2016 Meat Birds at Twelve Weeks Old

Yes, it is once again time for the weekly weigh in of our Red Ranger Meat Birds. The Cornish Cross birds are all frozen solid in the freezer, but the Red Rangers take 4-6 more weeks to mature.  Our goal is a 6 pound live bird.  Let's see how we're coming along.

I walked out to the chicken tractor in the pasture with a big bucket to find our bird that has a zip tie around his leg to bring him in to weigh him in the garage where I have the kitchen scale set up on my work bench.  The Red Ranger is tall and lanky and wild.  He jumped out of my bucket on the way in and I had to chase him down in the pasture.  Finally got him and put him on the scale.

I'm tired of weighing every week too, bud.

And here we go: the scale says, 5 pounds and 6 ounces.

5 lbs. 6 oz.

So, let's take a look at our table.  Last week he weighed 4 pounds 13 ounces and this week at 5 pounds 6 ounces tells us that he gained 8 ounces (or half a pound).  Will he weigh 6 pounds next week and be ready for butchering?  It's going to be real close.

Here's something else to think about.  If you look at the bird we've been weighing, it is easy to see that he's a rooster.  Roosters grower bigger and faster than hens.  For that reason I also pulled out a hen from the tractor when I walked out to the pasture. I want to weigh her to see how far behind she is.

Red Ranger hen - first time on the scale

It was the first time she's been brought in the garage, but she wasn't as wild and crazy as the rooster was.  She sat on the scale like a champ.  Drum roll...

4 pounds 7 ounces

She's about a pound behind the rooster.  Will she reach 6 pounds by next weekend? No, absolutely not.  BUT, I want to butcher all the twenty-something birds at one time and get this done.  If we can get the roosters to six pounds by next weekend, I'll butcher the hens at five or so pounds.  It's a little less than our desired finished weight, but it is time to be done with the meat birds for the year.

We will know for sure next Thursday night when the butcher date will be.  Grow birds, grow!!  I'm ready to get the 2016 meat bird crop processed and in the freezer.

2016 Meat Birds at Ten Weeks Old

The Cornish Cross Meat birds have all been processed and are in the freezer.  We have Twenty-some odd birds left - the Red Rangers.  They generally take about four additional weeks to reach maturity. So let's check in and see how they are growing. Remember that 6 pounds is our goal.  Last week, for some strange reason, they didn't gain an ounce.  They look a bit bigger this week.

Red Ranger Rooster

I only had one bird to bring to the scale this week, so it went a little quicker locating the marked bird than in previous weeks.  Russ placed old Red up on the scale that we had set up in the back yard.

Big Red's Weigh-in

Last week this old boy weighed 2 pounds 15 ounces.  This week (WOW!) he weighed 4 pounds 5 ounces.  That is extraordinary.  He gained 1 pound and 6 ounces.  That is incredible!  All I can think is that the Red Rangers are taking advantage of not having all the competition from the Cornish Cross chickens to get to the feed in the feed trough.  As a result they are eating more and growing more.

4 pounds 5 ounces

I hope this means that we'll be able to butcher all of the Red Rangers in two weeks, but I'd like to butcher all of them rather than doing two separate batches like we did with the Cornish Cross birds. So that means that to get them ALL to the 6 pound level, most likely it will take three more weeks of growth.  We'll know better at next week's weigh in.

2016 Meat Birds at Nine Weeks Old

Last Saturday we butchered all of our Cornish Cross Meat Birds that met our butchering goal of 6 pounds since a 6 pound birds yields a 4 1/2 pound carcass. Out of 26 Cornish Cross meat birds, 13 of them met those standards.  We butchered them and they now reside in our deep freeze.  I figure that we'll probably butcher the remainder of the Cornish Cross birds this Saturday and that will leave just the Red Rangers to grow for another 4 weeks.

With 13 less mouths to feed in the chicken tractor, I was thinking that the birds would have more space around the feed trough and thus less competition for feed and they should grow faster.  Let's see how that theory played out.  Since the Cornish-X bird we were tracking with the zip tie around his leg was butchered, I just grabbed an average sized bird out of the 13 left.

One of the remaining 13 Cornish Cross birds being weighed

Whoa!  How about that!  He weighs 6 1/2 pounds.  Yes, he's ready to go on Saturday.

6 1/2 pounds

The Red Ranger still has his zip tie on so I brought him into the garage for weighing.

Red Ranger sitting on the scale

Now this is mighty strange.  This week the Red Ranger weighs exactly 2 pounds 15 ounces.

2 pounds 15 ounces

That is not good at all.  He weighed 2 pounds 15 ounces last week!  What's going on here?  My theory tested out for the Cornish Cross birds, but not the Red Rangers. To be honest, I don't know what happened there.  

As the table above shows, the Cornish X bird grew about a pound from last week and weighs a pound and a quarter more than at the same time last year.  The Red Ranger (disappointingly) weighs exactly the same as last week, but is still 10 ounces heavier than at the same time last year.  Hopefully, he'll resume a nice weight gain again. 

We'll butcher all of the remaining Cornish Cross birds this Saturday and then that will leave just the roughly 25 Red Rangers in the Chicken Tractor to grow for another (maybe) four more weeks before butchering.  

2016 Meat Birds at 8 Weeks Old

Tonight is potentially the last weigh-in for most of the Cornish Cross Meat Birds. At eight weeks old under normal circumstances, the Cornish Cross chickens are ready to be processed and put into the freezer.  Our goal is a 6 pound bird.  Tonight we'll see if the Cornish Cross we've been weighing every Thursday night for the last 8 weeks is ready.

Benjamin had a track meet tonight and we got back late.  That's okay.  The lights were shining brightly in the chicken tractor.  I pushed it forward one length and then jumped inside to see if I could located the two birds I marked with zip ties on their legs.  We had a gully washer (2 inch rain) today, so the birds were wet.  I got a little wet myself climbing into the chicken tractor with 50 birds in it.

The Chicken Tractor at night

I put them in my 5 gallon bucket and trudged back to the garage.  Then I place them on top of my workbench for a side by side view.  Yeah, the Cornish Cross is markedly larger than the Red Ranger.

Cornish Cross (left) and Red Ranger (right)

Cornish Cross gets weighed first.  He's pretty heavy.  We'll see if he hit the 6 pound mark...

And....

Yes he did.  Six pounds and 3 ounces to be exact

Tipping the scale at 6 lb. 3 oz.

In looking at the table below, the Cornish Cross gained 5 ounces since last week. Old Boy has been gaining about a pound each week.  This week his weight gain fell off, but he's still a whopping 2 pounds and 1 ounce heavier than last year's birds at this juncture!

It's the Red Ranger's turn to get weighed.  He promptly sits down.

Red Ranger weighs how much?

The Red Ranger weighs 2 pounds 15 ounces this week.

2 pounds and 15 ounces

Let's look at our comparative figures.  Well, this is interesting.  The Red Ranger gained 5 ounces this week.  The same weight gain as the Cornish X and he's 11 ounces heavier than the Red Rangers at this same time last year.

So what does all this mean?  Well, it means that Saturday we'll be butchering most of the Cornish Cross meat birds ~ about 25 of them.  I will weigh them, however, and if any are substantially lighter than 6 pounds, we'll throw 'em back and let 'em grow for a while.  Since the quantity butchered in this batch is low, we'll likely pluck the 25 birds by hand as the Whiz Bang Chicken Plucker is at a friend's house.  The Red Rangers will continue to grow and forage on the pasture for another 3-4 weeks until it's their turn for processing.  Having most of the Cornish Cross meat birds gone will give the Red Rangers more room in the chicken tractor and, most importantly, more room at the feed trough.

We'll show some of the chicken processing pictures from Chicken Butchering Saturday and we'll meet here again next Thursday to weigh the Red Ranger.  By that time all the Cornish Cross meat birds will be frozen solid in the freezer.

2016 Meat Birds at 6 Weeks Old

Like at Weight Watchers, we gather at the scale every Thursday evening with a sharp eye on the scale.  One difference, however.  We are hoping for weight GAIN - in our chickens, that is.  We're tracking the weight on our meat birds.  We have had stellar spring weather, and I think the birds are really benefiting from sunshine, dry pasture grounds and the corresponding growth of pasture grass to snack on, supplementing their 18% Chick Grower.

We are watching 1 Cornish Cross closely.  He seems to be experiencing some genetic leg issues that are very common with the breed due to rapid weight gain. The bird is wobbly, rocking back and forth.  To be honest, I don't like to see this in an animal.  While totally healthy otherwise, I don't want to see him struggle like this for another two weeks as the problem will only get worse as he eats more and grows bigger.  I think that I'll butcher him this weekend and put him in the freezer.  Other than that one bird, the flock is the healthiest we've ever had.

Let's see if the proof is in the pudding.  Do the facts bear that out?  Here are our two marked birds side by side.  Yes, the Cornish Cross is noticeably larger, but that is expected.

Red Ranger and Cornish Cross side by side

First up, the Cornish Cross.  He flaps his wings and steps on the scale, his large frame filling the top of the kitchen scale.

The Biggest Loser?  No, he was the winner...

He weighs 5 pounds 1 ounce this week.

Tipping the scales at a tad over 5 pounds

This old boy gained 1 pound and one ounce over the last week and compared with the same week last year, he weighs a whopping 2 pounds and 8 ounces more!

Let's see what the slower growing Red Ranger did this week in the weight gain department.  He is a "rangier," more active bird.  I put him in the bucket to bring him into the garage and he promptly flew out and I had to catch him again.  The Cornish Cross?  He couldn't do that to save his life!

 

Lean, but active and growing

The Red Ranger weighs 2 pounds and 3 ounces this week.

Breaking the 2 pound threshold

So to get down to brass tacks, he's gained 10 ounces since last week.  That's pretty good for the Red Ranger.  He is almost a pound heavier than the Red Rangers at the same time last year.

Plans for this weekend include putting down another feed container for them.  They have outgrown the gutter I use as a feed trough.  As they get bigger and bigger, there's simply not enough room around the "supper table" for all of them.  I'll remedy that this weekend, so no one skips a meal.

 

Needing more elbow room

It appears we're right on track to butcher the Cornish Cross meat birds at 8 weeks if things continue to progress.

2016 Meat Birds at 5 Weeks Old

So here we are at five weeks old.  As I walked out to the chicken tractor with my bucket in hand tonight, I was thankful that we didn't lose any birds last night.  We had quite a storm!  The wind blew ferociously, knocking down limbs all over the yard.  I have hinges on the roof of the chicken tractor and each day I open the roof, bend down, and pour chick grower into the gutters I use as feed troughs for the birds.  Wouldn't you know that yesterday, I neglected to latch the roof.  The wind caught one half of the roof, picked it up and blew it backward with such force that it broke.  Fortunately the birds were all safe and sound.

I got into the chicken tractor and searched for our two birds that I have marked with zip ties on their feet.  I found them finally and placed them in the bucket and brought them into the garage for the weigh-in.  I had pushed them to fresh grass earlier in the afternoon, so they were still foraging around eating blades of grass.  By tomorrow the grass will be picked over pretty good and FULL of chicken poop.

Clean, green grass... For Now

Here's a side by side shot.  The Cornish Cross on the left is head and shoulders (literally) above the Red Ranger at the five week mark.  Notice I have an empty feed bag on top of my workbench so the birds don't poop on it.  I've learned this from experience.

Facing off before the weigh-in

First up on the scale this week is the Cornish Cross.  You can see that his crop is full, even though it was after 9 pm in this picture and I fed them at 5 pm.  He's a monster.  Let's see what he weighs...

Cornish X

Exactly 4 pounds this week.

4 pounds

Here is our comparison in weight, first comparing this week with last week and then this week with same week last year.  We've seen significant increases on both with gains of 1 pound and 1 ounce over last week and a whopping 1 pound and 12 ounces over the same week last year.  Whereas we butchered the Cornish Cross meat birds last year at 10 weeks, I think these may be ready at the 8 week point this year.  We'll see.

Oh, I almost forgot.  I read today that Cornish Cross hens are butchered at the 4 to 5 week time frame to be sold as "Cornish Hens."  That is pretty interesting.  I always wondered about Cornish Hens and where they came from.  Those fat little tasty birds are merely these birds butchered in four or five weeks instead of 8.

Now let's look at the Red Ranger by comparison.  The Red Ranger is a leaner bird and he roams around a lot more than the Cornish Cross who just lazily waddles around and plops down on the ground, even to eat.

Red Ranger on the scale

1 pound 9 ounces this week...

1 pound 9 ounces

Here's the table comparing weights over several time frames for the Red Ranger. While the Red Ranger is growing, it is clear to see that it is on a much smaller (and more natural) scale (pardon the pun) than the Cornish Cross monster.

A lot can change between now and butchering time, but I'm guessing the Red Ranger is going to take every bit of 12 weeks to mature, if not more.  We'll check in on their progress next week at this time.  See you then!

2016 Meat Birds at 4 Weeks Old

The meat birds turned four weeks old today.  I walked out to the chicken tractor on the pasture with a bucket to pick out our two birds marked with zip ties around their ankles and carried them into the garage where I had the scale set up.  While I zeroed out the scale, I placed the two birds side by side so that you could see the difference in both breeds.

You'll remember that the Cornish Cross on the right matures at 8-10 weeks old and the Red Ranger matures at 10-12 weeks old.  You can tell be the picture below that the Cornish Cross has a big size advantage over his buddy.

Red Ranger (left) and Cornish Cross (right)

As I placed the Cornish Cross on the scale, one thing that I noticed is that his crop is full.  Can you see it bulging in the picture?  That means that he's just eaten.  In fact he's always eating!  The Cornish Crosses act as if they never get full.

The Cornish X tipping the scales

Drum roll please...  The Cornish Cross at 4 weeks old weighs in at 2 pounds and 15 ounces. Remember that we are aiming for a 6 pound bird at 8 weeks old.  Seems like it is possible that we'll make it on the Cornish Crosses.

Halfway there!

So let's take a closer look.  Last week the Cornish X weighed 1 lb. 15 ounces, so that fellow gained exactly a pound in a week.  If you compare the birds at four weeks old last year, we are WAY ahead of where we were - 1 pound 11 ounces to be exact.  I attribute that to better weather this year and healthier overall birds.

The tale of the tape

Let's have a look at the Red Ranger.  He's a broad, good looking bird, but just not as stocky and meaty as the Cornish Cross.

Red Ranger on the scale

And, this week the Red Ranger weighs 1 pound 5 ounces.

Red Ranger on the scale

Although the Red Ranger doesn't grow as quickly as the Cornish X, he's still growing.  He weights 6 ounces more than last week and 9 ounces more than the same week last year.

They're both growing.  I feel confident that the Cornish Cross, if they keep it up, will be ready for butchering at 8 weeks.  At this point (and things could certainly change), it looks like it is going to take the full 12 weeks for the Red Ranger to be mature.

One thing I wanted to share about feed troughs for the birds is that you want to make sure that all of your birds can fit around the trough to feed if they want to.  I actually found that a 10 foot vinyl gutter works great as a feed trough.  It is inexpensive and indestructible.  It allows all the chickens to get in there and eat when I bring them their Chick Grower.  Some of the birds are civilized and just line up nice and orderly to eat.  Others have no couth and actually stand up in the gutter.

In the gutter

I've been pushing the tractor to fresh grass each day and the birds seem to be doing well, eating grass and growing.  We are about empty of meat birds in our freezer, so in 4 or 5 weeks, it ought be be time to replenish the inventory.  One thing about pushing them is that the cows come running to eat on spilled feed leftover on the ground.  I don't like them to eat that close to the ground where the potential is high for them to pick up a parasite.  So as soon as I push the tractor, I lay down a tarp on the ground weighted down by a few bricks to keep the cows from eating on the ground.

Next week we'll take a look at where we are in our journey to 6 pounds... 

2016 Meat Birds at 3 Weeks Old

It's week 3 in the lives of the meat birds.  As we talked about yesterday, we moved them out of the brooder and out onto the pasture.  I walked out and hopped into the tractor and pulled out a Cornish Cross and a Red Ranger and put them in a bucket to bring them into the garage where I had the scale set up on my workbench with a rag on top to protect against chicken poop.

Cornish Cross @ 3 weeks old

Actually I didn't just pick any bird, I picked the ones we marked to follow by placing a zip tie around their legs.  Last year I tried to mark the ones I'd weigh each week by putting a dot of water based paint on top of them, but the paint wore off.  The zip ties work better.  I'll just have to watch closely that they don't grow too much, causing the zip tie to get too tight around their feet.

Marking the birds to weigh each week

And time for the weekly results!  This week the Cornish Cross weighed almost 2 pounds.

1 lb 15 ounces

Here's a little comparison I worked up that compares this week with last week and with our birds last year at three weeks old:

As the table shows, our Cornish Cross gained 13 ounces over the past week, and they weigh 1 lb and 1 ounce more than the birds did from the same time last year.  That's some significant growth. Remember, we're aiming for a 6 pound bird on butchering day.

Now let's look at the Red Rangers.  They run around more and act more like a normal chicken would, whereas the Cornish Cross mainly sits, eats, and poops.  The Red Ranger is a taller, leaner bird as you can see.

Red Ranger at 3 Weeks old

And here you can see that at 3 weeks old the Red Ranger weighs almost a pound.  15 ounces, to be precise.

15 ounces

Here's the same table with the same comparative metrics, but for the Red Ranger:

The Red Ranger gained 7 ounces over the past week and weighs 6 ounces more than the birds from last year at 3 weeks old.

I've taken them off of the Game Bird feed and they are now completely eating Chick Grower (18% protein).  Well, that's not totally factual.  They eat grass now that they are on pasture and they also eat something else that they are absolutely crazy about that is unusual.  I think I'll talk about that tomorrow.