[SMD66]

Birds for the table should be fed chicken growers pellets or finisher pellets.  Speak to your local feed merchant or look on-line at places like BOCM pauls or Allen and Page.  The corn/wheat will add fat more than meat weight.

[digga666]

So what do "corn fed free range chickens" eat that i see for sale and have bought in the shops?

[Caralou]

I have light sussex for the layers and the table - ended up with 2 boys and 2 girls from the hatch surviving. I intend to cull the boys at 20 weeks or first crow, whichever comes first. They get some extra corn in the evening but during the day they free range with the rest of the chicks/young birds so get growers pellets and as many bugs as they can find. I know they wont be huge to eat at the end, but they are very happy and will be lovely and tasty 

[archiesgems]

So what do "corn fed free range chickens" eat that i see for sale and have bought in the shops?

Corn feds are fed on just that, nothing else added apart from extra vits, and i have to say that the ones that i have done have been some of the healthiest birds going, think about it wild birds don't eat pellets and all the gibbings that we think we have to throw down the crops of our birds, and pheasants are the same structure as a chuck (you can cross breed these with chickens) and they are big enough in one season to eat from wild stock.

[digga666]

Thankyou archiesgems, can you tell me can i feed broilers just wheat (corn) if they are kept outside on grass and anything else they can scratch up?

I can get a good supply of wheat (corn) and intend to produce a few corn fed this way if it is possible and also allow them to live longer if thats possible also.

[SMD66]

wild birds don't eat pellets and all the gibbings that we think we have to throw down the crops of our birds

Growers Pellets are not necessarily something we 'have to throw the crops of our birds,'  wild birds don't eat layers pellets but manage to lay eggs.  The pellets give everything that the bird needs to grow healthily, as layers pellets give everything to enable the bird to lay and be healthy.
The ingredients vary from one manufacturer to another and you make the choice as to which you feed.  If you choose corn alone that's up to you but pellets manufactured for a specific reason shouldn't be discounted either.

[archiesgems]

you can, but i have to stress that you must give them extra vitimins and calcium, poultry spice added to the corn and liqui vit in their water, you can buy lime grit which will give them plenty of calcium for their bone growth (make sure its poultry lime and not garden lime).

[archiesgems]

wild birds don't eat pellets and all the gibbings that we think we have to throw down the crops of our birds

Growers Pellets are not necessarily something we 'have to throw the crops of our birds,'  wild birds don't eat layers pellets but manage to lay eggs.  The pellets give everything that the bird needs to grow healthily, as layers pellets give everything to enable the bird to lay and be healthy.
The ingredients vary from one manufacturer to another and you make the choice as to which you feed.  If you choose corn alone that's up to you but pellets manufactured for a specific reason shouldn't be discounted either.

this is very true, if you want layers, but table birds don't need layers pellets, growers pellets are good to bang the weight on but for tastier meat then corn fed or grain fed birds are better, they do have a bit more fat on them but if you are culling at 20 - 26 weeks this won't be to extreme. I usually cull at 22 weeks we do light sussex and this year we are doing naked necks, the nakeds are on pellets and the sussex are all corn fed, tyhere is a marked difference in the size the corn feds have alot more breast on them.

[SMD66]

So we are clear then, 

Layers need layers pellets.

Table birds can have just corn BUT will need extra supplements, this will produce slower growing but potentially tastier birds

OR they can have growers/finishers pellets which will bring them to slaughter weight quicker with potentially less fat on them.

Phew!

[North Devon Dumpling]

Um, OK understand better now (we haven't got table birds but want to at some point in the future).

Question I have is that if you have layers and broilers and want to free range them together they will end up eating the same thing - won't they?  Would this be an issue (of course must make sure the layers get the layers mash/pellets)?  I might be being dim here but just thinking about how you would do it (unless of course you had lots of room and could 'free range' the birds separately.

[SMD66]

They would have to be seperate really.  I wanted to do what you are wanting but had to keep them seperate, esp as ours were specific table birds, (hubbards)
Birds on layers pellets wont put weight on enough to eat them.  layers need the nutrients in layers pellets.
sorry

[archiesgems]

i agree totally, tables and egg layers should ideally be kept seperate, unless you want much slower growing birds.. i really do have to stress something here though.

Although table birds only live a very short time we have to make that time just as 'happy' as for our girlies who live with us for years. I have seen so many table birds that are unkept where the peoples attitude is 'well they only live for a short time'. I know that most of the people on here are just as passionate about their birds as I am so i'm probably just preaching but anybody wanting to grow table birds should do as much reading up about them as possible before starting.

sorry for harping

Jay x

[SMD66]

I totally agree, table birds in 'the industry' have just a bad a time as the battery hens.  ALL birds, no matter what their outcome is going to be should have a happy life. 

[archiesgems]

one of my table birds bacame a pet  still alive at 6 years old and he is so tame we use him in our poultry talks so people can get a real hands on aproach.

missus thinks im to soppy sometime hehe

[North Devon Dumpling]

I agree too and also thought keeping them separate would be a good plan.  Until we can have two good runs with lots of space etc we won't be embarking on broilers.  I also need to get myself on a 'dispatching course' with dispatch, not just because of having broilers one day but I actually think it is something we should all learn to do even if having layers, 'just in case'!