Chicken experiment #1, day 28

Pictured above are two of the chickens in the experiment, a rhode island red rooster and a cornish cross. The cornish cross weighs 25 ounces, the rhode island red weighs 8 ounces.

At this point most of the chickens have a good start on their feathers and I'm reducing the amount of heat that they get to gradually acclimate them to room temperatures.

I am restricting feed on the cornish cross to slow their growth and prevent ascites and while this may slow their theoretical growth, reducing feed reduces mortality for the chickens.

The cornish up to now have been about double the amount of labor of the other chickens -- they require quite a bit of bedding to keep their bin clean.

I've reduced the amount of feed being offered to the other chickens to reduce waste. When the feeders are full they flick it out of the feeders onto the floor of the bin. With the feeders 2/3rds full they waste less of the feed.

Sussex
Day 14: batch of 10 birds weighed 36.75 ounces (2.29 lbs)
Day 21: batch of 10 birds weighed 62.5 ounces (3.9 lbs),
day 28: batch of 10 birds weighed 74.5 ounces (4.6 lbs) gain of 1.3lbs
Bird weights 7.75 9.75, 4.75, 6.25, 6, 8.75 7.75, 7.25, 8.5, 7.75
5 pounds of feed presented, 3.8lbs pounds of feed per pound of chicken


Barred rock
Day 14, batch of 10 birds weighed 31 ounces (1.93 lbs)
Day 21, batch of 10 birds weighed 53.25 ounces (3.32 lbs),
Day 28, batch of 10 birds weighed 70.5 ounces (4.4lbs), gain of 1.1 lbs
Bird weights 7.5, 7.5, 6.25, 6.5, 6, 7, 7.5, 8.5, 7.5, 6.25
5 pounds of feed presented, 4.54 pounds of feed per pound of chicken


Light Brahma
Day 14, batch of 10 birds weighed 42 ounces (2.62 lbs)
Day 21, batch of 10 birds weighed 73.25 ounces (4.57 lbs)
Day 28, batch of 10 birds, weighed 90.5 ounces (5.6 lbs) gain of 1.03 lbs)
Bird weights 9, 8, 8.5, 10, 9.5, 8.25, 8.5, 11, 9, 8.75
5 pounds of feed presented, 4.8lbs of feed per pound of chicken


Rhode Island Red
day 14, batch of 10 birds weighed 45.25 ounces (2.82lbs)
Day 21, batch of 10 birds weighed 73 ounces (4.56 lbs)
Day 28, batch of 10 birds weighed 91.5 ounces (5.7 lbs) gain of 1.16 lbs)
Bird weights 8.5, 9.75, 8, 9.25, 8.75, 9.25, 8.25, 9, 9, 11.75
5 pounds of feed presented, 4.3lbs of feed per pound of chicken


Cornish Cross
Day 14, batch of 10 birds weighed 105.25 ounces (6.5 lbs)
Day 21, batch of 10 birds weighed 199.75 ounces (12.48 lbs)
Day 28, batch of 10 birds weighed 250.75 ounces (15.7 lbs) gain of 3.19 lbs
Bird Weights (ounces): 25, 24, 25.5, 25, 23.5, 24.5, 25.5, 22, 28.5, 27.25
9lbs of feed presented, 2.82 lbs of feed per pound of chicken.