CanadianBuckeye
Songster
Yes at 3 weeks my pullets and cockerels were neck and neck. Both the best doing cockerels died with in days of each other at maturity. All my stock has come from my two pullets. I culled one as she just kept getting larger and laying few good eggs - loads of double yolks and wavy eggs.
I believe Lavenia and Bob are from her. I think it is easier to keep the pullets.Limit feed them from 4 weeks on up to 16 weeks. Then feed normally - not full feed. They should start laying 19 to 23 weeks. My stock always weighed more than this chart. They were not breeder stock, they are the end product of the female line and the male line. I did not do the skip a day, I just could not; so I fed every day. Yes they were hungry. I gave them things to do, stuff to peck at to keep busy. It was winter so they were in the barn. When spring came I moved them to a large pen so they could get exercise and most importantly light to start the egg laying process.
Best of luck. I love they way my chicks turned out.
Thanks lpatelski. Your cross chicks are lovely, my hatchery cornish would look like leghorns next to them. But it's OK, I'm not as serious about the Cornish as I am the Buckeyes, I just like the breed and like to have them around. And they are still meatier than the other chickens I have!
