Cornish Cross Help Please!

[RUNuts]

Processed at 8 weeks, they are closer to the grocery store birds. Mine moved around and were firmer. Tough, no. I also do not find the dual purpose tough. The older birds must be cooked on low heat and slow to melt the proteins. Search here and they will tell you the ages. Fryers are the youngest and tender birds. Older birds are tougher and cooking methods change. Old layers become the chicken and dumpling or soup birds. Too tough to fry.

To your question, no they are not tough like the older birds.

 

[Ahavati]

If you feed high protein, then yes, they'll start having problems. We just did some that were 12-14 weeks old and they were running around their fenced area like nothing. We have ours in a tractor and then an electric poultry net around it to give them a big area to forage. Some of ours foraged before even going to the bowl. We also feed ours hand mixed grains that are fermented with some meat bird food mixed into it. No watery poops except cecal poo. Active and healthy.

 

[MyCritterAddiction]

Processed at 8 weeks, they are closer to the grocery store birds. Mine moved around and were firmer. Tough, no. I also do not find the dual purpose tough. The older birds must be cooked on low heat and slow to melt the proteins. Search here and they will tell you the ages. Fryers are the youngest and tender birds. Older birds are tougher and cooking methods change. Old layers become the chicken and dumpling or soup birds. Too tough to fry.

To your question, no they are not tough like the older birds.

Thank you! Just what I needed to know!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

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?

No, they barely use their muscles so they don't get tough like the Old World dual purpose chickens tend to do.

 

[MyCritterAddiction]

No, they barely use their muscles so they don't get tough like the Old World dual purpose chickens tend to do.

Thanks. My husband is not so sure about eating backyard birds; wants them from the store. Lol. I might be able to get him to like the idea with trying this type first.

 

[Ahavati]

Thanks. My husband is not so sure about eating backyard birds; wants them from the store. Lol. I might be able to get him to like the idea with trying this type first.

We find them so much better. They're not pumped full of junk as well as water. In reality, they're the same birds as the ones in stores, just raised in very poor conditions.

 

[MyCritterAddiction]

We find them so much better. They're not pumped full of junk as well as water. In reality, they're the same birds as the ones in stores, just raised in very poor conditions.

I like that!!

 

[MyCritterAddiction]

Where can you get the chicks later for fall butchering? Will any of the hatcheries still have them later in the summer?

 

[RUNuts]

yes, most hatcheries will have CX or broilers year round. Works out well for us. Keep in mind shipping temperatures. The USPS is unheated in winter and overheated in summer. Makes things challenging for the little peepers.

 

[Mosey2003]

We find them so much better. They're not pumped full of junk as well as water. In reality, they're the same birds as the ones in stores, just raised in very poor conditions.

To be fair, commercial chickens are not pumped full of junk. There are no hormones to be used in chickens, and many places don't even use antibiotics. I do agree about the injected water/brine/broth point though, that irritates me.