Questions for the Show Broiler Familys

[Tex_Cattleman]

We're 20 days into our first broiler project. Things are going well. I'm happy with feed plan, pen set up and all of that good stuff.

Works out well that I work from home quite a bit so the birds get stirred a good amount. Where I'm lacking is with the middle of the night. I understand we can get on shifts and stir them during the night, but I have heard of other ways to get them up and moving.

An alarm clock with blaring music does nothing. Like they don't even hear it.

What are some tricks you have found works?

Again, I know there is no substitute equal to walking the pen. Just seeing if others have had any luck with other methods.

[MountainMan]

I don't have show broilers, but I do raise a fair number of broilers on pasture on our farm every year. (3000-5000). Best way I have found to get the birds to move is to move their feed around and don't keep it in one big feeder. Make them move around to get feed.

Crickets are also a great way to get them some exercise. Toss a bunch in before bed.

[MRcheeto]

a friend of mine puts ducks in with his daughters broilers to keep them stirred up and both his daughters placed 3 and 12 overall at san antonio

[SHSU18]

I always did well with chickens and a big trick i learned was to cut small Folgers coffee cans in half. put food in them and set them in front of them. They are like a fat lazy person, if the food is infront of them they will continue to eat. If not they will probably lay there untill hungry enough to get up. Dont fill them to the brim because they will knock it over, just enough to keep them eating and try to set it infront while they are laying down. HOPE THIS HELPS!

[AgHntr10]

I am no help as the only way we found was getting up and going out to stir them up. It was no coincidence my friends family who ran a dairy won our county show most every year.

[bullhead44]

I am no help as the only way we found was getting up and going out to stir them up. It was no coincidence my friends family who ran a dairy won our county show most every year.

I've heard this in other places as well. Something to do with the fresh milk and cream from it I think.

[AgHntr10]

I've heard this in other places as well. Something to do with the fresh milk and cream from it I think.

I just meant because when you start milking at 2-3 in the morning you pretty much have someone up and moving that can stir the chickens more often. Our county show is also at the end of summer and I believe they even enclosed their pen and cooled it with a window unit AC.

[bullhead44]

I just meant because when you start milking at 2-3 in the morning you pretty much have someone up and moving that can stir the chickens more often. Our county show is also at the end of summer and I believe they even enclosed their pen and cooled it with a window unit AC.

that makes sense too. I hadn't thought of the fact of them getting up and getting the birds moving. we put our pen in our shop. The show was in February, and we had to use the heater most of the time. We had to turn off the heaters and put fans on them for the last couple of weeks because they got so big

[Rescue1]

we are at the same time frame. 1st cull this weekend. this is our first time doing this. so far it's been ok, but man they can sure stink up the building.

[lars]

Put a ceiling fan in there and put the ceiling fan and lights on a timer. Set the lights to come on about a minute before the fan. hang long streamers (think surveyor's tape) from the fan blades. Make sure the fan is set to the lowest setting. When the timer kicks the fan on (1 to 2 minutes), the streamers start to move and it stirs the birds. I have also heard of people hanging rope from the blades that hung to the floor that actually touched the birds and stirred them up. Hope this helps.

[Leemo]

Take a deer feeder, screw it close to your wall, put a piece of tin behind it
Put some wire on the spinner plate
When it spends, the wire hits the tin, lots of noise

[Tex_Cattleman]

Take a deer feeder, screw it close to your wall, put a piece of tin behind it
Put some wire on the spinner plate
When it spends, the wire hits the tin, lots of noise

Is this an idea or a tried and true method?

[LonestarGent]

When I was young and showing them I put a young rabbit in the pen with them. As long as it's a juvenile rabbit and not mature it will keep them stirred up.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[clay4626]

some good ideas on here about the last 10 days we cooked cracked corn ,butter
and milk then mixed in some of the regular chicken feed. Most important rule
don't every let them run out of water. sure miss those days when my boys were showing chickens. I think that chickens is the most EQUAL chance for every kid to win

[clay4626]

we are at the same time frame. 1st cull this weekend. this is our first time doing this. so far it's been ok, but man they can sure stink up the building.

We raised ours on sand a lot easer to keep clean, just rake it and keep it loose