My Cornish X experiment

[JacobH]

Camp day delayed due to rain.....

Sorry to hear it. What's one more day, eh?

We lost 4 more after the initial 11. There goes any profit I had. Something ripped the staples of the wood, then opened the new house thing I had built them to sleep in. Oh well. They're all getting fat and staying healthy. Caught the raccoon yesterday, he got to meet my shotgun. I hate dispatching of such intelligent creatures, but eating chickens around here is a capital offense.

Im looking at maybe next weekend for graduation day. I figure as long as they're healthy and not breaking the bank on feed, it does t hurt to keep them around. Ive got one laying hen that has made it her mission to chase the meaties around the yard and harass them. We also have a hen who just hatched 6 eggs, and she doesn't take well to them stealing her babies crumbles. It's hilarious to watch a CX jump 2 feet in the air and flap while running away.

 

[JessicaThistle]

Sorry to hear it. What's one more day, eh?

We lost 4 more after the initial 11. There goes any profit I had. Something ripped the staples of the wood, then opened the new house thing I had built them to sleep in. Oh well. They're all getting fat and staying healthy. Caught the raccoon yesterday, he got to meet my shotgun. I hate dispatching of such intelligent creatures, but eating chickens around here is a capital offense.

Im looking at maybe next weekend for graduation day. I figure as long as they're healthy and not breaking the bank on feed, it does t hurt to keep them around. Ive got one laying hen that has made it her mission to chase the meaties around the yard and harass them. We also have a hen who just hatched 6 eggs, and she doesn't take well to them stealing her babies crumbles. It's hilarious to watch a CX jump 2 feet in the air and flap while running away.

Sorry about your loss but glad you solved the problem.

Any chance your harassing hen is a Barred Rock? I have two and they cannot leave my meaties alone. They chase, grab tail feathers, steal food from them and chest bump every chance they get. It is annoying!

 

[JacobH]

No, actually she's a light brahama. She's bottom of the totem pole in her crowd, so I think she just likes to be the boss of someone. My rooster is a barred rock though, and he actually watches over the meaties. He positions himself in the middle of the yard, so as to watch his girls and watch the meaties all at the same time. Best rooster ever. He fought the neighbor's great Pyrenees once...Left the dog bloodied and only lost a few tail feathers.

 

[duluthralphie]

No, actually she's a light brahama. She's bottom of the totem pole in her crowd, so I think she just likes to be the boss of someone. My rooster is a barred rock though, and he actually watches over the meaties. He positions himself in the middle of the yard, so as to watch his girls and watch the meaties all at the same time. Best rooster ever. He fought the neighbor's great Pyrenees once...Left the dog bloodied and only lost a few tail feathers.

The terms Best rooster ever are forbidden on this thread unless they are describing Brutus!

I have a couple of chickens that harass my CX's also, The CX's outweigh the hens now, but they are so gentle they hardly ever fight for pecking order. I did have two CX's bump chest the other day, was cute.

Did you put the coons head on a stake as a warning to other coons....

BTW for the adventures of Brutus, See my thread titled " World's greatest rooster"

 

[duluthralphie]

Hey Jacob!

Where did you go?

I hope you did not think I was serious on the rooster thing....I am just overly zealous i9n protecting the reputation of Brutus.....

My meatballs are almost ready. I have one that should go over 10lbs dressed! Most of mine will be in the 6-7 lbs range I think.


They are going to camp this week, If the weather allows. This past week of winter like weather has screwed up my plans once.

 

[JacobH]

Sorry. I thought I replied. I had one typed out, must not have gone through.

I read the entire thread. Best I've ever read on BYC, besides maybe the guy with the game bird dads that care for chicks. I was rolling though. Brutus sounds awesome. Maybe Ruger is his cousin.

Still haven't weighed any of ours. I'd guess them around the size of yours though.

I saw on the news that it's been freezing up there. How do your birds take it? What do you keep your standard chickens in?

 

[duluthralphie]

I have a small coop and a larger second coop.


Right now I have birds in both coops. The small coop has 15 guineas ( if I can get the little Ba#%*rds to go into it. The other night 3 refused to go in. I seriously considered grabbing the 12 ga and cleaning 3 guinea fowl...... And I have 21 chickens in the coop.

The other coop has 55 chickens in it and a dozen turkeys. BUT the turkeys refuse to use the coop, they would rather sit on the roof or in the trees....

I also have about a dozen chickens that refuse to leave the trees. I will be hunting them down this week and either relocating them, or force feeding them lead shot and eating them.

My plans for winter are 25-30 chickens in the small coop, I know it is crowding them, but I want the warmth and I will allow them a pen also. It gets very cold here -40 is not unusual.

I plan to move the guineas and the turkeys together soon also. I will lock them in until they get the idea again. I have a 9 ft fence I will et them into, but they will most likely fly over it and sit in the trees....Darn birds!!!

The CX's have 32 square ft under cover they all squeeze into and another 60 sq ft of tractor run during the night, so they are warm. During the day I free range everything.

This winter the 4 CX's I attempt to keep over winter will be in the area the CX's have now. I will have a metal waterer with a heater under it. I will place straw bales over part of the "house" leaving them a couple vents. The 4 with the heat of the heater should do fine. If not, that's life in the cold.

 

[LindaB220]

I have a small coop and a larger second coop.


Right now I have birds in both coops. The small coop has 15 guineas ( if I can get the little Ba#%*rds to go into it. The other night 3 refused to go in. I seriously considered grabbing the 12 ga and cleaning 3 guinea fowl...... And I have 21 chickens in the coop.

The other coop has 55 chickens in it and a dozen turkeys. BUT the turkeys refuse to use the coop, they would rather sit on the roof or in the trees....

I also have about a dozen chickens that refuse to leave the trees. I will be hunting them down this week and either relocating them, or force feeding them lead shot and eating them.

My plans for winter are 25-30 chickens in the small coop, I know it is crowding them, but I want the warmth and I will allow them a pen also. It gets very cold here -40 is not unusual.

I plan to move the guineas and the turkeys together soon also. I will lock them in until they get the idea again. I have a 9 ft fence I will et them into, but they will most likely fly over it and sit in the trees....Darn birds!!!

The CX's have 32 square ft under cover they all squeeze into and another 60 sq ft of tractor run during the night, so they are warm. During the day I free range everything.

This winter the 4 CX's I attempt to keep over winter will be in the area the CX's have now. I will have a metal waterer with a heater under it. I will place straw bales over part of the "house" leaving them a couple vents. The 4 with the heat of the heater should do fine. If not, that's life in the cold.

Very good outlook on life on a farm. How man CX's are in the 32 sq ft with the run? I know you have mentioned it before but, you know..........

 

[duluthralphie]

Very good outlook on life on a farm. How man CX's are in the 32 sq ft with the run? I know you have mentioned it before but, you know..........

I started with 25 CX's in the tractor/brooder attached to the tractor/pen. I will have 4 in it over winter is all. It is actually 2 4x4 boxes set end to end. I am hoping they all stay in just one box. I plan to cover the box with straw bales and leave a "window" open on the other box for ventilation. There is also a hole in the roof ( just the right size for a heat lamp) I will close it some to get the moisture out. The 2nd box should vent fine to the tractor and the first box.

Moisture is more of a concern to me than cold, they are tough birds.



Right now they just sleep in the tractor/brooder they free range all day long.

 

[duluthralphie]

I think I repeated myself, I am tired we cleaned and packaged 25 birds this afternoon....

We send one CX to camp.. 7 1/2 lbs dressed! He was not a big one, just the first one I grabbed.