I usually raise the old CornishxRock cross that Meyer sold, and since I live in Southern Louisiana, I felt that fall would be better for these meat birds, since they have a hard time in the heat. Well Meyers had a special in October for 88 cents each straight run, min. of 25. I bought 50 and they arrived on 10/12/12. I received 1 DOA, 1 very weak that died and 50, in good condition, but all but 1 was female. I started them in a brooder as usual, but they grew so slow, that by week 3, when it was time to put them into the barn, they had no feathers, except on the wings, but the smell and slop was getting bad, so out to the barn it was. It was over 8 weeks just to feather out and they were only slightly larger than my egg layers, about the same age. Meyer's did not sell me the usual CornishX they and the other Hatcheries had been selling. It is now about 14 weeks and they are fully feathered out and running all over, as fast as the rest of my flocks, buy have just started to really put on the meat. I would not raise this breed from Meyers again in the fall, because they needed heat lamps most nights this whole warm winter so far, but if you want hearty, slow growing, good foraging, meat birds, this breed I would only raise in early spring and harvest as I needed during the summer. I am raising Heritage Holland White turkeys and New Zealand White rabbits for sustainable meat. Rabbits give you more meat for the feed they eat, a ratio of about 3 to 1 and Turkeys lay tastier eggs than chickens or ducks, go broody often and are great mothers. They forage very well and dress out at 30 to 35 #, so that's a lot of bang for your buck! Of course, this is just my opinion........
