Cornish Crosses without many feathers

[rmonge00]

Hello,

Quick question. I just got 25 cornish crosses for the first time and they look a lot different from the dual purpose birds that I have raised in the past. They have areas on them in full feather, but in other areas- particularly their breasts and thighs, you can still see their pink skin. They are about 3-4 weeks old... Is this normal? Any reason for this? I have been turning their brooding lamp off during the day for a full week now...

Thanks!!

 

[galanie]

It's normal. They sort of outgrow their feathers because of the speed they gain weight at.

 

[bwmichaud]

That's perfectly normal for them. Look on the bright side, they'll have fewer feathers to pluck.

 

[the_great_snag]

Actually they tend to be really heavy on the pin feathers if you try to butcher them too young. I try to feed mine a bit slower and let them feather out a bit more as they grow. Seems to help with plucking.

My other chicks love them. They sit on them on cold days to keep warm!