Cornish Game Hens from McMurray

[AimsChickies]

Anyone ordered/grown cornish game hens from McMurray....wondering how long they take to get to the 2 1/2 lbs the recommend for processing

 

[AimsChickies]

Whoops, sorry, missed the post just below about this.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

The cornish game hens you can get from any hatchery. McMurray is expensive and not worth the extra money in my opinion.

The only time you really have to worry about a particular strain of birds is when your dealing with roasters. As a breed that has been designed for cornish game hens are processed at 4-6 weeks... and they are not designed to be any bigger, if you try to let them grow bigger you will run into leg problems.

So basically you can get any broiler from any hatchery and make them cornish game hens... they don't even have to be females. As long as the dressed weight doesn't go over 2 lbs they are still classified "cornish game hens"

 

[jaku]

Quote:
I agree on McMurray- it's a good hatchery with probably the best website, but the birds are often double the cost of other small hatcheries.

 

[AimsChickies]

Can you all recommend a hatchery? I am new to meat birds, have hatched all of my laying hens, or bought them locally.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Honestly, there is a small pool of breeders that all hatcheries get their eggs from.

So what you want to do is go with the cheapest and closest. I think the closest hatchery to you would be in Texas... I'm not sure though.

 

[obsessed]

Dang, I didn't know the McMurray was expensive for meat birds. I didn't actually price check either. I though they were all the same price..... Going to have to pay more attention next time....

 

[bigdog]

Unless there is a hatchery I didn't find in my search - McMurray is very comparably priced for meat birds, at least when you order 25. I ordered some from JM last year and they were more than McMurray I believe.

 

[dadof4]

Just my two-cents. The chicks I got from McMurray last year where really nice and healthy. I didn't loose a one even during a hot and humid Mississippi summer. I found that they where comp. to most other places. I did order from them again and they should be here Monday or so.