Cornish X Journal

[CommonRookie]

The birds are looking good at 6 weeks. Starting to feather in more fully and eating like mad. It's been in the 70's and 80's most days here so the birds are a lot less active in the day now. One thing I failed to consider was the sizable increase in water consumption. I have a 55 gallon water tank which gravity feeds a couple dozen chicken nipples. That solution was awesome for 50 birds but it needs to filled too frequntly now which makes me wish I build a hose fed system often build with toilet bowl floats. Running a hose 300' every other day is annoying.

Put them on the scale today, two weeks until dooms day. I'm choosing smaller birds to weight so my average should be higher but I'm pleased with their progress.

 

[DreamsInPink]

Glad to see yours are doing well. Mine will be 8 weeks on Monday. Bf doesn't want to do them just yet. I don't know why. I think he thinks they will get bigger. The chickens seem to be doing fine. Big, clumsy oafs, but otherwise seem good. I'm glad. I was worried about them a bit. I've heard lots of horror stories.

I got a scale from my daughter, but still haven't attempted weighing them yet. Maybe we'll try tomorrow. I just don't know how calmly they will sit in a bowl like yours do. lol

Also, I wanted to ask, should you restrict feed at all prior to harvesting?

@CommonRookie

 

[CommonRookie]

You can just cover their eyes by holding your hand over their heads for a few seconds. You can also tuck their heads under the wings and spin 'em a bit if you need them calm for a longer period of time.

Straight run might be better to wait a week or two extra so the hens get big enough but since these are are males i'm confident they'll be ready to go at 8 weeks and produce dressed birds between 7 and 4 pounds.

As for withholding feed, it makes it easier to clean them with empty crops and much less poop in the gut. so I take food away the night before. 12 hours without food should give them time to empty their digestive system. My son decided to help last year and gave the remaining birds food half way through my butchering process. It made everything a little tougher to keep clean.

 

[CommonRookie]

That week went fast, as did the feed.

The birds really grew this week. I was feeling a little concerned about them being slightly smaller than I wanted come butcher day. That concern is gone as I'm having a hard time telling the big birds from the smaller ones now. It seems their body shape really turned the corner this week. I put two in the scale that we already well over 8 pounds and I was trying to select smaller birds. The group I did find that was on the smaller side weight in at about 6 1/2 lbs. With one week to go I think this is perfect and I'm looking at a bigger harvest than I expected. I'm projecting at least 625 lbs.

The second bird was about the same as the first but I couldn't be the read out on camera.

Also, just struck a deal with a local farmer. I'll be trading 20 processed chickens for a 260 lb gilt. I'll still have to pay for processing of the pig but I had a ton of extra birds and it seems like a good deal for both of us.

 

[blucoondawg]

I'd trade 20 chickens for a butcher weight hog any day of the week

 

[Carolyn]

This is my first time at raising Cornish X and at 6 weeks I have concluded the dirtiest and dumbest hogs I have ever raised have white feathers.

 

[DreamsInPink]

Well, I'll know tomorrow what mine dress out at. I'm very curious. I took them and dropped them off this evening to be processed. Will be picking them up tomorrow morning. I am kind of sad. I grew fond of them. Even though they were big and clumsy... they were certainly not dumb. They were very inquisitive and quite friendly. They were piggies for sure, but they were only doing what they were bred to do... Eat all the time and pack on the pounds.

 

[CommonRookie]

how much do you pay for processing?

 

[DreamsInPink]

$2.25 is what I paid per chicken. And she did a really good job. I'm very pleased. Very much worth it to me. We kept the hearts, gizzards and livers. And the feet.

Our weights were decent, I think.. I don't have anything to compare them to, but here's our dressed weights for whole chickens. ( minus the hearts, gizzards, livers and feet of course )

• 5 lbs 9.2 oz
  
• 5 lbs 14 oz
  
• 6 lbs 1.8 oz
  
• 6 lbs 7.8 oz
  
• 6 lbs 10.8 oz
  
• 6 lbs 15 oz

 

[CommonRookie]

Those are great weights and big birds. 2.25 sounds like a good deal when you consider packaging for a few birds.

Processing will cost me:

$.32 per bird for bags and ties
$50 for the plucker rental
10-15 birds in trade for friends to help

One time costs:
$95 Scalder build out
$36 Victorinox boning knives
$35 folding table

Unnecessary costs:
$150 for all the fixins for a celebratory crawfish boil because noone wants to eat chicken for a week.
$thousands in beer


In the end 2.25 sounds like a great deal!