6 week old jumbo cornish cross - 10 lbs - are they ready to process?

[PlentifulPrairie]

You might try 'freedom rangers' or 'rainbow rangers'. They are faster growing than heritage, but slower than cornish cross. They are usually ready to process at about 12-15 weeks.

I did get some years ago, unfortunately, I got too attached (I had never processed a bird yet at that point), and couldn't kill them, so I kept them - only one was a roo - as layers with my heritage breeds. So, I can't speak to size at processing time, but they were my 'big girls' as they were around twice the weight of my barred rocks as adults.

I have since raised some cornish rock X, and hate myself each time I do. I call them 'frankenbirds' They just don't fully behave like a heritage chicken once they are beyond 4 weeks or so (because they are too big. They end up completely 'bald' on their belly from laying down so much). However, my husband's comment about the processing of our 'extra roos' for meat ['This is a lot of work for a drumstick'] Made me get them again last year. Now I am determine to breed my own meat birds. So far I have crossed White rock & Dark Cornish, Dark Cornish and Cuckoo Marans, and D.C & Ameracauna (my heaviest Americauna) Decent results from offspring...plan on continuing working on them...try to keep the faster growing but still good size...and as needed, cross back to DC to keep breast size decent in the boys. Figure it will take at least 5 years....but, I am new to proactive breeding, so who knows. Maybe it'll be a bust, but fun trying.

Okay, I 'talk too much .But take away: try a few of each Cornish rock crosses & rainbow rangers (or whatever your hatchery of choice calls them) See which you like better - both for temperment & flavor.

Ah no I love this! This also is my personal goal!! I'll take information on anything you got!!! My first thought on Cornish cross is that they just seemed unhealthy... But I get a lot of mixed messages good&bad. I won a gift certificate to a hatchery through a poultry photography contest.. it's the only reason I'm considering trying them and actually selling the meat for profit... And returning those profits back into buying more chickens to make my own meat bird breed yeah I have a problem . I'd love to know more about your results.

 

[bgmathteach]

I appreciate your contributions but, personally, I would not change anything. I do not consider leg problems in 2 out of 29 birds to be reason to change the way we fed.

I did read about 12/12 scheduled but when we tried this... we found the birds were quite fierce fighting for food the next morning (not smart enough to move to the end of the line where there was open feeder space).

Personally, I think we would do everything exactly the same in the future. My hope is to show people what worked for me...and this was a great success.

Yes, it was an astounding success!

Fair enough - you are correct that 2 out of 29 (6 - 7%) is a pretty low percent to have issues. I just automatically went with the 12/12 schedule because of all the articles I had read about bowed & broken legs - instilled fear of 24 hr. feed availability! However, I guess that once they are out of the brooder (assuming you used a heat lamp, not heat pad for brooding), they probably didn't really eat much at night because it was dark.....but would be a much shorter time period (this time of year) than the 12 off schedule.

I'm really glad it worked for you...this might make me rethink my raising them strategy!

 

[3KillerBs]

To avoid growth hormones or whatever is in the grow feed, I switched to corn only diet the last two weeks. Paranoia? Maybe…

There are no "growth hormones" in the feed. This is a myth.

Grower feed is formulated to provide optimal nutrition to support rapid growth -- the correct balance of protein, fat, and vitamins.

Corn finishing is a traditional practice that is said to increase fat and improve flavor. I don't have any information on whether or not it's effective at this or how it may compromise the birds' musculoskeletal growth.

 

[Molpet]

There are no "growth hormones" in the feed. This is a myth.

Not legal in USA, we don't know what other countries allow

 

[Molpet]

So I am not up and up in the meat bird raising, but am super interested for next spring, so thank you all for the information and starting this thread!!!

I assume they go into a coop at night as well--do they need the same square footage space or ??

CX don't go far from the feeder. Most people have them in a tractor that is moved daily. The colored broilers take a few weeks longer but are more like a normal chicken and will forage better than CX.

 

[cassie]

To avoid growth hormones or whatever is in the grow feed, I switched to corn only diet the last two weeks. Paranoia? Maybe…

WHAT growth hormones? There are no hormones, growth or otherwise, added to chicken feed. I am curious as to why you think there are. When hormones are given to livestock, and there have been none given to poultry for decades, they are not added to the feed. They are in some sort of an implant. If your chickens survive and grow on a straight corn diet, fine, but it is not a balanced diet.

 

[Parront]

It's a 20% protein.. here are the stats from purina - they do make a medicated version, but we did not use it.

View attachment 2780822

I have used the Purina Flock Raiser, Cal Ranch sells a store brand that is very similar. called Country Companion that I feed the chicks and ducks.

 

[canne50]

To avoid growth hormones or whatever is in the grow feed, I switched to corn only diet the last two weeks. Paranoia? Maybe…

 

[WIchickMama]

So I am not up and up in the meat bird raising, but am super interested for next spring, so thank you all for the information and starting this thread!!!

I assume they go into a coop at night as well--do they need the same square footage space or ??

 

[Estelee]

Thanks to all who answered! We processed the birds at 7 weeks, 3 days and had an average dress weight around 6 pounds per bird.

We had one bird that had leg problems that started around week 4, and he/she came in significantly lighter. We only had one other bird that had trouble walking on processing day. None of our other birds had any mobility issues. We did lose one bird around week 4 after a really hot day followed by really loud/intense thunderstorms that night (not sure if it was the heat, storm, or genetics or a combination that caused the death of that bird).

They were raised on Purina Flock Raiser and they were given food 24/7 from day one until the day before we processed them (when we held their food). We had them in chicken tractors that we moved daily to fresh grass.

We used 11" roll food saver bags and vacuum sealed them before freezing...all of the birds fit, but we did break the majority of the birds down (breast, thigh, leg, wings - and back/carcass) so that we could thaw what we wanted to use.

I just wanted to document that information for anyone who might find this thread in the future.

Can you tell me. Do we need to let the birds rest and let the muscles relax before we freeze them? We’ve been told that helps with the toughness.