1 Week Old Cornish Cross Chicks, Please HELP

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Thats the way they look, they only stay cute about a week.

Puting them on a stavation diet really does not change much but makes them unhappy. They are a essentially a terminal hybrid. If you limit food it just takes longer to get to the same end.

IMHO just feed the chicks what they will eat free choice and then after ~4 weeks, normal daylight and darkness will naturally limit their feeding to an extent. They are intended to be havested about 6-10 weeks, going beyond that is an uphill battle with leg, heart and other health problems.

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

Thanks to all for all your messages. They are a lot, yhat's for sure. I am taking their food away at night and bringing back at 5 am when I get up. Can't believe thee food they have gone thriugh in a week! They act like piranas when I refill food tray, LOL! I'll let you know how this first meat bird experience goes.


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Kathy, Chicken Lover, Benton City, WA

 

[Pele]

You've gotten good information from all the replies on this thread and your meaties sound normal. Unfortunately they are just poor doomed souls, and they look like it too. They can't be bothered to grow feathers because all the protien is going into meat.

Mercifully, their existence is short. Though they'll probably eat as much feed as another breed does in 2 years, so I guess they just cram all living into a few weeks.

Live hard, die young. Cornish Xs must be band-members or something.

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

Thanks for your reply Pelee, they are a pathetic looking lot, I feel bad they were engineered this way, so sad. Yet, I bought them and will process them, just don't feel great about it.