Meat birds - best breed next to Cornish Cross?

[CrazyTalk]

No I don't think it is the breed, but I am just not sure we will be able to raise them like everyone says they have to be raised. Like only certain food, X amount of protein for X amount of weeks.

I feed all of our bird layer crumble and only buy one certain kind. We can't afford to buy like 2 different foods for different birds, ONLY for my quail will I do this.

We only have 3 Cornish X now and now another one is acting odd, rapid breathing.

Should I just start limiting their food? We only put 1 quart jar of food in each day, it lasts from morning til the next morning. Water is giving twice a day, also in a quart jar.

They are in a 50 gallon tote box, so plenty of room for 3 - 3 week old cornish cross chicks.

You shouldn't be feeding ANY young birds layer food - it's terrible on their kidneys.

If you can't afford to buy feed for meat birds, you shouldn't be raising meat birds. You're not going to save money here.

 

[lazy gardener]

Okay, we can do 12 weeks (3 months). I was talking to a guy at TSC today and he was saying that Leg Horns only take 2 months, but I wasn't sure. Our TSC had them on clearance so I thought I might get a few.

They also had those Dixie Rainbows, but again TSC didn't know exactly what kind of bird they are; meat, dual, or layer.

IMO, any one who tells you that you can process a leghorn as a respectable meat bird in 2 months is either very uninformed, or taking advantage of the customer. Leghorns are good layers. While you can eat any chicken, a leg horn would be my last choice for a meat bird. If TSC is selling Dixie Rainbows, and doesn't know anything about them, that's also a sad thing. How much time would it take an employee or a manager to pick up the catalog and read the info posted about that breed? Before you go back to that store, do your own google search regarding Leghorns vs. Dixie Rainbows as meat birds, then you can provide a little inservice to the staff there.

 

[Mommysongbird]

You shouldn't be feeding ANY young birds layer food - it's terrible on their kidneys.

If you can't afford to buy feed for meat birds, you shouldn't be raising meat birds. You're not going to save money here.

I have been doing it for 4 years now. Even when my hens hatch their own, they all get layer feed. I have not had any issues.

Also the feed store doesn't have anything else that is any different from our layer feed. They all have the same protein as the layer, so why pay out the extra $$ for the same protein???

We are just going to raise some Red Rangers for meaties and be done with it.

 

[Mommysongbird]

IMO, any one who tells you that you can process a leghorn as a respectable meat bird in 2 months is either very uninformed, or taking advantage of the customer. Leghorns are good layers. While you can eat any chicken, a leg horn would be my last choice for a meat bird. If TSC is selling Dixie Rainbows, and doesn't know anything about them, that's also a sad thing. How much time would it take an employee or a manager to pick up the catalog and read the info posted about that breed? Before you go back to that store, do your own google search regarding Leghorns vs. Dixie Rainbows as meat birds, then you can provide a little inservice to the staff there.

We have had one leghorn (rooster) and he was HUGE. Didn't use him as a meat bird though. Gave him to a friend. He was fairly large at 2 months old, probably not large enough to process, but by about 4 months, he would have made a nice freezer bird, but we spared his life and 3 other "barnyard mutts". LOL

I think the guy at TSC was just guessing??? But your right, they should know.

Our TSC didn't have the Dixie Rainbows today, but they did have the Red Rangers, so I got 4 of those (they still owe me one) and then I got 2 pullets for eggs.

 

[keesmom]

We have had one leghorn (rooster) and he was HUGE.  Didn't use him as a meat bird though.  Gave him to a friend.  He was fairly large at 2 months old, probably not large enough to process, but by about 4 months, he would have made a nice freezer bird, but we spared his life and 3 other "barnyard mutts". LOL

If he was huge he was not a Leghorn. More likely a white Rock.

The difference between layer feed and "other" feed is not necessarily the protein content but the calcium content. High calcium content can be detrimental to non laying birds (chicks, roosters, molting hens).

 

[Mommysongbird]

If he was huge he was not a Leghorn. More likely a white Rock.

The difference between layer feed and "other" feed is not necessarily the protein content but the calcium content. High calcium content can be detrimental to non laying birds (chicks, roosters, molting hens).

We were told that the eggs we had came from Leghorn, so yeah. We got the eggs free and we really didn't care. LOL

Okay so how does everyone keep their chicks, roosters and molting hens away from layer feed and have them eat something else when all the chickens and in our case, ducks are all housed together??

 

[Odelia]

We were told that the eggs we had came from Leghorn, so yeah. We got the eggs free and we really didn't care. LOL

Okay so how does everyone keep their chicks, roosters and molting hens away from layer feed and have them eat something else when all the chickens and in our case, ducks are all housed together??

I think a lot of people feed all flock and put out oyster shell for the hens.

 

[Mommysongbird]

I think a lot of people feed all flock and put out oyster shell for the hens.

I have only recently found all flock feed but it is not even close to organic. The food that I buy is as close as I can get to being organic and still be fairly reasonable. They carry an All Flock (I think that is what it is) but TSC does not carry it. And I can't get it straight from the company because I don't have anywhere to put 1 to 2 tons of food at every month.

As for oyster shells, my chickens don't hardly eat what I put out now. They were a waste of money.

 

[Odelia]

I have only recently found all flock feed but it is not even close to organic. The food that I buy is as close as I can get to being organic and still be fairly reasonable. They carry an All Flock (I think that is what it is) but TSC does not carry it. And I can't get it straight from the company because I don't have anywhere to put 1 to 2 tons of food at every month.

As for oyster shells, my chickens don't hardly eat what I put out now. They were a waste of money.

I always put out oyster shell for my girls. It is there and if they want it they eat it. It should last you a long time. I also feed my egg shells back to my flock. I dry them in the oven and crush them. If TSC already carries the brand you like and they make an all flock have you asked your store if they can get it in? The worst they can say is no.

 

[maddog3355]

Feeding CornishX laying feed isn't going to cause any trouble. Good gosh your butchering them in 10 to 12 weeks. There is sure a lot of parroting goes on around here. One person tells something and everybody else tells it but dosent have enough experience on the issue to even give an opinion.