Colorado

Anyone the Colorado Springs area growing Cornish Cross. There is always a disclaimer about not for growing over 5000 ft. Was hoping to try some soon. Any thoughts?


There are some other crosses that might work best in our high altitude. Not sure if you have considered them, look up Freedom Rangers, also Red Broilers, AKA Red Rangers, they are more active than Cornish and Cornish X's. I have never had any meat birds here, but those are the ones I was leaning towards for our altitude.

Sadly, sometimes there is something wrong with some chickens, even though we can't see it, death does happen. Not every hen is going to be 100 percent healthy throughout her life.

ETA. Found this description of the Red Broiler.

"Red Broiler Chicken. The Red Broiler Chicken is a meat breed that is sometimes favored over the White Cornish Cross because of its darker skin. These birds have the same astounding growth rate of the White Cornish Cross, reaching about 4 pounds in 8 weeks, but they do not grow quite as large as the White Broiler.

Red Broiler Chickens are sometimes preferred by smaller chicken meat production because they are known to have less problems with their legs during their growth. This may be due to the fact that the don't get quite as big as the White Rock Cross, and their ability to maintain their health longer allows some farmers to let them grow between 11 and 14 weeks. Some claim that the extended growth period gives their chickens a superior and richer tasting chicken meat.

This chicken is not recommended for egg production, but it is an excellent choice for small farmers or backyard chicken owners who want to raise chickens specifically for their quality meat production. This is a great alternative for chicken farmers looking for an alternative to the common White Cornish Cross."

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/619617/high-altitude-meat-birds
 
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Anyone the Colorado Springs area growing Cornish Cross. There is always a disclaimer about not for growing over 5000 ft. Was hoping to try some soon. Any thoughts?

You can get slow growing CX crosses. I have heard of 75% mortality with the fast grow CX at high altitude. I raise the red broilers and have had ZERO die from natural causes and 100% mortality by me....... LOL! (Sorry, bad humor there) I am at 8600ft.
 
Cluckcluckgirl My son and I both got chicks out east. They were young and 5 bucks a piece. All survived and are making eggs now. I can check with my son for the name.location of the farm. She turns chicks several times a year.
 
hmmm, i just had a necropsy done ~2 mos ago, but it is a new year. And they knew you were calling about one chicken? I wonder if the quote included additional testing; Newcastle surveillance is a big one they want to do!
 
hmmm, i just had a necropsy done ~2 mos ago, but it is a new year. And they knew you were calling about one chicken? I wonder if the quote included additional testing; Newcastle surveillance is a big one they want to do!
You know what? I just looked on the website and it says $25. I'm going to call tomorrow and ask again. I bet someone gave me wrong info.
 
We raised a batch of 25 red rangers right near Chatfield Reservoir and only lost 2. We should've processed them around 10 weeks but it didn't get done until 14. They were free range on about 500sqft and did great. Unfortunately we had a problem with a goat eating their food so I don't think they were as big as they could've been.

I'll do meat birds again when we get more land but I think I'll do a breed that I can sustain myself. I don't mind a bird that takes longer to grow out since it's just for my family, not for sale.
 

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