How many of you FULLY Free Range your Cornish X Meaties? Tractors do not count.

[deedles]

Our cx are 6 weeks 2 days old and have been free ranging for over a week. They do forage but not as much as it seems some of you guys say. They've been on grass since week 3 but free ranging for a week now. They do run around and scratch, etc. I see some running for bugs. Some don't seem to do as much but of course I'm not looking at them 24/7.

Their feed is fermented and also I've been feeding fermented BOSS and oats which they also love a lot. And my friend gave us a ton of giant zucchini and cukes which they really love a lot. So, we have gotten to this 6+ week point with 26 meaties on 1 50 lb. bag of chick starter and 2 50 lb. bags of layer feed. I just opened up the 3rd bag today and that should last for another week or so. We've used half a 50 lb. bag of boss and oats to this point also. Don't know if that's bad or good but it seems pretty good for 6 weeks of feed. Plus we're also feeding 6 ducks and 5 guineas out of the same feed.

Overall these are nice birds. They are friendly and calm and not at all the horrible things that I saw my friend raise (mainstream) a few years back.

Their poop isn't stinky at all and we haven't lost a one to predators which speaks well of our LGD, Tilly. If they are delicious we'll be happy!

How much should they weigh before we butcher? What live weight corresponds to dressed weight? Like is there 2 pounds of feathers, head etc?

Thanks!

 

[Beekissed]

That's about right....account for 2-3 lbs of extra weight while alive. Butcher at whatever wt. you desire to have on the table...usually 10 lb live wt is considered ideal and they seem to gain weight much more slowly after that, while still consuming as much feed.

Next time you can try to get them out on range around 2-3 wks and feed them once a day in the evening if you want them to forage more....they learn to look to the pasture more for food than to the trough if you do it that way and will more readily forage. If you only have mediocre range, you can feed them a very light breakfast in the morning to give them energy for the hunt but keep their main meal for evening so they don't go to bed hungry.

It sounds like you are doing well on feed consumption and will turn out some really good meat for the family. It always help to have a great dog on guard, so I'd give your good dog, Tilly, some of the scraps on butcher day...she's earned it!

 

[crobbins2009]

I free range my (was 16 -- now 13) Cornish crosses. They are only about 4 weeks old now though -- and they are so much smaller than I expected them to be at this point. I guess I technically pasture them over about 2 acres, but they get out of the fenced area anyhow and do whatever they want. lol

They free range with all of my laying hens and 2 roos. There are about 50 chickens total. They also go in to the same coop as my other birds at the end of the day (which is constantly filthy since I got them).

I feed them all flock 18% nutrena fermented food and other kitchen scraps. My Cornish X are actually some of my best foragers. As soon as the food bowl is empty, they are out in the yard looking for more food.

I've been wondering if I should just put them in a tractor to let them grow out so that I can get the size I wanted out of them. I honestly expected it to take longer ( I was aiming for 10 - 12 weeks), but at the moment they are just a little bigger than my buff brahma that is the same age. I'll take pics as well and try to update everyone on the progress

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

Thank you all for the inspiration. I have never not had a pastured chicken, and I have never had cx. You have given me something to consider. Has anyone created their own meat bird from your favorite meat breed?

 

[JRNash]

Thank you all for the inspiration. I have never not had a pastured chicken, and I have never had cx. You have given me something to consider. Has anyone created their own meat bird from your favorite meat breed?

I've been crossing Slow grow Cx broilers with everything in the book. Latest cross were with Scx x barred rock then crossed with a saipan

 

[JRNash]

Even got some EE in some of the crosses

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

That is cool. How has that been working? What has been the desired meat of your household?

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

My husband and I have been trying to figure out a x that is best for our family, but has yet to x any of our breeds.

 

[JRNash]

Dark Cornish x Scx

 

[JRNash]

So far Ive seen the best results with the crosses involving the barred rocks