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

[OPA Acres]

I wanna get into raising these birds to stock my freezer. I don't really do any chicken stock saving or anything like that but I do love grilled bbq chicken and fried chicken. Is the meat of these birds comparable to market birds or do yall think the meat is more stringy or pretty much the same? Are these birds better as soup birds or do you use them like you would a store bought bird?

Agree with CMobley -- the cornish cross aka jumbo cornish cross is the same type of chicken you buy at the grocery store. These are not backyard chickens - they wouldn't survive past about 3 months'ish. You can also process these birds early (3-4 weeks) and get a cornish game hen as you see in the store.

There are several downsides to these birds, one is that they are not sustainable. You can't have a self-replenishing stock of these birds. So, you are dependant on the hatcheries to provide them to you.

 

[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.

 

[Parront]

Agree with CMobley -- the cornish cross aka jumbo cornish cross is the same type of chicken you buy at the grocery store. These are not backyard chickens - they wouldn't survive past about 3 months'ish. You can also process these birds early (3-4 weeks) and get a cornish game hen as you see in the store.

There are several downsides to these birds, one is that they are not sustainable. You can't have a self-replenishing stock of these birds. So, you are dependant on the hatcheries to provide them to you.

The past year when people could not get the chicks they wanted due to Covid made more people think of this issue. In a normal year, buying some Cornish-X chicks saves us money on keeping (and feeding) breeders all year. A dual purpose bird or a layer breed just does not make meat the way the hybrids do. But, you can always eat your little roosters! They taste like chicken!

 

[MabankMom]

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.

Thank you for that information! You helped me confirm that I will be raising meat birds. Kudos to you!

 

[bgmathteach]

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.

Great results!

To eliminate leg problems in the future, you can withhold feed at night starting at about day 6. General wisdom is to withhold for 12 hours/feed 12 hours, but I find withholding for about 8-10 hours is effective. Of course, it will mean slower growth rate, so you might need an extra week to get to these weights again, but you shouldn't have any leg problems (at least not from growing too quick.)

I find that Cornish X do NOT tolerate heat well..and the older/bigger they get, the less they tolerate the heat. When it is really hot, I put a big chunk of ice in my chicken waterers. I might also lay a frozen bottle - wrapped in a few layers of newspaper - in a shady spot in the run so they have a 'cool micro climate' area if they want it.

Hope this helps for the future

 

[PlentifulPrairie]

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.

That's awesome!! I have yet to raise Cornish crosses for meat. I've raised barred rocks and buff Orpington thus far, mainly for the sustainability reasons. But I'm planning on trying the Cornish cross, maybe this fall. Id just like to have a bigger bird in the freezer and in a shorter amount of time. My heritage birds are on average 4lbs in 13 weeks. Very inspiring!

 

[bgmathteach]

That's awesome!! I have yet to raise Cornish crosses for meat. I've raised barred rocks and buff Orpington thus far, mainly for the sustainability reasons. But I'm planning on trying the Cornish cross, maybe this fall. Id just like to have a bigger bird in the freezer and in a shorter amount of time. My heritage birds are on average 4lbs in 13 weeks. Very inspiring!

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.

 

[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.

 

[OPA Acres]

Great results!

To eliminate leg problems in the future, you can withhold feed at night starting at about day 6. General wisdom is to withhold for 12 hours/feed 12 hours, but I find withholding for about 8-10 hours is effective. Of course, it will mean slower growth rate, so you might need an extra week to get to these weights again, but you shouldn't have any leg problems (at least not from growing too quick.)

I find that Cornish X do NOT tolerate heat well..and the older/bigger they get, the less they tolerate the heat. When it is really hot, I put a big chunk of ice in my chicken waterers. I might also lay a frozen bottle - wrapped in a few layers of newspaper - in a shady spot in the run so they have a 'cool micro climate' area if they want it.

Hope this helps for the future

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.

 

[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!