Amaized with CX

[UrbanBirds]

Ok I have an updade for this thread, having now raised my first group of Cornish crosses.

Out of 15, I brought 12 to slaughter. One chick died the first day, the second bird developed angular limb deformity at about 6 weeks and the third, I believe, died of heat stroke.

Of course I was really pleased with how quickly I could get them out of the brooder and into the tractor. I chose to put them out at about 2 weeks old, but didn't let them out to forage until 4 weeks. My pasture is surrounded by electric wire and poultry netting. We lost none to predation but there was a hawk sitting on the tractor one evening.

They spent most of the morning and day, sitting near the drinker or in the tractor. This is Florida, so even in May it gets pretty hot in the middle of the day and they just don't tolerate this well. By the time they were 8 weeks old on May 26, they spent the day panting in the tractor. In the evenings they were really active and great foragers. I provided another small shade house for them but they never sought it out. They didn't want to walk too far for things if it was hot.

In general I do not think they ranged or foraged quite as well as the two groups of freedom rangers I have raised. Those birds just want to roam and are a little more heat tolerant (although still not heat loving). Still, they did range ok if it wasn't too hot. I think the amount of free ranging they did was acceptable, just not as much as FR.

I fed them free choice in the evenings only, countryside organics broiler ration. At 8 weeks only about 2 to 4 birds were over 5 lbs. In hindsight, I would have raised these birds to 10 weeks but I was scared to do so the hotter it got out here.

Their carcasses are definitely meatier and I am very pleased with how they look, even the ones that are smallish. A puny freedom ranger is truly a pathetic thing to see, but a small CX is still a plump, meaty bird, just less of him.

I am still happy I did it and I would definitely do it again, just a little earlier in the season for Florida, say for slaughter in April. It's hard to know because we had late cold weather and I wanted them to have something to forage in, but memorial day slaughter was way too late.

 

[JJSS89]

Glad to see some positivity about the Cornish X Rocks on here. Sounds like you did right and had some wonderful birds to eat. I read a lot of hate for them on here. "They're smelly...they have leg problems...they die randomly...they're clumsy and dumb..."

Of course some fall over dead for no apparent reason, it always happens to 1 or 2 out of my batches of 60-80. Then of course there are 1 or 2 that have knee problems at 3-4 weeks of age. Cry my a river because they are the perfect size to eat a whole one then and there is nothing wrong with processing a chick who has a sore hip.

Smelly? Maybe because they are growing at an unreal rate and you keep them in too small of an enclosure. I have a 14'x14' tractor and move it every two days. Guess what? No terrible smell.

Clumsy/Dumb? Clumsy because they put on weight like a beef calf and are so young. Not any dumber than a regular chicken at that age.

Anyway, sorry for the rant but I am glad that you made a good choice and got some birds that will actually gain weight and like you said, a less than average Freedom Ranger is a pathetic sight.

 

[LindaB220]

Ok I have an updade for this thread, having now raised my first group of Cornish crosses.

Out of 15, I brought 12 to slaughter. One chick died the first day, the second bird developed angular limb deformity at about 6 weeks and the third, I believe, died of heat stroke.

Of course I was really pleased with how quickly I could get them out of the brooder and into the tractor. I chose to put them out at about 2 weeks old, but didn't let them out to forage until 4 weeks. My pasture is surrounded by electric wire and poultry netting. We lost none to predation but there was a hawk sitting on the tractor one evening.

They spent most of the morning and day, sitting near the drinker or in the tractor. This is Florida, so even in May it gets pretty hot in the middle of the day and they just don't tolerate this well. By the time they were 8 weeks old on May 26, they spent the day panting in the tractor. In the evenings they were really active and great foragers. I provided another small shade house for them but they never sought it out. They didn't want to walk too far for things if it was hot.

In general I do not think they ranged or foraged quite as well as the two groups of freedom rangers I have raised. Those birds just want to roam and are a little more heat tolerant (although still not heat loving). Still, they did range ok if it wasn't too hot. I think the amount of free ranging they did was acceptable, just not as much as FR.

I fed them free choice in the evenings only, countryside organics broiler ration. At 8 weeks only about 2 to 4 birds were over 5 lbs. In hindsight, I would have raised these birds to 10 weeks but I was scared to do so the hotter it got out here.

Their carcasses are definitely meatier and I am very pleased with how they look, even the ones that are smallish. A puny freedom ranger is truly a pathetic thing to see, but a small CX is still a plump, meaty bird, just less of him.

I am still happy I did it and I would definitely do it again, just a little earlier in the season for Florida, say for slaughter in April. It's hard to know because we had late cold weather and I wanted them to have something to forage in, but memorial day slaughter was way too late.

Good job. Kudos. Next time consider the fermented feed threads. Cheaper, healthier and less poo smell.

 

[UrbanBirds]

Hey, just curious. Does anyone know or understand how these birds are kept and bred so secretly? My local breeder says there is no way to purchase a white Cornish. No way. The poultry industry has somehow locked up these genetics and you just can't buy one. That seems crazy to me. I mean I know a true Cornish X is more than just a white Cornish + a white rock, but if we could get a hold of some white Cornish we could try to develop our own line.

My breeder actually buys them "from a guy" who somehow raises his own, not from a big commercial hatcery, because he prefers GMO free birds and somehow this guy has bred his own that are GMO free.

All the secrecy just seems really weird to me.

I'm currently brooding a few white laced Cornish to breed to giant whites to see if I can at least get a bird with a good breast, even if it does take a millennium to get them to market weight.

 

[JJSS89]

Hey, just curious. Does anyone know or understand how these birds are kept and bred so secretly? My local breeder says there is no way to purchase a white Cornish. No way. The poultry industry has somehow locked up these genetics and you just can't buy one. That seems crazy to me. I mean I know a true Cornish X is more than just a white Cornish + a white rock, but if we could get a hold of some white Cornish we could try to develop our own line.

My breeder actually buys them "from a guy" who somehow raises his own, not from a big commercial hatcery, because he prefers GMO free birds and somehow this guy has bred his own that are GMO free.

All the secrecy just seems really weird to me.

I'm currently brooding a few white laced Cornish to breed to giant whites to see if I can at least get a bird with a good breast, even if it does take a millennium to get them to market weight.

Yeah I don't know either, it sounds like you've got to know someone to get them for you on the down-low. I've never been that keen on the idea of trying to breed my own meat birds because we can still get chicks for so cheap. You are correct that the famous/infamous Cornish X is not just a cross between white cornish and white rock. They are (I believe) a third or fourth generation product. Unless I am wrong on that, I would say that breeding your own would be cost and time prohibitive.

I know it took a long time for the industry to "perfect" the Cornish X. I butchered three last night. I have never seen a bird so heavy at only 6 weeks as the cockerel of the three. He was as big as an average 9 wk old. Almost too big.

 

[Bossroo]

Urban, I think that you have been listening to someone with an axe to grind with large commercial producers of poultry and other products and misstating of the facts of the practice of selective breeding vs. genetic engineering. You see the Cornish X was developed through selective breeding ( the same selection process discovered by the Monk Gregor Mendell centuries ago that every High school student learned in Biology class ) by scientists at Universities as well as those in the poultry industry decades before genetic engineering was even attempted. much less even been successful in achieving a viable bird or animal or plant. There is NO shady engineering or voodoo practice just good old tried and true selection breeding of parent birds with desireble market traits in their 4 way cross offspring.

 

[LindaB220]

Hey, just curious. Does anyone know or understand how these birds are kept and bred so secretly? My local breeder says there is no way to purchase a white Cornish. No way. The poultry industry has somehow locked up these genetics and you just can't buy one. That seems crazy to me. I mean I know a true Cornish X is more than just a white Cornish + a white rock, but if we could get a hold of some white Cornish we could try to develop our own line.

My breeder actually buys them "from a guy" who somehow raises his own, not from a big commercial hatcery, because he prefers GMO free birds and somehow this guy has bred his own that are GMO free.

All the secrecy just seems really weird to me.

I'm currently brooding a few white laced Cornish to breed to giant whites to see if I can at least get a bird with a good breast, even if it does take a millennium to get them to market weight.

Hey Urban

Yes, I do understand your concern. I mentioned to a friend that you can't just find white cornish at all anymore and she said they are all around. Of course, she's talking about CX. Why didn't Col Sanders turn loose his recipe for his special breading? Because they have to buy from him. The CX is owned by only 4 or so companies in the world. Why not hog all the white cornishes. It's not a conspiracy, just big business. We can guesstimate what breeds they are using to match up the grandparents. Some people try and turn out a pretty good copy. Personally, I'd look for something fast growing like the delaware or New Hampshire. Or the white rock. Have fun and try different kinds. It's still chicken and will taste good.

 

[podgal]

LindaB220 - just read up on this thread and answered more of my questions on the Meat bird thread.

 

[LindaB220]

LindaB220 - just read up on this thread and answered more of my questions on the Meat bird thread.

Yeah, podgal, this is a good thread. To save money on feed, have less smell and healthier birds why not consider fermented feed for them. Here's a good site that can answer you questions of WHY?

http://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

Come see us on the thread the Front Porch Swing. The long one. By Beekissed. It's in the social section.

 

[UrbanBirds]

Thanks for the replies. I hadn't seen that my query was responded to. Bossroo, I think you are misunderstanding what I was relaying. The breeder I was referring to was talking about raising his chicks without GMO corn and soybeans in the feed. I understand how selective breeding works and that it's not a sinister practice. I appreciate the way you explained it though, I think it will help a lot of people.