CommonRookie
In the Brooder
I am new to meat birds and have lurked on this site for weeks as I planned, purchased and raised my Cornish X meat chickens. I felt compelled to share my experience particularly for those who are new to raising meat birds.
First and foremost, I was deflated by all of the negative comments about Cornish X. Haters are everywhere and usually their comments are directed at the personality and behavior of the bird combined with snobbish comments about them being freaks and unfit for raising compared to the regal and impressive heritage breeds. Sure they don't have the panache of a heritage breed but every single domesticated animal came from breeding and/or crossbreeding in some type of selective breeding program to enhance desirable traits of the breed so I really struggled to understand why so many pointed an angry finger at the Cornish X.
I did some research and found this chicken has been in development for over 60 years for efficient protein conversion, rapid growth and desirable meat. There is no genetic modification or crazy Frankenstein science behind this. It's just decades of selective breeding and crossbreeding dedicated to developing the perfect meat chicken. You'll find the same is true of almost all typical agricultural animals and pets. It's true that this is not a chicken to admired for beauty, it's to put meat on the table.
After all my reading, I was prepared to raise dirty, nasty, stupid birds who wallow in their own filth moving only to get to their next meal. I found this to be the furthest thing from the truth and for those who have had this experience I venture to guess their condition was due largely to poor housing and care. My 50 Cornish X chickens are clean, adventurous and curious and display all of the behaviors I would expect from from my experience raising ducks and chickens.
With that said, not all people will have the space or the resources to do what I have done with my birds. None of this is necessary but the results should be noted by those who are on the fence about which breed to raise.
When my chicks arrived they went into a 4x8 brooder where they received feed and water 24/7. We cleaned the brooder often and kept all food and water dishes clean. In general, the birds were not exceptionally messy. The standard 7 pound round chick feeders were superior to the trough style feeders. The birds enjoyed roosting on the trough feeder meaning they made a mess out it often. They never did this with the round gravity fed style. This portion of the process was uneventful. We kept the brooder clean which meant changing the bedding more often as they grew. We lost a few birds in the first couple of days from shipping stress and lost two more over the next 3 weeks. The birds that did not appear ill they just seemed to drop dead between visits to the brooder.
Cut to 2.5 weeks later. Despite regular cleanings the brooder and the birds in it were dirty. They were beginning to show signs of the nasty bird referenced abundantly here and various blogs. I was becoming disenchanted with the prospect of raising them for the next 5 weeks. However, they were now large enough that they couldn't squeeze through my fencing and it was time to turn them out to the chicken yard. This, is where it all changed for me.
Within a few hours of being outside the birds were actively foraging and by the end of the week they were scratching, preening, hunting, dust bathing, and playing keep away with found treasures. Their combs have taken on rich color and they keep themselves spotlessly clean. Additionally, their feathers have come in thicker and most are nearly fully feathered now. I cut their feed to 12 on 12 off but with the additional exercise they get outside i'm moving back to 24 hour free choice. They are still very food motivated which i believe to be a good thing in a meat bird but they move around the yard a lot and don't seem to pool up next to the feeders as indicated by others. They rush to greet me at the gate and look on with curiosity when I'm doing chores around the coop and yard flocking around my feet. They bed down to ride out the heat of the day and return to activity in the cooler hours of the morning and evening. Of course they poop more than an average chicken but if you give them space to move around they won't sit in it.
We have lost 2 to a resident pair of coopers hawk. I'm quite fond of raptors of all kinds so this was frustrating but I'm okay donating a couple of birds to the local ecosystem. But 2 is enough... I've now rigged a spider web of fishing line above the yard to discourage aerial attacks. I'll update to let folks know if this works as advertised.
At 4 weeks the birds range from 2.2 lbs to 3.5 lbs and have started to bulk up quickly. We have 4-5 weeks left before we butcher as I am waiting for them to all get above 6 lbs before we process them. I'll alter the feeding schedule as I monitor their development and reduce feedings if the chickens begin to look too heavy or unhealthy.
I understand that a fenced chicken yard is not a possibility for everyone but in my case it is a clear indicator of what these birds are like when they are not confined. They are clean, inquisitive and keep themselves busy acting like chickens. If you prefer a slow growing dual purpose bird and don't mind spending the extra time and money to raise them I'm sure you'd be happier with a heritage breed. I can understand how people struggle with this X but if given the right conditions they have been a pleasure to raise. I can't imagine wanting to increase my feed bill or my time invested so personally i'm thrilled to be growing a bird that does exactly what it was bred to do and pleasantly surprised by their cleanliness and behavior.
I'll get some photos up and continue this thread through butchering so folks who are interested can see the progress.
Cheers.
First and foremost, I was deflated by all of the negative comments about Cornish X. Haters are everywhere and usually their comments are directed at the personality and behavior of the bird combined with snobbish comments about them being freaks and unfit for raising compared to the regal and impressive heritage breeds. Sure they don't have the panache of a heritage breed but every single domesticated animal came from breeding and/or crossbreeding in some type of selective breeding program to enhance desirable traits of the breed so I really struggled to understand why so many pointed an angry finger at the Cornish X.
I did some research and found this chicken has been in development for over 60 years for efficient protein conversion, rapid growth and desirable meat. There is no genetic modification or crazy Frankenstein science behind this. It's just decades of selective breeding and crossbreeding dedicated to developing the perfect meat chicken. You'll find the same is true of almost all typical agricultural animals and pets. It's true that this is not a chicken to admired for beauty, it's to put meat on the table.
After all my reading, I was prepared to raise dirty, nasty, stupid birds who wallow in their own filth moving only to get to their next meal. I found this to be the furthest thing from the truth and for those who have had this experience I venture to guess their condition was due largely to poor housing and care. My 50 Cornish X chickens are clean, adventurous and curious and display all of the behaviors I would expect from from my experience raising ducks and chickens.
With that said, not all people will have the space or the resources to do what I have done with my birds. None of this is necessary but the results should be noted by those who are on the fence about which breed to raise.
When my chicks arrived they went into a 4x8 brooder where they received feed and water 24/7. We cleaned the brooder often and kept all food and water dishes clean. In general, the birds were not exceptionally messy. The standard 7 pound round chick feeders were superior to the trough style feeders. The birds enjoyed roosting on the trough feeder meaning they made a mess out it often. They never did this with the round gravity fed style. This portion of the process was uneventful. We kept the brooder clean which meant changing the bedding more often as they grew. We lost a few birds in the first couple of days from shipping stress and lost two more over the next 3 weeks. The birds that did not appear ill they just seemed to drop dead between visits to the brooder.
Cut to 2.5 weeks later. Despite regular cleanings the brooder and the birds in it were dirty. They were beginning to show signs of the nasty bird referenced abundantly here and various blogs. I was becoming disenchanted with the prospect of raising them for the next 5 weeks. However, they were now large enough that they couldn't squeeze through my fencing and it was time to turn them out to the chicken yard. This, is where it all changed for me.
Within a few hours of being outside the birds were actively foraging and by the end of the week they were scratching, preening, hunting, dust bathing, and playing keep away with found treasures. Their combs have taken on rich color and they keep themselves spotlessly clean. Additionally, their feathers have come in thicker and most are nearly fully feathered now. I cut their feed to 12 on 12 off but with the additional exercise they get outside i'm moving back to 24 hour free choice. They are still very food motivated which i believe to be a good thing in a meat bird but they move around the yard a lot and don't seem to pool up next to the feeders as indicated by others. They rush to greet me at the gate and look on with curiosity when I'm doing chores around the coop and yard flocking around my feet. They bed down to ride out the heat of the day and return to activity in the cooler hours of the morning and evening. Of course they poop more than an average chicken but if you give them space to move around they won't sit in it.
We have lost 2 to a resident pair of coopers hawk. I'm quite fond of raptors of all kinds so this was frustrating but I'm okay donating a couple of birds to the local ecosystem. But 2 is enough... I've now rigged a spider web of fishing line above the yard to discourage aerial attacks. I'll update to let folks know if this works as advertised.
At 4 weeks the birds range from 2.2 lbs to 3.5 lbs and have started to bulk up quickly. We have 4-5 weeks left before we butcher as I am waiting for them to all get above 6 lbs before we process them. I'll alter the feeding schedule as I monitor their development and reduce feedings if the chickens begin to look too heavy or unhealthy.
I understand that a fenced chicken yard is not a possibility for everyone but in my case it is a clear indicator of what these birds are like when they are not confined. They are clean, inquisitive and keep themselves busy acting like chickens. If you prefer a slow growing dual purpose bird and don't mind spending the extra time and money to raise them I'm sure you'd be happier with a heritage breed. I can understand how people struggle with this X but if given the right conditions they have been a pleasure to raise. I can't imagine wanting to increase my feed bill or my time invested so personally i'm thrilled to be growing a bird that does exactly what it was bred to do and pleasantly surprised by their cleanliness and behavior.
I'll get some photos up and continue this thread through butchering so folks who are interested can see the progress.
Cheers.
