Are we Cornish Rocks? *UPDATE PG 13*

[Kezzie]

Quote:
They say it's because of a server upgrade, but I'm really believing it's an A p r i l F o o l ' s joke. A p r i l F o o l comes up as BYC Member, too... and e g g comes up as rooster! You ought to search for egg recipes - kinda funny!

Ok.. Ok... you got me... who is the funny one!!

Jeez, I was wondering why I kept reading about hatching roosters yesterday and I was too afraid to ask how they know the sex in the shell...

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Ok, WOW! 3 of the white chicks are growing soooooo fast. The biggest one, the one that I feel certain is a cockerel, is now named... Bubba Gump. He is getting HUGE and I mean huge as in FAT! He feels like he weighs 1/2 a lb.! (Probably not, but he is a CHUNK!) The other two, the ones I think are probably pullets, aren't as big as Bubba G is, but they are mighty plump too. Their names are Ethel and Maude... don't ask me why, it just seemed to fit them.

And then there's Pipsqueak, the runt of the whites. S/he has grown a little more but still has quite a way to go before catching up to the others, if s/he ever does. I sure hope that Pipsqueak is NOT a Cornish Rock

but I'm waiting to see if s/he has a sudden growth spurt before letting my guard down.

So, I'm about 90% sure that I do indeed have 3 meaties now.

I'll post more pics in a few days since I company due in any time now and have no time for photography right now.

Is there anything I need to do differently for them now that they are 16 days old? Should I keep them on 20% starter/grower or change them over to grower/finisher? I'm not looking to raise them for meat so I don't want them to bulk up too fast... and die really young.

 

[raroo]

I took mine off the chick feed when they were two weeks old and put them on a grower. If you can, I'd take away their feed at night too.
Oh, I'm so sorry that three turned out to be meaties! Maybe their taking two weeks to start getting big is a good sign, and they won't be at such a high risk for problems.
Aw, that sucks, I wish I could help and take them off your hands!
I do love their names BTW, I wanted to name one of my chicks Big Bertha but my fiance said she needed a more respectful name, LOL.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Raroo, I'm simply amazed at these birds. You would not believe how big they are now. And their crops look like they've swallowed golf balls! I have separated them so I can ration their food out better - and because I'm afraid they might accidentally squish little Teeny & Violet. All they do now is eat, drink, poop, sleep & GROW! I was going to try to get updated pics today but was too busy. I'll take some on Tuesday when they're 3 weeks old.

Oh, and Pipsqueak is still small, so it looks like I have only 3 meaties instead of 4.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

That's what I figured....

That's too bad but hey, you can have fresh chicken in another 4 weeks if you want?


I would def. seperate them and give them a 20% starter/grower with out medication. This way they will grow a slow healthy life.

If the weather is decent in your area the faster you let them outside to exersice the better chance you have of keeping them healthy. You may even be able to keep the pullets as pets... if you restrict their feed as they grow.

Good luck and I'm sorry they turned out to be cornish x's.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

They're separated and unmedicated 20% is exactly what they're eating. I took their food away last night and when I went in the garage this morning they were all peeping so loud... like they were starving to death. Poor babies. You should have seen them chowing down when I fed them!

How often should I feed them? When unrestricted they eat until their crops get so big they look like they could burst wide open!

 

[raroo]

How are your big guys doing so far HenMama?

 

[Robin'sBrood]

They're 22 days old now and they are ALWAYS hungry, especially since I have them on a diet.

Here they are tonight. I was away all day and didn't get a chance to clean their brooder, so excuse it because it is a mess. I'll clean that water before I go to bed... for the 3rd time today... the messy little things!

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Since I had to separate them they're back in the same little brooder that they were in when I first brought them home. Look at the difference in them and how just the 3 of them fill that tub up now!

 

[raroo]

Awwwww, ya, they are big now! My heart sure goes out to meaties, they're like special needs birds with disabilities. I'm nursing a recovered impacted crop right now because Greta gorged herself right after her dinner on the fresh spring grass that sprouted seemingly overnight. Silly girl, now I have to change her free range time to make sure she has an empty crop before range time, and enough time to digest grass before her dinner.

It looks like you're doing everything you can for those guys, best of luck with them!

They're very cute too and look soft with their pretty white feathers!

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Raroo, my CR babies are outside in the tractor for the day. It's going to be in the upper 70s today so I decided to let them have some fresh air and sun. They were so cute, after they finished gorging themselves, they ran around flapping their wings and trying to fly. Now they're out there sleeping in the warm sunshine.

Oh, and I've been watching them to see if they were going to gorge on grass but they haven't seemed interested in it at all. Now the dirt, that's a different story.