My Cornish X experiment

[duluthralphie]

Ours made it through night two. Happy little guys. I think our 3 layer chicks are teaching them how normal chickens at. They all scratch like crazy during the day and eat a good bit of grass. Finally got some pictures. Unfortunately my phone kept focusing on the chicken wire. I'll open it up and get some better ones later.

Here they are day one.




You can't tell very well, but that CX is perched on a branch with the Sex link lady. Only one CX allowed on at a time, because of weight restrictions. Haha.




Basking in the heat. It was chilly this morning.







My wife thinks this tractor is "redneck." ):

You have a heat lamp outside? Do you worry about rain?

How chilly was chilly last night? I doubt Tulsa was chillier than central Minnesota

I love your tractor... Next time my wife says anything about "how sloppy" my stuff is, I am pulling up that picture! Making something new out of junk is my thing, I really liked it!

 

[LindaB220]

Ours made it through night two. Happy little guys. I think our 3 layer chicks are teaching them how normal chickens at. They all scratch like crazy during the day and eat a good bit of grass. Finally got some pictures. Unfortunately my phone kept focusing on the chicken wire. I'll open it up and get some better ones later.

Here they are day one.




You can't tell very well, but that CX is perched on a branch with the Sex link lady. Only one CX allowed on at a time, because of weight restrictions. Haha.




Basking in the heat. It was chilly this morning.







My wife thinks this tractor is "redneck." ):

Look at those little huskies. Gonna be big. Redneck or not, it's a good job. And I bet you can move it without too much trouble. Don't let them get too hot in the summer. I'm really hot here so am waiting until Sept to get mine. Kudos on your great tractor.

Be sure and put something around the chicken net. Raccoons will rip it right apart and so will dogs.

 

[JacobH]

I really just had the heat lamp out there so I could keep an eye on them the first two nights. I can see from my bedroom window with it on. Do you mean rain being bad because of the heat lamp? If so, no, I kept an eye on the forecast those first nights.

Nice to see you here too, Linda. We'd be happy to hear about yours when they come around. It's been pretty cool here lately, actually. Hasn't hit 100 this month, and barely any over 94-95. They have plenty of shade between the roof and the huge cedar tree there, so they do ok. You really think raccoons could rip that up? I haven't seen it, but maybe you've had experience? We've had it on our layer coop for awhile now, no problems. I've actually trapped 3 coons because I saw that they had been trying to get in by digging and climbing. They must not have been hungry enough to rip it.

 

[duluthralphie]

I really just had the heat lamp out there so I could keep an eye on them the first two nights. I can see from my bedroom window with it on. Do you mean rain being bad because of the heat lamp? If so, no, I kept an eye on the forecast those first nights.

Nice to see you here too, Linda. We'd be happy to hear about yours when they come around. It's been pretty cool here lately, actually. Hasn't hit 100 this month, and barely any over 94-95. They have plenty of shade between the roof and the huge cedar tree there, so they do ok. You really think raccoons could rip that up? I haven't seen it, but maybe you've had experience? We've had it on our layer coop for awhile now, no problems. I've actually trapped 3 coons because I saw that they had been trying to get in by digging and climbing. They must not have been hungry enough to rip it.

I melt at 90 degrees, I am pure sugar!


I B^%$h when it gets to 80...

Yea, I was referring to rain on the light. That's why I have that basket on my tractor, to protect the light from rain. It gets down to mid 50s here regularly so I need heat on them until they get a little bigger.

Coons are not a problem here..YET (fingers crossed) I think the dog odors will keep them away. I actually worry more about skunks.

 

[JessicaThistle]

I just completed my first batch of Cornish X chicks and it was an awesome experience! I used a chicken tractor and free ranged daily. I also documented my experience here on BYC. If you haven't found my thread it may be helpful. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/896158/first-run-of-cornish-cross-meat-birds-and-super-excited

I also posted videos of my happy free ranging chicken on youtube. I don't know how to send you to my channel but you can get there via my videos on my above thread.


Too make a long story short, I ordered 30 and got 31. I lost 3. I fed 4 times per day a measured amount that they could eat in 10 minutes plus daily free ranging when the hawks moved on in the afternoon. They grew a little slower than the broiler chart that I looked at and didn't follow really. They all could run across the pasture to see me when I walked out there to move, water, feed or just visit. They were all very sweet and surrounded me whenever I went to the tractor to get petted.

If you have fruit trees or know someone that does, take any dropped fruit they will give you! We would toss a pile out there to get them out of the tractor and they love it! It even got my laying hens out to interact with them. These guys act like chickens if you encourage that behavior. The horror stories are from people that locked them up and gave them nonstop food. I have watched videos on youtube where people complained about their laziness but never encouraged anything different. If you send your kid outside they will find something to entertain them, right?? Send these guys outside and you will have a lovely show of them scratching, foraging, snagging bugs and enjoying life as a real chicken!

I processed this week and have 28 beautiful chickens averaging 5 pounds with one huge turkey looking roo that we will save for when family visits. The meat is succulent and juicy even on the second day when most grocery store chicken is kind of drier and stuck to the bone. It is wonderful and I am very proud of the accomplishment and gift for my family.

I am now on batch number two that are 10 days old. I plan the same program raising them with all of the love and compassion that I did with batch #1.

Touch your chickens, pet them. They need love and it feels good for you too! It makes them happy, healthy and active!

 

[duluthralphie]

I moved the babies today.

I moved them from a sandy area with tall grass and some weeds. I put the tractor half into the weeds, so they still had some shorter sandier stuff to play in. They loved it.


When I fed them they did not all rush to the food. They were too busy being chickens!

There was some cute little chicken fights to watch. Others were trying to reach the grass seeds by jumping for them. Some were nibbling on grass..

I am amazed how much like chickens this batch is compared to my last batch. They seem to be growing daily also. I know it is most likely my imagination, but they seem noticeably bigger and more feathered out than yesterday.

I do have a question for you more experienced chicken folks, When I free range will I have problems with my other flock and them mixing? Is there anything I can do to make this better?

The rest of the flock do congregate around the chicks in the tractor, but I think that is only their trying to get at the babies scratch.

 

[JessicaThistle]

I moved the babies today.

I moved them from a sandy area with tall grass and some weeds. I put the tractor half into the weeds, so they still had some shorter sandier stuff to play in. They loved it.


When I fed them they did not all rush to the food. They were too busy being chickens!

There was some cute little chicken fights to watch. Others were trying to reach the grass seeds by jumping for them. Some were nibbling on grass..

I am amazed how much like chickens this batch is compared to my last batch. They seem to be growing daily also. I know it is most likely my imagination, but they seem noticeably bigger and more feathered out than yesterday.

I do have a question for you more experienced chicken folks, When I free range will I have problems with my other flock and them mixing? Is there anything I can do to make this better?

The rest of the flock do congregate around the chicks in the tractor, but I think that is only their trying to get at the babies scratch.

I love watching their chicken shenanigans also! They are very fun!

Yes, you can expect issues when free ranging with the rest of your flock. I did it anyway, but my hens did quite a bit of chest bumping and chasing them. My little bantie roos enjoyed chasing them too. I basically just kept a close eye to be sure no pecking or dangerous behavior was happening. I admit a few tail feathers got nabbed off my meaties but they ran for it. None of them laid there and let my hens pick on them. My meaties even had a few hens back down from them in a chest bump as well. They may have been considerably younger but they were bigger.

Alot of times they free ranged happily next to each other too. Just keep an eye out and they will all be fine.

 

[JacobH]

One of my layers snuck into the tractor. Made for a big ordeal. Her rooster was screaming at her to get out of there. It also allowed some meaties to scatter across the yard. Haha.

Wing, thigh, and boneless skinless breast all roaming the yard.

Roaster wouldn't stand still for a picture. Huge feet.

Fried chicken climbing around.

 

[duluthralphie]

LOL So you free ranged them earlier than you thought!

 

[JessicaThistle]

One of my hens flew into the brooder with my almost 2 week old CX yesterday. The chicks were very curious about her and she was freaking out because she apparently forgot the way out. Chickens are so funny how short their memory can be on where the entrance and exits are.

She was pretty happy when I plucked her out of there and she could go on her way.