11/06/2026
Meat birds - 5 weeks old:
They have grown most of their feathers now and aren’t as reliant on the heat plate, so the decision to move them out to the big coop is our next thing.
They are currently just under half their full weight and still very active.
In the next couple of weeks we change their feed to a higher protein feed, this will accelerate their growth and final weight.
From what I understand, they need to be around 5+kg live weight to get 2-3kg meat weight.
We have 19 of the original 20 birds. We had to dispatch one, it had a splayed leg. After 3 weeks in the house in quarantine to try and allow the leg to recover, we made the decision that it would not be able to continue to carry its full weight comfortably.
It is definitely teaching us a lot about our own abilities to raise our own meat.
So far it’s going well. We are researching now, how to make use of everything these birds provide us. I won’t go into details, but there is a lot to consider on processing day to ensure everything is utilised and nothing is wasted, including blood and guts.
It is definitely a test in regards how well we can accept the ethical responsibility we have put upon ourselves.
