Breeding Project: Ranger x Cornish cross

[Kim_NC]

wow...they DO like to roost! And seem to do it quite well!

Dern.... I feel bad....have never given our CX a chance to roost. Might have to modify the tractors.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I think the issue is not that they don't want to roost, but that they can get hurt jumping down.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Quote:
This is a very valid point. I thought for a long time whether to put roosts up for any of my birds because all of them (except my RIR) are very heavy bodied meat birds. I decided to put the roosts up as they all started to roost on low branches of small shrubs on my property in the evening before the coop was finished. So I decided to put up the roosts and also made sure my straw is super deep to allow for safer landing. I have yet to have any of my birds injured, not so much as a limp after dismounting the roosts.

I have an 8' x 8' coop and use 3/4 bale of straw inside each time I clean. Thats a lot of cusion for landing.

Funny thing is with all of my birds one of my Cx pullets is the bird I see "flying". She takes off for no reason at all, running and jumping into the air, she will fly to me if she is out and sees me with kitchen scraps, she takes flight off our retaining wall every chance she gets even though most of my other birds use the steps or walk up the wall till they can jump down. LOL she is a character.

 

[Soccer Mom]

Everyone looks happy on their roosts. My roosts look silly, but they are very low, only a few inches off the ground. But it still allows the birds to perch and have the feeling of roosting. My CX don't care if they are only six inches off the ground.

I lose very few birds to leg issues and none of mine died just flipped over and died this spring. I really do think it encourages them to stay active.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Today was a good day for me. I got my Cornish Cross pen built and set up for my two pullets. They now have their own egg box/house.

One really exciting thing was that I saw one lay an egg today!!! This marks the very first time I have seen a bird lay an egg and it was really exiciting and actually I was a bit suprised by it. LOL I went into the coop and found one of my big girls inside the egg hut, she sat there rolling the already laid eggs under her and I actually thought she was going broody. Then she stood part way up and exhaled a long time, kinda an extended grunt. I actually said "what is that sound?" because I didn't even realize it was her making the sound at first. Then after she was standing partially for 25 seconds out plops the egg. LOL.

I had my camera with me because I thought she looked cute rolling the eggs under her, so I wanted a few pics. And surprise I get a pic right after she laid.

I cracked the egg after I went inside to see if it was fertile, and according to peeps on BYC it is. I just wanted to make sure. So now I wait for my incubator and I'll be on my way.

 

[Kim_NC]

Yep, looks fertile to me. Congrats!

How much total feed/day are you allowing for each bird when you feed?

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

YEP!!! fertile, how exciting for you!!!

 

[Bantimna]

That looks fertile!
I've just found this thread and am needing popcorn

 

[blueskylen]

i am interested in your project. i have had cornish x from 3 different hatcherys, and this years that i purchased from meyers are by far a more energetic bunch. at 6 weeks, when i enter the coop they all stand up and start running around and the roos start sparring with each other. i have had a couple fly up and sit on the top of the straw bales that surround their area, and if i leave the flap door open they will go down the ramp and sit out in the sun - then go back in. the last 2 batches would pretty much just sit around at that age. I believe that they must have used more energetic type of birds in the mix for this much action at this age and weight. Also, as peeps, i was surprised at how big their legs and feet were - much bigger than in the past.

you might be onto something big!

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Thanks everyone.

So far the two white girls seem to be fine in their new pen. Pretty cushy living for only two hens. they have an 7 x 14 pen, their own house with fresh straw and lots of straw on the ground to scratch thru. No eggs yet today though...LOL