Cornish cross leg and heat issues

[JMotuzick]

The other tractor has a larger tarp and it hangs over a couple inches on each end. I’ll pull it back some tonight but it’s basically the same set up.

Just hoping to get through this heat wave butcher in 10-20 days.

 

[iwltfum]

That roo I had to move seams to have leg issues when he does walk it’s with a bit of a limp. I figured cutting back on the food will help him grow into his legs!

My experience is that once they get a leg problem, not many recover from that. But I've seen them limp along for a week or two, just able to make it to butcher day by moving the pens more slowly or removing them from the pen while you move it. I think you are taking the right steps to keep them alive through high heat. You will just have to see how it goes. Not much more you could be doing other than running a mister constantly through the day.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'm in agreement with @iwltfum - though I have what is normally considered high temp/high humidity (90/90, 95/80+, etc) environment, I've not raised but a handful of CX so I can't speak from much personal experience and I free ranged, not tractored (similar but not quite the same).

Based on everything I've read, the CX simply isn't a robust bird, prone to falling over for a host of often un-diagnosable reasons, with moderately high expected flock losses under even the best of circumstances - and the current record breaking weather events are nothing close to "best". Every bird is struggling in this heat, but commercial broilers are about the worst designed bird you can imagine for these conditions - only feathered legs, black coloration, and a pea comb could make things worse.

It was on that basis I determined not to raise more CX on the property, since 90/90 is rather routine here, and focus my efforts on other, better adapted, birds for my climate. (The Dark Brahma were a mistake, too!)

I think you are doing all you reasonably can. The only thing left is to take a trenching shovel and dig them a spot about 8" deep where they can bed down, spread out, and hide from the heat of the day, using the cooler temp of the earth as a heat sink. But that seems an extreme response.

Good luck making it thru the next couple days! (and chickens, even CX, are very good at hiding injuries. Its a survival thing. If you can see a limp, the injury is quite severe, unlikely to cure itself in the coming days. Hopes it makes it to cull for you!)

 

[Parront]

It sounds like you have a date reserved with the processor and want to take all the birds at the same time. I as a small home raiser, raised the Cornish-X from Murray McMurray in the desert heat of Riverside, CA. I did not process them all the same day. I did the ones that seemed to be having a hard time walking first, they were only about 7 weeks old, if I recall correctly. It was the first batch of them I did -- 1987. I learned to give them shade Picnic table in their yard) and I had one of those portable misters that look like a cobra on the end of a hose. They would not even leave the shade to eat or drink when it was very hot. I gave them some of their feed wet, and they chowed it down!
Those tractors could get hot under the tarp, maybe some shade over the tractor itself could help? Even one of those portable 10x10 picnic shades might cool them in there.

 

[3KillerBs]

Those tractors could get hot under the tarp, maybe some shade over the tractor itself could help? Even one of those portable 10x10 picnic shades might cool them in there.

I can testify to the usefulness of a picnic fly for keeping the chicken housing cooler.

I've got 26 square feet of total ventilation in that thing (it's 4x8), and still need the shade to keep it a reasonable temperature.

 

[JMotuzick]

Happy to report the Water seams to be keeping the panting down and none passed today! Shade from trees have covered the tractors for the night. We just had a thunder storm come in and now the sun is back out! Once the rain stops, I’m headed out to check on them but for today I think we are out of the woods. For today...

calling for high 90’s again tomorrow.


no butcher just a bunch of us who like to eat good!
we have a camping weekend planed a week after the “butcher date” hoping to butcher at 8 1/2 weeks.

 

[JMotuzick]

We do have a couple of those “tents”, maybe I’ll put one up in the AM

 

[Parront]

I can testify to the usefulness of a picnic fly for keeping the chicken housing cooler.

View attachment 2740477

I've got 26 square feet of total ventilation in that thing (it's 4x8), and still need the shade to keep it a reasonable temperature.

That was exactly what I was remembering!

 

[Parront]

Happy to report the Water seams to be keeping the panting down and none passed today! Shade from trees have covered the tractors for the night. We just had a thunder storm come in and now the sun is back out! Once the rain stops, I’m headed out to check on them but for today I think we are out of the woods. For today...

calling for high 90’s again tomorrow.


no butcher just a bunch of us who like to eat good!
we have a camping weekend planed a week after the “butcher date” hoping to butcher at 8 1/2 weeks.

Might be a couple of those guys need to be done ASAP, if they were mine I would do them when they start having problems. They will be BBQ ready by the weekend if you do them tomorrow!

 

[JMotuzick]

No free time until Saturday, my wife’s youngest sister is getting married. Plus my buddy hasn’t dropped the plucker yet, although he did text and said it would be here this week.. about 5lbs love weight, so we would like a bit more growth.