Disappointment

[amk122284]

I have no idea what happened, if tractor supply is at fault or if my expectations were to high. 2 weeks ago we butchered one of our, presumed, cornish cross and its butchered weight was 5.3 pounds at 8 weeks. Now here we are at 10 weeks with the rest of our birds (because they were way to small at 8 weeks) and alive unbutchered they are BARELY 5 lbs. The picture of the big bird is at 8 weeks just before we butchered it. The other picture is of the rest of the birds today. We are suppose to leave town for a month so we have to process them, I thought for sure 10 weeks would have been plenty of time for cornish cross and they would be bigger than this, I thought we would have more like the one big bird we butchered 2 weeks ago. Any insight from veteran meat bird owners?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Those aren't Cornish cross. They look like white leghorns.
There is a Cornish cross in the first picture.
I'm sure the bins of chicks get mixed up all the time. That doesn't solve your problem though.

 

[Painted Calls]

Well that's the first time I've seen this situation. Usually people buy LH's as future layers and get CX. To top it off you only got one cockerel out of a straight run bin.

Go buy a lottery ticket!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That was exactly the conclusion I came to! What would you do?! We've butchered 4 of them and they are so small! Should we move the other 6 in with our other layers. Gah im so irritated!!!

I would eat the boys and use the girls for layers. You'll be happy with their production.

 

[Isadora]

Those aren't cornish cross. They look like white leghorns.

X2 Not Cornish cross

 

[Mrs. K]

Next time, specifically order meat birds from your farm and ranch store. With your name on them. They won't expose them to the public, and you will get what you want. People mix those bins up.

I DO have cornish cross birds, and just did 3 at 6.5 weeks, and they are beautiful birds. I have found, that I like to do a few at a time, and the let the smaller ones grow up a bit without the competition.

Mrs K

 

[Mrs. K]

Truthfully - some point of lay leghorns, should sell easily for about $15. Could help with feed costs. Just an idea.

Mrs K

 

[Coops Dad]

My suspicion really started when they started flying up 4 feet onto the window sill to roost. Ive never done meat birds but I knew that was not normal for 8 week old meat birds lol

I've never seen a Cornish X leave the ground under its own power. Mine couldn't even hop onto a 10" tall step to get into a coop- I had to build a ramp specially for them, and it was hysterical to watch a string of CX's waddle up the thing at night. The next morning, they were always first in line to push their way out the door for the feeder, though. That was the only time I saw them excited enough to move quickly.

 

[amk122284]

I would eat the boys and use the girls for layers. You'll be happy with their production.

The funniest part is I'm pretty sure in a straight run we only got 1 rooster lol

 

[U_Stormcrow]

x3 (4?) Not Cornish Cross.

x2 keep the pullets as layers, and potential breeders, con do lots of good things with white legs. Eat the boys, as @ChickenCanoe said.

and if you decide you'd rather have egg layers in the future, bring in a quality RIR or NHR rooster and start popping out red sex links....

That said, nothing wrong with eating a 5# live weight bird at 8 weeks. I just culled a 3.3# live weight dual purpose at 11 weeks - the tastiest, most tender bird I've eaten this year. Perfect meal for two. Sure, its not a Cornish Cross, there wasn't a lot of breast meat, and the cost to raise him was higher, but 5# at 8 weeks for your birds - particularly if all are hens is a good growth rate for some breeds, and exceptional for most.