About how much per bird?

[Roosterboy]

About how does it cost to raise the cornish x's if someone has between 100 and 175 birds? How long does a 50ib bag of feed last?

 

[gumpsgirl]

With that many meat birds, a 50# sack of feed won't last long. All they do is eat and sleep and eat and sleep and eat and sleep, etc...

 

[spook]

Well, also if you feed them 24 hours a day, then they eat a super lot I should think. I only had a few, left them on a natural light cycle and I found they didn't go off their feet like others often do, and at 8 weeks I had to process them as they were at their large load- according to the fact I had a couple with heart issues.
Good luck!

 

[miss_jayne]

i have 103 and 100 lbs lasts me a week. and i don't feed free choice, i feed two times daily. they aren't cheap to raise, but they are mighty tasty and i know what went into my bird!

i haven't had any have health prob's at all. i lost two to smothering but that's the only issue i have had.

 

[burntumber]

For goodness sake- don't raise those horrid Cornish X things! :| High maintenance buggers. They don't know when to stop eating - it's like a science making the feed:meat ratio work in your favor. If you over feed them they get all kinds of major problems- including death from heart attacks. Raise nice forage breeds like dark cornish. You'll feed them less b/c they prefer to eat grass and bugs that they find themselves. Their stiff feathers are easier to pluck, also.

 

[miss_jayne]

Quote:
now, i have to differ...they are not high maint. they are the bag ladies of the chicken world. you feed them and water them. they are not weak and namby pamby.

they only get health prob's if they are overfed. my CX eat bugs, grass and all sorts of things in the field. and plucking was cake-work.

i am not arguing your point, but that is not the experience that everyone will have and neither is mine.

it depends what the point of the project is...does the person have time to feed a dark cornish long enough to be table ready? do they have an area to range them with good pickings?

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Quote:
now, i have to differ...they are not high maint. they are the bag ladies of the chicken world. you feed them and water them. they are not weak and namby pamby.

they only get health prob's if they are overfed. my CX eat bugs, grass and all sorts of things in the field. and plucking was cake-work.

i am not arguing your point, but that is not the experience that everyone will have and neither is mine.

it depends what the point of the project is...does the person have time to feed a dark cornish long enough to be table ready? do they have an area to range them with good pickings?

Gotta go with miss_jayne on this one.

 

[burntumber]

I've raised both breeds and lost more Cornish X to health problems- the dark cornish got as big with a little more time and were WAY healthier/happier animals. Prettier, too. The Cornish X's that got leg problems - it just seemed cruel and painful to me. Once saw a fella at a slaughter house who brought in a load of Cornish X with no feathers on their bellies. He let them get so enormous they couldn't walk- only scoot around on their bellies. Something seriously wrong with that imo.

I raise my own birds based on a personal ethic- I want them to live normal chicken lives. What's the point of that if I'm raising these genetically tweaked Frankenstiens that have all kinds of negaitve genetic side effects?

Just speaking from personal experience.

 

[SandraMort]

I used to think you were right, but I've got three and they're not acting any differently than the rest of my flock, and if you look at Jayne's pics, they seem pretty active and happy.

 

[Hobbley_Farm]

I have 6 Cornish X and they're 5-6 weeks now, I guess. No health problems. They are active. I don't feed them 24/7. They get fed twice a day as well. All of my animals do. They're actually great! They are more friendly even, than my other chickens. 1 of my daughters and her friends likes to hold them. We're going to dress out 5 of the 6 and keep the 6th for a breeder. I'm excited. I'll do Cornish X's again. But I will also try the Rangers at some point (out of curiosity) But I wouldn't dissuade anyone from Cornish.


Sorry your thread got so off topic