Cornish crosses leg problems

[fouroaks]

I have 21cornish cross the first bunch there are 6 they are doing great. Then the second batch of 15 seem to have whitish legs and they seem weak a few can't walk very good and 1 acting like it is sick or hurt pulled it away and put it by itself not really eating I have spoon feed with wet food and give it water and seems it head just kinds of falls down no real support on it own I have been giving save a chick and probiotic this one chick not walking at all not looking good. A few others legs are weak . Theses are 4 weeks old.

 

[WildfireSmitty]

What does their entire diet consist of?

 

[fouroaks]

What does their entire diet consist of?

They are eating nutrena nature wise starter feed. They are eating a lot of food about fifty pounds a week.

 

[WildfireSmitty]

That's the problem with this breed. No batch is ever the same. I have had great years and horrible years, with no practice changes. Keep an eye on their stool. The color of their feet goes with their diet. If they are free ranging or getting a lot of corn they will be more noticeably orange/yellow. Comb color will tell you more of an ailment problem than feet color.

What color are their waddles and combs? a nice bright red? or more pale and purple looking?

 

[WildfireSmitty]

The leg problems can also stem from in proper lighting, and too much feeding. Cut back on their feed a bit.

 

[fouroaks]

That's the problem with this breed. No batch is ever the same. I have had great years and horrible years, with no practice changes. Keep an eye on their stool. The color of their feet goes with their diet. If they are free ranging or getting a lot of corn they will be more noticeably orange/yellow. Comb color will tell you more of an ailment problem than feet color.

What color are their waddles and combs? a nice  bright red? or more pale and purple looking?

There combs are bright red on the males and lighter on females.

 

[WildfireSmitty]

There combs are bright red on the males and lighter on females.

That sounds normal.

All I can say is restrict their feed. Seeing leg problems at 4 weeks seems a little early to me, but it does happen.
If they begin to die off I would take one in for a post-mortem examination. Just to get an idea of what you need to do for future batches.

Sorry to hear about your problem, hopefully it passes and your birds pull through.

 

[slingshotandLAR]

How are you feeding them, I'm curious....

26 birds should not eat 200lbs of feed in 4 weeks, I've had 50 not eat that much in the same amount of time.

I also think you should have them on grower/meat bird food. Not that it would solve your current problem but I would have them at about 22% protein.

Sounds like yours have issues related to health, did you get vaccinated birds or give them medicated starter? First thing I would try is to raise vitamin B1 levels as that is the most common cure to leg problems, give th some chopped up beef liver and see what happens.

Hopefully you can bring a few back, good luck


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[cassie]

I fed my Cornish X broiler feed when I could get it and turkey feed when I couldn't. They had feed from seven in the moring until seven at night. I also put Broiler Booster, available from Murray McMurray, in the water and it seemed to help with leg and other health problems. As for the ones you have now that are having issues I would salvage them by processing them as Cornish Game Hens if the are big enough.

 

[ducks4you]

I just bought 4 cornish cross chicks this week for pennies. They had to go in the barn and into the brooder, an old 110 gallon steel horse water trough that sprang a leak several years ago, but I always strip it, put down 2-3 inches of tilled dirt, and then shavings on top, so clean and dry and safe. I have been monitoring their feed, about 12 hours with the feeder and 12 hours no feed. They seem fluffier and happier than at the RK store, where the shavings were wet and there were about 25 chicks in the tank.
Mine are moving around fine and even fluttering just a bit, and have no problem sitting on the edge of the water bowl, but I've had RIR's and EE's and mutts and I am used to birds this age able to fly up to the sides of the tank by this age!! I have a top made of hardware cloth stapled around a very old window screen frame, screen long gone.
Does anybody know if the leg problems are just due to overfeeding, or if I can expect them to be lame as they get bigger? I have avoided this cross bc of what I have read HERE. I have owned/trained horses for 30 years, and owned chickens for 9 years now and I am a good steward of both.
I intend to butcher when they are 2 months old. Right NOW, they look like "tank chicks" to me!!