Dark Cornish Week 5 Update.....

[beebiz]

As of today, I've had the Dark Cornish 5 weeks. And, all 27 of the boys are doing fine. During those 5 weeks, the 27 boys have devoured exactly 100 lbs. of feed. That's about 3.71 lbs. of feed per bird! They can really eat.... and poop!!

Those who have been following the progress of these birds, you will remember that I was unable to weigh them for the week 4 update because my scales wouldn't go high enough. This week, I got out my digital bathroom scales and weighed each bird. The scales measure in tenths of a pound. I first weighed myself without a bird, then weighed myself with a bird. I don't know how accurate the weight of each bird was. But, it gave me a good enough idea to pick out the 6 heaviest ones.

Keeping in mind that digital bathroom scales were used, here are the results. The birds now weigh a total of 30.6 lbs. The average weight was 1 pound 3 ounces. There were 2 birds that weighed 1 pound 6 ounces. And, there were 4 birds that weighed 1 pound 10 ounces. I put leg bands on the 6 heaviest birds. I used 6" zip ties for leg bands.

For those who are interested, here are pics of the 6 heaviest guys:

For those who wish to comment on a particular bird, I have numbered the pics. That way, anyone can understand which pic you are talking about..... regardless or your computer's screen width.

I have 2 favorites. Pic #4 and #6.

Robert

 

[BirdBrain]

They are growing off real nice!!

 

[beebiz]

Thanks BirdBrain. With all their bare spots and missing feathers, they sure aren't as pretty as my Buff Orpingtons were. But, I'm sure they will look a lot better once their feathers grow enough to cover their bodies.

Robert

 

[BirdBrain]

It is that awkward pre-teen and teen stage.

 

[greyfields]

Remember as well it's standard for Cornish to have a bare keel line.

At this point, I am most fond of #1 and #2. Look at the thickness of their legs and feet compared to the others. That tells me they have more growth potential and will probably be heavier than the thinner legged ones at 6 and 8 weeks.

You really are keeping good records. I'm very proud you're following through with this!

 

[beebiz]

Quote:
I am assuming that by keel line, you are referring to the vertical line that runs atop the bone in the center of breast. Is that correct?? If so, I remembered you telling me that. But, is it also standard for them to have a line running the length of their back that is bare in addition to having bare spots under their wings (on the body itself)? Several of these guys are like that.

Quote:
Would this also hold true even if the favored bird was a bit lighter (right now) than the thinner legged one. The reason I asked is because I have a couple that are lighter weight birds now, but they have thicker feet and legs than any of the heavier weight birds do. Would you advise banding them too?

Quote:
Thanks a bunch greyfields!! I really am trying hard!!

Robert

 

[suburbanhomesteader]

in my experience with my cornish x's and black broilers from Ideal, no feathers under the wings and a bare back is common.

also in my experience (now beginning wk 7 and the cockerels are going to the processor in the morning, having an average weight around 6.5 lbs) the ones with the wider, thicker legs have grown the largest, but i'll try and weigh them one last time tomorrow.

 

[beebiz]

Thanks for the input!

Robert

 

[suburbanhomesteader]

Highest weight was just shy of 8lbs; lowest was 5lbs. There was a direct correlation between leg width/stoutness and weight. The cockerels also weighed 1-2lbs more than the hens.

I didn't process my black broilers; most of them are between 3-4lbs.

Once they were plucked and processed, I wasn't good at keeping track of the weight of the same bird. I had a high processed weight of 6lbs 2 oz and a low weight of 3lbs 12 oz.

If you cut their necks off at different lengths, you can change a weight by 1/2 lb, so it's not an exact science.

 

[firechicken]

anyone heard from beebiz? I would still like to know how those dark cornish are coming along.