First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[lazy gardener]

Or you could make one, or threaten to make one.

I so want baby CX's!!!


I am trying to put off on getting them, because of the toads I hope to raise,,,,,, BUT soon I will have to go to Running's and get a couple (dozen) and find an incubator on close out! (NO ONE TELL THE DW ANYTHING DIFFERENT,,,,,IT WAS ON CLOSE OUT,,,,,GOT IT???)

Or you could make one, or threaten to make one.

 

[duluthralphie]

Or you could make one, or threaten to make one.
Or you could make one, or threaten to make one.

That sounds like way too much for me...

 

[mountain mom]

MM

Pretend to develop a very tight dependent relationship with a roo....

Bring it in the house, bathe it. Groom it, set a place for it at the table. Watch TV with it. Drink beer and talk to it. In other words make your hubby think you have went off your rocker. When he suggests you need help take him up on it.


When it is time for the "appointment" you leave, when you come back, (from Staples or Kinkos) you will have with you a very real looking doctors note saying you need continued counseling and under no circumstances should anything happen to the rooster as you are too fragile to deal with it now....



And PRESTO CHANGO!! You have a CX rooster.. and you get an hour-90 minutes to yourself to go where ever you want each week.

Nice, playing the crazy card! It would be an official "Crazy Chicken Lady" title! I should get a plaque.

 

[duluthralphie]

Nice, playing the crazy card! It would be an official "Crazy Chicken Lady" title! I should get a plaque.

plaque or plague?

 

[LindaB220]

You guys are too funny!!!!! Now to serious stuff. Boy, did I screw up. I ordered 16 Black Australorp eggs coming today. When I ordered the 1588 'bator I "thought" it was one bus day before shipping. BUT what I actually did was economy 4-12 days shipping. So no close 'bators to borrow. I may just have to bite the bullet on these. They weren't much $26 shipped. Expensive breakfast.

 

[duluthralphie]

You guys are too funny!!!!! Now to serious stuff. Boy, did I screw up. I ordered 16 Black Australorp eggs coming today. When I ordered the 1588 'bator I "thought" it was one bus day before shipping. BUT what I actually did was economy 4-12 days shipping. So no close 'bators to borrow. I may just have to bite the bullet on these. They weren't much $26 shipped. Expensive breakfast.

When do you expect the incubator?

They should keep almost a week, even after that they will hatch just at a decreased rate.


NOW for this....

How I am keeping my dogs from eating poop, chicken feed and finding stray eggs.....




Doesn't Reagan look beautiful, even if she is a little unhappy..

 

[LindaB220]

When do you expect the incubator?

They should keep almost a week, even after that they will hatch just at a decreased rate.


NOW for this....

How I am keeping my dogs from eating poop, chicken feed and finding stray eggs.....




Doesn't Reagan look beautiful, even if she is a little unhappy..

I ordered it about 10 days ago so it still may be another week to get here. I'm gonna try it.


Edited for content!!!!!! Received notice from company. It's shipped and will be here friday. So I'll keep them cool and humid in the 40's. turning

 

[Morrigan]

I'm having a tough time with my meaties this year. I got all 27 chicks to 4 weeks with no problems at all. Then I hit week 5:

1 bird killed by a weasel who somehow found a way through the electric fence.

I find 1 bird that can't walk -- something is wrong with one leg, but I can't see what. I separate her out, she seems to recover and I put her back in the flock. The next day she's back to not walking and I see her wing is broken. So, the poor thing went to freezer camp early as a 2 lb mini-chicken.

Today I just found a second bird that can't walk. She's in my pet hospital now. Eating and drinking, but can't walk. She can stand if I carefully lift her up, but doesn't want to walk. I can't find any evidence of a broken bone or swelling. Both legs just seem very weak.

I heard about a lot of leg issues with CX, but had no trouble with my last batch and am feeding them the same diet as last time. I feed them fermented feed (which is a mix of 22% turkey grower and flock raiser) once in the morning and once at night. I give them only what they can eat in 10 or 15 minutes. At noon, I toss some sprouted wheat and barley fodder around the yard to motivate them to walk around and "forage." All the rest are still very mobile, if not actively running around the yard

They were vaccinated against Mareks. I scratching my head a bit. I think maybe I should switch them over to 100% flock raiser? The biggest chickens look to be around 3 lbs live weight. They seem small for their age, if anything.

Thoughts?

 

[nj2wv]

Maybe leg issues from high protein diet. I feed regular feed and I haven't had leg issues. They are 10 weeks old. Mine free range and are fed in the morning with the other chickens. They have to forage for the rest of their food.

 

[duluthralphie]

Maybe leg issues from high protein diet. I feed regular feed and I haven't had leg issues. They are 10 weeks old. Mine free range and are fed in the morning with the other chickens. They have to forage for the rest of their food.

That was my first thought too. If you start with 22% turkey grower then ferment it, burning off carbs and sugars ( or converting them) You will end up with a protein content over 22%.

I feed my CX's 14-16% after the first week, add scratch and free range and I am probably at 12%.

I hate to say much though, because I am not sure, all I know is I drastically withhold protein and feed.