Alternatives to Cornish X; and, alternatives to commercial feed?

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
Chad:

FCR is Feed Conversion Ratio. It is used as a measure of efficiency in livestock operations and changes in it can have significant impacts on the profitability of a livestock operation. In commercial broiler operations they look at this ratio to the second decimal. In the early 2000's one of the largest integrators shared with me that changing their FCR by one-point, that is .01, would impact their operation in MILLIONS of dollars per day.

The negative aspects of the "Cornish Crosses" are perpetuated without substantial evidence other than repeated anecdotes. While there are issues with these types of birds, they are not nearly as bad as typically stated. In fact one of my customers just butchered 96 birds, they purchased 100 chicks so had a death loss of only 4%.

Jim

 

[SimplyAbundantFarm]

Quote:
Hi Chad...I think that maybe I wasn't clear. I agree with Jim that they are the most feed efficient birds to raise...that was the point that I was actually making in response to his post. They are the kings of feed efficiency...none of us can dispute that. (FCR, is feed conversion ratio). That doesn't mean that I would ever raise them, myself.

Like I said in my earlier post, I am definitely no fan of the Cornish Cross...and that is precisely why I don't raise them, myself. My birds will grow out in about twice the time that a Cornish Cross who has been pushed hard will do. I'm anticipating processing my birds at 11-12 weeks, whereas if I had Cornish Crosses, they would be ready to go next week (and most likely starting to keel over on a far too regular basis a few weeks after that). If I tried to raise Cornish Crosses at the rate that I raise my birds, I would have two things...monster birds the size of small turkeys (those who survived, anyway) and on the other end of the spectrum, birds with the potential for lots of health issues. My brother-in-llaw raised them a few years back and it was not unusual to go out in the morning to find them on their backs and unable to get up, legs buckled under, and dropping over dead from heart attacks.

They really are (in my opinion) eating machines...who sit like lumps and just keep shoveling it in as long and as fast as they can. My birds, on the other hand, still gain way better than a dual purpose breed could ever do, have a nice, meaty breast and thighs (but not the pasty, mushy tasteless meat that you'll get from a supermarket bird) and they are active. They're always on the move...foraging, finding bugs, and acting like normal chickens. The only time you'll find mine in the hoophouse is during the hottest part of the day or at night. Other than that, they're out and about.

If someone wants a good meat alternative to a Cornish Cross, I would still recommend a hybrid -- that's pretty much what I was trying to say, but I guess I didn't say it very well. I was just agreeing with Jim on the FCR and the fact that a dual purpose bird isn't going to be meaty enough to satisfy most folks. He's also right that the Hubbard type are great feed converters. It also depends on how you feed them, though...even pushed, my birds would not be ready to process in six weeks.

However, all that being said, I certainly cannot dispute the fact that the Cornish Cross is the best feed converter out there. Anyone who would try to dispute that would be lying. Some folks call them modern miracles. I, personally, think they look like mutants. I like my birds to have feathers and to look, live and act like chickens. That is why I raise the birds I do in the way that I do.

It comes down to a combination of two things...the birds you choose to raise and how you choose to raise those birds. I choose to raise the red bros because I have never been a fan of Cornish Crosses...for all the reasons stated on my website. I choose to raise them on pasture for reasons of quality and good stewardship and my preferred management practices.



Mary

 

[chiknwhisperer]

I am picking up 25 Cornish X s tomorrow morning. I was excited about and I still slightly am. But I am also getting worried. now if I made a good pick or not. Should I only feed them once a day or should I keep their feeders always full? I hope I do okay

 

[UncleHoot]

Quote:
Yes...

That is actually an issue of debate here. I have always given mine all the feed they can eat. But my chickens also sleep at night (when it's dark). I suppose if you have them in a lighted area 24/7, feed removal might be more of an issue.

Don't be too worried. Expect to lose a 2-3 to unknown causes.

 

[chad]

Quote:
They will eat whenever you put food in front of them, and my understanding is that they should always have food available, since they burn it at such a rate they're basically always hungry. (This does slow up a bit at night after they're out from under the brooder lights, IME. When it gets dark they settle down some.)

You'll do fine, and it's good experience. Keep them warm enough until they feather out, keep food and fresh clean water in front of them, keep their litter clean so they're not eating sh*t (or getting ammonia burns on their undersides from laying in it), protect them from predators and try not to startle them. It's not as much work as it sounds; and if one or more die on you, odds are that they're faulty units rather than poor care on your part.

 

[Redfeathers]

As I have previously posted, this is my first "GO" at raising Cornish X. Mine are just over five weeks old and are all thriving and very lively. I don't keep the feeder (trough type, not big feeder) full all day. I fill it, they empty it and then I re fill about three hours later. Mine are very nicely feathered with only a few bald patches under the wings and some have a bald rear end. The backs, wings, chest and underbelly is fully feathered and clean. I put clean shavings out every day and am cleaning the whole pen out once a week. They are out doors but have a shelter over them if it rains. I also have bird netting over the pen. Yes they eat alot! but I keep it controlled and I make them have to get up and move to get the food and water. They tend to run around some anyway. I can't complain. Maybe I've just been lucky. I don't like the smell but it's really only bad when its hot out or if it rains hard.

 

[SimplyAbundantFarm]

Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay :

The negative aspects of the "Cornish Crosses" are perpetuated without substantial evidence other than repeated anecdotes. While there are issues with these types of birds, they are not nearly as bad as typically stated. In fact one of my customers just butchered 96 birds, they purchased 100 chicks so had a death loss of only 4%.

Jim

While you may be right that much of the evidence is anecdotal, I think that you will find many people right here on this forum who have seen these problems up close and personal and with their own eyes -- and not always as a result of poor management practices. A lot of folks don't mind adapting their management practices to meet the needs of the Cornish Cross...others would prefer a different type of bird. There are always two sides to every coin and different viewpoints.

It all comes down to a matter of personal preference and choice...just like most things in life.​

 

[greyfields]

Quote:
Search the first few pages on here. Many, if not a majority, in here don't enjoy raising cornish crosses either.

As far as 'breeds' go, no purebred chickens put on meat like a broiler will and you'll find it rather disappointing.

You really don't want to skimp on the feed for broilers. Any nutritional deficincies they have get multiplied due to their fast growth rate.

There are some pretty good alternatives to Cornish Crosses who take only a couple weeks longer to grow, cost you no more in feed, and have much better disease resistance and vigor. I currently recommend the Red Bro boilers from JM Hatchery. These are the same birds the Freedom Ranger Red Ranger was.

 

[greyfields]

Quote:
Remember there are no 'breeds' in poultry.

ANY purebred chicken will make a poor eating bird. They take 15+ weeks to reach the correct weight and their carcasses don't look right compared with a broiler. When you look at the feed a purebreed (or dual purpose) costs you in money, you are better off buying organic, free range chickens from a high end grocery store.

Freedom Rangers were a great alternative to the standard Cornish Cross. They are out of business now, but you can get the same birds from JM Hatchery in the northeast. They'll be adding the grey and black lines soon, too.

 

[greyfields]

Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay :

The the current commercial broiler which are sold as "Cornish Crosses" are the most efficient animal in modern agriculture. Their conversion rate of 2:1 is a gold standard that other meat animals are compared to daily, so while the eat a lot of feed, they are converting the feed very efficiently which results in a very economical meat. If you use a high retail price of $500/ton for broiler feed you can raise broilers for a $0.50/lb gain.

The use of "dual purpose" breeds of chickens to produce meat will not acheive the same economic responses or the same meat yield. The line of chickens developed by Hubbard and sold as "Freedom Rangers" until recently have the potential to achieve economics close to the commercial broilers.

Jim

The FCR's on the Hubbard broilers are identical to cornish crosses. They costs you no more money to raise. They simply convert the same ammount of feed to the same ammount of muscle in a longer duration of time. It's a good trade off considering you get:

a) pretty birds
b) more vigor
c) better disease resistance
d) the ability to forage
e) active birds which actually behave like chickens​