Cornish cross

[Malissa]

Well, they made it through the weekend! I almost got my fingers gnawed on this morning at feeding time. I liken this to feeding a 500 lb person a 1000 calorie a day diet!!! hahaha They are NUTS! 5 days until processing! We are almost there and the still look healthy and well!

 

[osbmail]

I think that like programmed in Cornish after the food gone for a couple minutes time to pig out again

 

[Malissa]

Processing day went great! The chickens made it and were in great health until the end which was about 10 weeks. I had been feeding them in the morning and at night by filling up the chick feeder and dumping it into their trough. The last 2 weeks, I cut down to only one feeding. I did not weigh the live birds, but we got a 4 lb, 4 lb 3 oz, and a 5lb 6 oz. My friend took one (his pay for helping us!) and I suspect his would be at least 5 lbs as well, but they are going to weight it and let me know. He will be cooking it Thursday so they will have the first taste. I spent $10 on a small bag of chick starter at Tractor supply since I didn't plan ahead and hit the farm I buy my feed from so they ate that the first 2 weeks then I bought an 80lb bag of organic soy free feed milled locally. I have just enough left in the bag to finish out my 2 tetra tints that I raised with the meaties and hopefully I can switch them to layer as they should be laying in the next month. We will plan on doing some more for fall so will probably shoot to do 8 or so next time and split with my friend....he will pay 'child support'. Overall, they were sweet birds. Sad little things, but friendly. I think the tetra tints miss them a bit. They aren't ready to be integrated into my flock yet (rooster gave them a hard time when I put one in to ride out the rain afew nights ago) so I figure they can hang in the pen until they start laying. Do you experienced folks think I did ok on the weights? Should I have fed them more? I was hoping they'd forage a bit, but they really did not seem too interested and like the free handouts much better and when I gave them a worm, they had no interest! The tetras have been foraging great, though!