The Scoop from the Coop

February 14, 2022April 19, 2023

Maximizing Meatbird Potential Through Nutrition

If you raise chickens for meat, you know the importance of diet in getting your birds to harvest weight in as little time as possible. Because meat birds (for example, Cornish cross or broilers) are harvested between 6 and 10 weeks of age, it’s important to rapidly maximize growth. A diet containing 22% protein may support this rapid development. Probiotics are another important key to high yield in a short time frame. Our new formulation adds essential oils that promote growth and flock health and yucca extract that helps reduces coop odors.

Why Probiotics for Meat Birds?

Proven research studies have found that probiotics help create a bigger bird in the same period of time. According to Dr. Gary Davis from North Carolina State University, quality probiotics “enhance nutrient utilization, uptake, and absorption…[and] an immune response in the bird’s gut. This is an excellent management tool to help birds fight off diseases.” Effective probiotics may include the following strains:

Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus casei
Enteroccus faecium
Bifidobacterium thermophilum

Beneficial bacteria create a bigger bird during the same time period. These Cornish cross siblings of the same sex are 21 days old. They were fed a 22% protein diet with the following additives: left, no additives; middle, antibiotics; right, live, quality, stable probiotics. The probiotic difference is clear. (*Image courtesy of Star-Labs.*)

Diets containing high-quality, stable probiotics, such as NatureWise® Meatbird Feed, can boost the number of good gut bacteria, crowd out bad gut bacteria, increase nutrient absorption, and create a slightly acidic gut that favors good bacteria.

Why Essential Oils for Meat Birds?

Nutrena’s new, improved NatureWise® Meatbird Feed taps into the amazing powers of essential oils. These essential oils are distilled from leaves, flowers, stems, and roots. We’ve carefully formulated a combination of oregano, thyme, rosemary, star anise to promote digestion, growth, and a healthy immune system. These essential oils enhance the taste and freshness of the feed, resulting in better feed consumption. Chickens eating Nutrena NatureWise® feed showed more growth compared to chickens eating comparable amounts of other national brands. Finally, we’ve added yucca extract to our feeds. This phytogenic compound reduces the amount of ammonia in your birds’ droppings, meaning less odor in your coop.

oregano — Essential oils from thyme and other herbs contribute to better tasting feed and better growth.

See for Yourself!

Ask for new, improved NatureWise® Meatbird Feed with probiotics, essential oils, and yucca. It will support your birds’ health, healthy growth, muscle development, and livability—all without antibiotics. To maximize the potential of NatureWise® Meatbird Feed, follow these feeding instructions:

Provide as the sole ration from hatch to finish.
Free feed for the first three days, then use a 12-hours-on/12-hours-off feed rotation to prevent overeating.
Keep clean, fresh water available at all times.
Clean feeders and waterers regularly.

For more information on these probiotics and their benefits, see the post “Chicken Feeds: They’re not all the same.”

July 20, 2021February 5, 2021

Top 3 Poultry Myths – Meat Birds

Let’s bust some myths on meat birds also called meat chickens. What are meat birds? How do you feed meat birds? In this video Twain Lockhart, Nutrena’s Poultry Expert will debunk the top 3 meat bird myths.

August 13, 2020April 17, 2020

Raising Meat Birds

Interested in raising chickens or other poultry species for meat? It’s a different game than raising laying hens. Listen in as Nutrena poultry expert Twain Lockhart shares valuable advice on getting started in the meatbird world.

Helpful tips:

Cornish Crosses are the best bird to raise for meat
Separate them from other breeds
Restrict their diet to feed 12 hours on, 12 hours off
Feed a specialized meat bird diet that is higher in protein

January 18, 2018April 16, 2019

Are Pheasants for You?

So you’ve mastered poultry care and are ready for the next challenge, are pheasants for you? These beautiful birds will for sure test your skills, but can be just as rewarding to have as part of your flock.

It’s important to note, that pheasants aren’t for the faint of heart. They require delicate care, and can differ drastically in nutrition and personality compared to poultry. Here are a few basics to consider, if you are serious about exploring pheasants:

Breeds

The more popular pheasant breeds reside in the Ringneck family, including: Manchurian Cross Ringneck, Chinese Ringneck and Extra Large Ringneck. You may also be interested in the Chukar, Melanistic Mutant and K Thunder breeds.

Starting Out

The easiest way to start out with pheasants is to purchase them as pheasant chicks. As with poultry, you want to create a brooder house that protects the chicks from weather, drafts and predators. Heat lamps are important to include into your brooder when bringing home pheasant chicks. It’s not recommended to use wood shavings for their bedding, but instead chopped straw, as they have a tendency to eat the shavings. Adequate space for your pheasant chicks should also be factored in, as with chicks.

Nutrition

Pheasants, in general, require a higher protein starter feed such as Nutrena Country Feeds Meatbird 22% Crumble. When ready to move onto a grower feed, options can include Nutrena Country Feeds Gamebird or Nutrena NatureWise Meatbird poultry feed.

When birds reach 16-20 weeks, maintenance feeds like Nutrena NatureWise Layer 16% Crumble Feed or Nutrena NatureWise Feather Fixer would be a sufficient option.

Remember, just like any other bird, adequate water is highly important. Note that pheasants may be more likely to drown in a water dish, so consider a thin-lipped auto waterer or adding some marbles to your waterer to protect the birds.

General Considerations

Pheasants have a tendency to spook easier than other birds, so use caution when working around and caring for your pheasants.
Pheasants will pick at each other in captivity, so make sure you have given your birds enough space in the pen, as well as at the feeder.
Try not to mix species if you have other birds or poultry. Chickens may have a tendency to pick on the pheasants.
The personality of a pheasant is often much different than that of poultry, so recognize that your pheasants may not exemplify the docile characteristics you see in the rest of your flock.

Although a challenge, these beautiful creatures can offer much reward to bird enthusiasts. If you follow these tips, do your research, and provide diligent care, you are likely to see success in the field of pheasant raising!

December 26, 2015December 5, 2019

Care and Feeding of Meatbirds

Chick Care
The basic care of meatbird chicks is similar to other types of chicks. You’ll need to provide a heat source along with free choice fresh water and appropriate feed. An important part of raising meatbirds is allowing for enough space for them to grow.

With a growth rate that is second to none, these birds will become too big for a brooder that seems the right size in just a week or two. Make sure to plan for expansion of your brooder to allow the space to get bigger along with the chicks. A dry and clean brooder is always essential; this will keep the birds comfortable, discourage the development of flies, and help prevent disease.

Dual purpose breeds are traditional breeds like Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, etc. They can be raised for eggs or meat. These birds are the slowest to finish and are typically harvested around 22 weeks of age. They have less developmental problems than hybrid meat breeds, and they will usually yield less meat.

Red Rangers are a type of meat chicken that provides a ‘happy medium’ between dual purpose breeds and Cornish Cross. They should be harvested around 12 – 14 weeks. They aren’t as delicate as Cornish Cross and have less developmental problems. In addition, they do better foraging than a Cornish. Their meat yield is in between a Cornish and dual purpose.

Cornish Cross is a hybrid and is the most common meat chicken. It makes up the majority of meat purchased in stores or consumed in restaurants. Cornish are very economical with their feed to meat conversion, which means they grow very fast – they

are usually ready to harvest around 8 weeks! A few things to be aware of with this breed: because of their rate of growth they can have problems with organ failure and leg issues. These birds do not do well when comingled with other breeds – it’s best to keep Cornish separate. Additionally, they are ONLY suitable for meat production – do not try to keep them long term.

Feeding meatbirds
For dual purpose chicks, you may choose to feed a meatbird ration from the start. However, if you have straight run chicks and are not sure which are males, you can start the batch on chick starter and then switch the ones you will harvest to meatbird feed once their gender becomes apparent.

For faster growing hybrid birds, you’ll want to feed a specific meatbird ration from day one. This will ensure that the birds are getting certain amino acid levels and protein amounts to encourage muscle development and growth. Because meatbirds have been developed to put on muscle mass quickly, the ration must be balanced to make sure that nutrients are present for skeletal and internal organ development as well. If the correct ration is not fed, the birds are more apt to fall victim to common maladies like organ failure and leg issues. Follow these simple feeding recommendations to help avoid complications:

Feed free choice the first 3 days of life
After 3 days, allow 12 hours with feed, 12 hours without