So I raise a lot of chickens. My customers are Asian, and do not like the Cornish x. I have been raising freedom rangers for years, and processing at 12 weeks. This year I picked up 2 restaurants and add Cornish cross to the mix. I fully expected these things to be 5-6lbs live weight at 7-8 weeks, but they are not. On average the are only 3.5-4.5 lbs. I am at a loss.
I feed 20% starter for 4 weeks. Then I turn them loose on pasture and finish on a 20% finisher feed. They also get any extra eggs I may have. I wasn't free feeding at first once they hit pasture, but I am now. Either method made no difference. I just don't understand. I thought maybe it was the genetics, so I switched hatcheries ... no difference.
Any insight would be nice.
One other thing. I do not use tractors. I keep the birds in small paddocks with electric fence. I thought that might be it, so I raised 40 in a tractor and compared weights at 8 weeks. There was no difference.
HELP!!! LOL
I feed 20% starter for 4 weeks. Then I turn them loose on pasture and finish on a 20% finisher feed. They also get any extra eggs I may have. I wasn't free feeding at first once they hit pasture, but I am now. Either method made no difference. I just don't understand. I thought maybe it was the genetics, so I switched hatcheries ... no difference.
Any insight would be nice.
One other thing. I do not use tractors. I keep the birds in small paddocks with electric fence. I thought that might be it, so I raised 40 in a tractor and compared weights at 8 weeks. There was no difference.
HELP!!! LOL