's. 

Due to the pandemic we did purchase some feed to have stacked up in the event that the feed stores closed.  We don't have quite enough to get them to butchering size, but if the feed ran out and we couldn't get more, we could always butcher them and eat them as Cornish Hens.

The Stockpile

Each Wednesday, I walk out to the chicken tractor and pull out a random, hot, stinky bird and bring it back to the garage in order to be weighed.  We like to track their weight gain to see how things are progressing.

At two weeks old, the 2020 birds weighed 20 ounces. (A 5 year record!)
Last week, the bird weighed 6 ounces, a gain of 14 ounces.
At two weeks old, the 2019 birds weighed 16 ounces.
At two weeks old, the 2018 birds weighed 18 ounces.
At two weeks old, the 2017 birds weighed 13 ounces.
At two weeks old, the 2016 birds weighed 18 ounces.

The birds are doing nicely.  I must report some "not so good" news, though.  One chick died last week and one died this week.  They were smaller than their peers and may have just gotten trampled.  Rain is forecast for tomorrow.  We'll see how things go.  We hope to keep them dry and warm during the storm.  Tune in next week for the next weigh-in.