Cornish Cross Help Please!

[happyhen13]

I am not new to chickens - we've raised lots of dual purpose for about 10 years now. This year we decided to venture into 15 cornish cross birds for meat. They are 7 weeks old now and we have them in a Salatin style chicken tractor on pasture and they are getting a meat bird feed twice a day. There are a few that will hardly move when I move the tractor each day but they do reluctantly. Yesterday one was struggling to breathe with a bluish comb and head down in the ground and died within a few hours of me finding it. There were no symptoms in the days before. I have one today that will not move at all but looks healthy otherwise. It has watery poo - so I put corrid in the waterer for it (isolated that one) and the others just in case it was coccidiosis.
Here is my main problem - I cannot tell what is normal for these birds and what is trouble. I know that they can have heart issues. How can I tell if one has heart failure versus being sick? How can I tell they are having leg issues or if they are sick? Is some watery poo normal for these birds or is that a good indicator? Ahhh. So many questions. Sorry! If one of my other chickens was refusing to walk I would know for sure that she was sick - but I cannot tell with these guys and I am a meat bird novice. Thank you in advance for the help!!

 

[RUNuts]

I am new also, but will regurgitate what I've read.

Watery poo - protein level is high. If you drop the protein, the poo should firm up.
Blue is heart issue. If you are feeding high protein, this will contribute to issues. Ascites (sp) I believe is what it is called. Lots of discussion on here about it.

Walking - again related to high protein. Bird is growing fast and weight exceeded the bone strength.

I'll hazard a guess that it is time to process before anything else happens. 7-8 weeks is noted time to harvest.

When you harvest, inspect for healthy livers and anything unusual. Sounds like you have completed.

Best wishes

 

[Jamie Molihan]

Sounds like it time for freezer camp for the Cornish. They do get big fast. I have just one and he is five weeks now. I will be culling him in about another two weeks.

 

[happyhen13]

I am new also, but will regurgitate what I've read.

Watery poo - protein level is high. If you drop the protein, the poo should firm up.
Blue is heart issue. If you are feeding high protein, this will contribute to issues. Ascites (sp) I believe is what it is called. Lots of discussion on here about it.

Walking - again related to high protein. Bird is growing fast and weight exceeded the bone strength.

I'll hazard a guess that it is time to process before anything else happens. 7-8 weeks is noted time to harvest.

When you harvest, inspect for healthy livers and anything unusual. Sounds like you have completed.

Best wishes

Okay from that it sounds like I overreacted with corrid and it’s mainly the feed and nature of the bird. This is what I was wondering. Ty!

 

[RUNuts]

As another point, I'm feeding 6 each, 6.5 week old CX 18% protein grower feed. They will eat and eat, but will move and graze on a few herbs in the yard. They waddle and don't waddle far. I put the food away from the water and they will get around. Sometimes with a rest in between.

I am seeing mostly firm poo. I don't know if this is from the feed or the herbs. A lot of poo either way. We are getting close to harvest.

 

[FirstTimeFarmGirlTX]

You might be feeding them too much. At 2 weeks we starting giving them enough feed for 12 hours and then overnight no feed. This keeps them from getting too big to fast for their frames. Trying to slow down their feed. You might also make sure that their water is never empty.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think everything I have read is 8 weeks is too long to wait until harvested, that one starts to get health issues, just as you described. I think it is time to process the active ones aSAP. I have 15, I am hoping to do them all in over two weeks time... several experienced people said to start the bigger ones at 6 weeks, and do not go past 8 weeks. My first time too, week 3 just ended.

 

[RUNuts]

If you are feeding high protein, yes 8 weeks can be pushing, from what I've read and discussed with others. I'm feeding 18% grower and they are active. I'll pass 8 weeks this Wednesday and am not worried. They are getting big, but still moving. Having said that, I just lost one with walking issues. The others appear fine.

Best advice I heard, watch the chickens and let them tell you. Seems sound.

 

[happyhen13]

Thank you for the responses! I went ahead and processed the lame ones first and then did the rest that were still waddling around nicely over the weekend. All looked good - except for some being so big they won’t fit in a gallon ziploc bag - except for the last one which apparently had ascites but no symptoms yet.

I will stay away from the meatbird feed bag next time and hopefully keep them all happy and healthy until it’s time (which will be earlier).

 

[MyCritterAddiction]

I am thinking about raising Cornish Cross; I found this helpful. I have a question. Are these birds tough like roosters or hens of dual purpose birds?