My very first flock of meat birds last fall were Cornish X. Oh my goodness! I swore never again and I’ll tell you why.
They all arrived alive the last week of October 2021. We ordered 25 from Meyer Hatchery. I couldn’t believe how tiny the box was they came in. I held them in my lap on the way home and they were pecking and carrying on all the way home. It was quite a disturbing experience for me. I couldn’t imagine that with my claustrophobia!! I made the mistake of slightly opening the lid and they tried to get out! My advice, don’t open the lid until you’re releasing them into the brooder! I just couldn’t resist. We live and learn for sure.
First, we lost 2 roosters and a smaller hen after 2 1/2 weeks for no apparent reason (now I know there had to be a reason but I’m not sure what that is.) Both roosters had distended dark abdomens with little feathering and sweet dispositions. The small hen appeared healthy but was lethargic and withdrawn most of the time. I had her in my lap holding her trying to get her to drink from a little dropper and she died in my arms. Heartbreaker!
Secondly, I had a very sweet smaller female with what I have learned is called splayed leg. She appeared to have been bitten by an insect on the leg joint so I put miracle salve on it and bandaged it to keep it clean. The bandage gave her a little support when she walked also. Needless to say, this bird was a little fighter. She was 1/3 of the size of even the smallest in the flock and yet, she was fearless. I loved this bird. Since I am a Therapist, I would massage and range her leg as tolerated every day. It did help and she lived to be 8 weeks old before we culled her with the second group from this flock. I remember crying my heart out. I’m crying now actually. Heartbreaking.
Thirdly, the flock was not consistent in size. There were birds that were tall in stature with strong legs and great constitution (about 1/3 of the birds) then short rounded birds with small heads and short legs and even smaller birds that took longer to mature from head to toe.
From a first flock perspective, I do not recommend this breed. There are way too many variables to address for someone just starting out. Yes, you have meat in the freezer in 6 weeks, but, what I went through with these chickens just drained me to the core. My husband could not believe his eyes on a daily basis and he has raised fowl for years before I met him! They do gain a pound a week even adjusting the food schedule! These chickens are not the norm by any stretch of the imagination.
Also, I have to mention their feet. Their feet in the first two weeks were enormous to the point the poor things couldn’t navigate properly. It was really really hard to watch. So their development is extreme on several levels.
Lastly, (because I couldn’t bear to kill them) I saved two - Dora the Explorer and her companion Nora. They were beautiful then and they’re beautiful now. They were always the first out of the coop in the morning to forage and I thought if they forage they’ll stay healthy and not become overweight (I was wrong about that.) I also wanted to see if they would lay eggs and they do and early too!
Now, they are huge and weigh in at around 12 lbs each. They do not get extra anything. They forage and get layer feed and some greens from the garden.
They also started laying eggs early and within 2 days of each other at 3 1/2 months old. Having said that, again, these birds are not typical backyard birds especially for a newbie like me.
Nora is so big, my husband built what he calls a handicap ramp that’s nice and wide so she can enter and exit the coop. She comes down okay, but dreads the walk up so in the evening we often pick her up and help her in.
I don’t know how long we’ll have Dora and Nora, but they’ll have a happy life while they’re here with us.
Now that I’ve written all of this down and analyzed my experience with this breed I’ll share some final thoughts: Will I ever raise them again? Maybe. Will I be better prepared next time? Absolutely. By that I mean, prepared to see some very fast growth that is extraordinary and the issues that may or may not arise because of it.
So, if you have a need for some quick meat, you are ready to handle unusually fast growing chickens as well as any problems that may arise with this breed, the Cornish X may just be the bird for you.
They all arrived alive the last week of October 2021. We ordered 25 from Meyer Hatchery. I couldn’t believe how tiny the box was they came in. I held them in my lap on the way home and they were pecking and carrying on all the way home. It was quite a disturbing experience for me. I couldn’t imagine that with my claustrophobia!! I made the mistake of slightly opening the lid and they tried to get out! My advice, don’t open the lid until you’re releasing them into the brooder! I just couldn’t resist. We live and learn for sure.
First, we lost 2 roosters and a smaller hen after 2 1/2 weeks for no apparent reason (now I know there had to be a reason but I’m not sure what that is.) Both roosters had distended dark abdomens with little feathering and sweet dispositions. The small hen appeared healthy but was lethargic and withdrawn most of the time. I had her in my lap holding her trying to get her to drink from a little dropper and she died in my arms. Heartbreaker!
Secondly, I had a very sweet smaller female with what I have learned is called splayed leg. She appeared to have been bitten by an insect on the leg joint so I put miracle salve on it and bandaged it to keep it clean. The bandage gave her a little support when she walked also. Needless to say, this bird was a little fighter. She was 1/3 of the size of even the smallest in the flock and yet, she was fearless. I loved this bird. Since I am a Therapist, I would massage and range her leg as tolerated every day. It did help and she lived to be 8 weeks old before we culled her with the second group from this flock. I remember crying my heart out. I’m crying now actually. Heartbreaking.
Thirdly, the flock was not consistent in size. There were birds that were tall in stature with strong legs and great constitution (about 1/3 of the birds) then short rounded birds with small heads and short legs and even smaller birds that took longer to mature from head to toe.
From a first flock perspective, I do not recommend this breed. There are way too many variables to address for someone just starting out. Yes, you have meat in the freezer in 6 weeks, but, what I went through with these chickens just drained me to the core. My husband could not believe his eyes on a daily basis and he has raised fowl for years before I met him! They do gain a pound a week even adjusting the food schedule! These chickens are not the norm by any stretch of the imagination.
Also, I have to mention their feet. Their feet in the first two weeks were enormous to the point the poor things couldn’t navigate properly. It was really really hard to watch. So their development is extreme on several levels.
Lastly, (because I couldn’t bear to kill them) I saved two - Dora the Explorer and her companion Nora. They were beautiful then and they’re beautiful now. They were always the first out of the coop in the morning to forage and I thought if they forage they’ll stay healthy and not become overweight (I was wrong about that.) I also wanted to see if they would lay eggs and they do and early too!
Now, they are huge and weigh in at around 12 lbs each. They do not get extra anything. They forage and get layer feed and some greens from the garden.
They also started laying eggs early and within 2 days of each other at 3 1/2 months old. Having said that, again, these birds are not typical backyard birds especially for a newbie like me.
Nora is so big, my husband built what he calls a handicap ramp that’s nice and wide so she can enter and exit the coop. She comes down okay, but dreads the walk up so in the evening we often pick her up and help her in.
I don’t know how long we’ll have Dora and Nora, but they’ll have a happy life while they’re here with us.
Now that I’ve written all of this down and analyzed my experience with this breed I’ll share some final thoughts: Will I ever raise them again? Maybe. Will I be better prepared next time? Absolutely. By that I mean, prepared to see some very fast growth that is extraordinary and the issues that may or may not arise because of it.
So, if you have a need for some quick meat, you are ready to handle unusually fast growing chickens as well as any problems that may arise with this breed, the Cornish X may just be the bird for you.
