Cornish Rocks Cannibalism

[Perry17]

I bought 6 Cornish Rocks Chicks from Tractor Supply. All have been completely healthy with no problems. Mine have all been very active and have been growing nicely.

At around 4 weeks old, they started biting me when I went to feed them in the mornings. Not like a curious peck, a bite like they are trying to eat flesh. That is what started it.

I feed them every day at 7 in the morning. After they finish that feed, they are in a chicken Tractor on pasture and have to forage the rest of the day. Was trying to prevent bad legs and heart attacks, so was going to draw out their growth a little longer to prevent health issues.

A few weeks ago I was sick and decided to sleep in a little longer. So I went out at 9 AM to feed them, and found they had killed, eaten, and completely hollowed out one of the Cornish Rocks. From the cloaca, just like how you would clean the guts out when you butcher them. I just thought it was a freak accident, so I didn't worry too much.

But today, I ran out of feed so they only got half the feed they normally do. I went to town, came back at 12 to feed them more, and found they have eaten the butt off of one of the Cornish Rocks. Looks like he has been eaten alive, but he acts fine and is running around eating. I will go put him down today, I don't think it's a good idea to eat a half eaten chicken.

So that means I have 4 left to butcher. And I will butcher those as soon as I get the chance.

This is my first time raising broilers. They have turned into monsters! Is this a common thing with broilers? I was happy with how they turned out so far. And was about to go order a dozen or more online, but after this it makes me never want to do it again!

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Following.

 

[Parront]

I bought 6 Cornish Rocks Chicks from Tractor Supply. All have been completely healthy with no problems. Mine have all been very active and have been growing nicely.

At around 4 weeks old, they started biting me when I went to feed them in the mornings. Not like a curious peck, a bite like they are trying to eat flesh. That is what started it.

I feed them every day at 7 in the morning. After they finish that feed, they are in a chicken Tractor on pasture and have to forage the rest of the day. Was trying to prevent bad legs and heart attacks, so was going to draw out their growth a little longer to prevent health issues.

A few weeks ago I was sick and decided to sleep in a little longer. So I went out at 9 AM to feed them, and found they had killed, eaten, and completely hollowed out one of the Cornish Rocks. From the cloaca, just like how you would clean the guts out when you butcher them. I just thought it was a freak accident, so I didn't worry too much.

But today, I ran out of feed so they only got half the feed they normally do. I went to town, came back at 12 to feed them more, and found they have eaten the butt off of one of the Cornish Rocks. Looks like he has been eaten alive, but he acts fine and is running around eating. I will go put him down today, I don't think it's a good idea to eat a half eaten chicken.

So that means I have 4 left to butcher. And I will butcher those as soon as I get the chance.

This is my first time raising broilers. They have turned into monsters! Is this a common thing with broilers? I was happy with how they turned out so far. And was about to go order a dozen or more online, but after this it makes me never want to do it again!

They are hungry. Are they in a small tractor? How much forage can they find? You want to give them all the feed they can finish in 15 minutes.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Moving @duluthralphie comment from other thread:

I have never heard of this with CX. I have raised 600 or so of them and never had that problem.

I now raise toads, but before I did the CX were always sweet and mild. I hated to process them because they were such nice birds.

Did you have something shiny on your legs when they pecked at them? I had a Dom peck at my button on my shirt yesterday, I thought she was being mean until I figured out what she was after.

 

[Perry17]

The Tractor is about 10ft by 12ft or bigger. In thick pasture, that is moved every night and morning. They are the only ones in it.

I give them about about 3/4 gallon of grower crumbles. Which will usually last them 2 hours or so. They will eat until they get full, then come back and eat the rest later.

Its just like they can't stand to be a little hungry for more than a few hours before they pick one out to eat. The others never have wounds, they just pick the weakest one I guess and choose to eat him. It's not like they fight each other.

 

[Parront]

Chickens will eat meat. They pick on the smallest one when the flock is in distress, such as not being fed on time. Ralphie probably feeds enough. I have not had any Cornish-X act this way, but I have had a flock of Orpingtons eat the butt off the smallest oddball in the flock. They were getting older, some roosters were culled, less birds in the coop, peaceful again.

 

[Parront]

The Tractor is about 10ft by 12ft or bigger. In thick pasture, that is moved every night and morning. They are the only ones in it.

I give them about about 3/4 gallon of grower crumbles. Which will usually last them 2 hours or so. They will eat until they get full, then come back and eat the rest later.

Its just like they can't stand to be a little hungry for more than a few hours before they pick one out to eat. The others never have wounds, they just pick the weakest one I guess and choose to eat him. It's not like they fight each other.

That is enough room. They are very food motivated. How much protein in the feed? Meat protein is not in our chicken feed much any more, lots of folks give their chickens some meat scraps.

 

[Windus]

I have Cornish Rocks and they have never done anything like that. Mine are free range all day long and have as much food as they want available.

 

[Perry17]

No shiny things. At the age when they started biting me, they were in a brooder. The top opened, and I would normally reach in and fill up their feeder in the morning. But then they started biting, so I would open it enough to dump feed in and distract them. Then would fill up their feeders.

I even tried feeding them in the morning, and at night. But they would eat it all and still be hungry by the next morning.

They are in great condition. Maybe over conditioned a little. I did poultry judging in highschool, so when judging breast size I would say they are a little over conditioned.

 

[Parront]

There are different strains of all the breeds. Some lines of birds are notorious egg eaters. Maybe next batch try a different source?