Appropriate Feeding for Cornish Cross

[Gaidheal]

This is my 1st year with chickens. Cornish X I think they said.

In the house for 3 weeks then out in a tractor, moved every morning. Full access to food 24/7 as I didn't know any better. "starter" for the 1st 5 weeks then "grower" for the next 4, based on input from my local Co-Op. Processed at exactly 9 weeks to the day just as it happened to work out.

Processed 37 of the 40 that a coyote didn't kill so I did OK I think.

The average weight, in the bag after processing, was almost 8 pounds. I had two over 10 pounds.

Replaced the 40 I lost to the coyote with another 40 that are in the basement now in their inflatable kiddie pool brooder. 2 weeks old today and I might move them outside tomorrow into a tractor just to make my life a little easier but I'm not sure if that extra week will make a lot of difference.

My 16 egg birds and 4 muscovies just got a poultry net enclosure for their tractor so they think they have hit the jackpot with some room to move. They are 5 weeks old and I expect to build their coop this coming week.

Been a fun year so far albeit with some heartache with the loss of ~40 birds to a coyote the 2nd night they were outdoors.

 

[TERMINATORATIS]

I want to share my own experience about Cornish Cross feeding system, which I combined from reading many different articles. I find out that following contribution how I feed mine Cornish hens can be useful for this poultry breed enthusiast.
First week I feed chicks 24/7 with 22% meat bird (turkey) crumbles and fluorescent daylight type (5000 K) bulbs on. I also used probiotics and electrolytes in waterer all the time ! Second week I noticed that birds started to over eat themselves. So on third and fourth week I switched to 18% chicken starter/grower crumbles and 12 hours light duration. On week five I switched back from 18% crumbles to 22% meat bird crumbles and 12 hours light system. For the firsts two weeks, I also used 150W ceramic heaters to keep the chicks warm, while ambient temperature was 68-76 Fahrenheit. After two weeks, there was no need to keep them heated, because outside temperatures start rising in lower 80's. I changed coarse pine shavings as bedding material every three days. On the week three I also added chicken grit with probiotics to improve food digestion. None of birds suffere d from leg problems nor I experienced any losses. It was worth the try, because it resulted in healthy humanely raised birds.

 

[Jeepershomestead]

I want to share my own experience about Cornish Cross feeding system, which I combined from reading many different articles. I find out that following contribution how I feed mine Cornish hens can be useful for this poultry breed enthusiast.
First week I feed chicks 24/7 with 22% meat bird (turkey) crumbles and fluorescent daylight type (5000 K) bulbs on. I also used probiotics and electrolytes in waterer all the time ! Second week I noticed that birds started to over eat themselves. So on third and fourth week I switched to 18% chicken starter/grower crumbles and 12 hours light duration. On week five I switched back from 18% crumbles to 22% meat bird crumbles and 12 hours light system. For the firsts two weeks, I also used 150W ceramic heaters to keep the chicks warm, while ambient temperature was 68-76 Fahrenheit. After two weeks, there was no need to keep them heated, because outside temperatures start rising in lower 80's. I changed coarse pine shavings as bedding material every three days. On the week three I also added chicken grit with probiotics to improve food digestion. None of birds suffereView attachment 2166019d from leg problems nor I experienced any losses. It was worth the try, because it resulted in healthy humanely raised birds.

What probiotics and electrolytes did you use? We are raising these for the first time and have experience three out of 32 losses. I am currently researching on what to add or change up or do differently to prevent the rest from falling and would appreciate your input. They are a week old as of 9/29.

 

[Tre3hugger]

What probiotics and electrolytes did you use? We are raising these for the first time and have experience three out of 32 losses. I am currently researching on what to add or change up or do differently to prevent the rest from falling and would appreciate your input. They are a week old as of 9/29.

I use McMurrays broiler booster. From Mcmurray hatchery website

 

[AleenaC]

I raised those birds for many years. The older they get, the more they only think about food. It is important to keep the food and water apart from each other so that the birds have to walk back and forth. If they can reach the food and water easily, they won't even try to walk after a while. Meat birds are very different from egg layers. I always used turkey feed for my meat birds. It's a higher protein. Also, don't keep food in front of them 24/7. It's not necessary and it could kill them. If you are raising them in hot weather, put a fan on them. Give them plenty of water, but only enough food for 8 hours of the day. You don't want them to grow too fast. We had a contest at our fair every year for growing the biggest and healthiest meat birds. My family always won! 8 weeks is enough time to grow them. If done right, you can reach weights of over 9 lbs. each for cockerels. Keep them clean. The poop will get overwhelming, but you don't want them laying in it. It can cause breast blisters. Good luck. They taste amazing and are almost like little turkeys when they are ready!

How long do you let them ad lib feed?

 

[Magtoshi]

I'm on week 5 of my first batch of CX. I fed them 24/7 for the first 3 weeks and then 12 on 12 off feed. I'm using non medicated 20% starter/grower start to finish. I calculate feed consumption once a week by weighing the bucket in the morning and again in the evening. I have been using this chart from Welp as a reference.


Mine are almost exactly on that track for feed consumption and a just a little ahead on weight. I weighed a few yesterday which was day 39 of growth and they weighed between 6 and 6.5 pounds each.

Does this same schedule apply if they are in a tractor in an area where 'chicken friendly' things are growing (ie: alfalfa, buckwheat, comfrey, rye, crimson clover)? I am also supplementing with live red wiggler worms about once a week. I am giving about a pound of worms at a time, thought I would welcome recommendations regarding this as well. I am hoping the worms and growing things can help me save a bit on feed, however I want fat and happy chickens as well. Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[FunClucks]

Does this same schedule apply if they are in a tractor in an area where 'chicken friendly' things are growing (ie: alfalfa, buckwheat, comfrey, rye, crimson clover)? I am also supplementing with live red wiggler worms about once a week. I am giving about a pound of worms at a time, thought I would welcome recommendations regarding this as well. I am hoping the worms and growing things can help me save a bit on feed, however I want fat and happy chickens as well. Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

This is an old thread, you may not get many responses. CX typically don't forage. They will lay down and eat and drink all day if they can. I put food and water on opposite ends of my enclosure so they HAVE to stand up and move during the day, else they wouldn't. So I don't know how much they'll actually eat of the forage you're giving.

I use that chart to determine how many bags of feed to buy at what age, not how much to feed per day. I let them free feed for 12 hrs each day, and just keep the feeders filled.

Many different ways to do it - you can decide what works best for you.

If you're feeding worms and on pasture, be sure to keep an eye out for signs of parasites.
If you feed restrict them, or if more than 10% of their diet is made up of something besides commercially produced chicken feed, expect them to grow more slowly than they otherwise would.