Cornish x Rock space

[dadsdeercamp]

how many will fit in an 8' x 8' tractor?

 

[TriciaHowe]

I heard that cornish x need about 1 square foot per bird. So an 8x8 is 64 sq. feet. That's REALLY pushing it though IMO! I would probably go with 1/2 that amount of birds
Interested to see what other people have to say

 

[nuance4u]

My first batch of Cornish X had twelve chickens and I finished up using (2) 2'x4" cages for them. They did not need a lot of room as by the time they got big all they wanted to do was eat and poop. I think they would have been very happy with a feed bucket on their face and a poop hole under their rear so they would not have to move at all.

 

[naillikwj82]

If your intention is to take all birds to the 7 - 8 week mark before process, then I would not exceed 20 birds. Not so much for bird per square foot, but more for the feeder, and waterer space needed. The birds all want and need access to both all the time because they don't know about taking turns! Good luck with the project.
j

 

[EggsForIHOP]

If your intention is to take all birds to the 7 - 8 week mark before process, then I would not exceed 20 birds. Not so much for bird per square foot, but more for the feeder, and waterer space needed. The birds all want and need access to both all the time because they don't know about taking turns! Good luck with the project.
j

Ditto on this....I have 6X4 tractors that I have been using and MAX I keep in there is 10 at a time because you need room for the feeding equipment...I usually thin it down even more by shuffling birds as they grow....I mean, you can keep them pretty tight, but to me, I prefer to see them with more room to move around and such as they will do "chicken things" like scratch at the ground some if they have the chance to (Granted, they aren't as "normal" as regular chickens, but they do like to peck at the grass and bugs and such if given the opportunity)....I would say in an 8x8 you could easily keep 15 to 20 until processing time...but I personally wouldn't push it past that number just for comfort of the birds...plus when there are too many in there I have to move the tractor more often for poops sake...you know? Probably best to keep it less densely populated and have to scoot it around less.

 

[PotterWatch]

Our tractors are 10x10 and the most we like to put in them is 65. We process some at around 5wks and others at 7-8wks, so by the time they are full grown, there are usually 30-40 in that space. Our feeders are integrated into the tractor and run along the sides, so they don't take up any floor space. Our waterers are hanging, and they can lay under the waterers if they want, so they don't really take up floor space either.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

Good info, thank you folks!

So, it looks like I'll be good raising 50 in a 10' x 10' enclosure, processing the pullets as Cornish game hens at 4 weeks, and the cockerels at 7-8 weeks?

 

[PotterWatch]

Good info, thank you folks!

So, it looks like I'll be good raising 50 in a 10' x 10' enclosure, processing the pullets as Cornish game hens at 4 weeks, and the cockerels at 7-8 weeks?

Is it a movable enclosure? I wouldn't want to raise that many on the same ground for all that time, but if you will be moving it around, that is perfectly fine.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

No, it's a fixed straw bale enclosure. (The guinea in my avatar is standing on it.)

In the past, I've just tossed fresh pine shavings in every day or two to keep things fresh, then composted the litter when the birds are moved out. I've raised ducklings this way, and there's no way meat chickens can poop as much as them, right? Right?

 

[mstricer]

Is it a movable enclosure?  I wouldn't want to raise that many on the same ground for all that time, but if you will be moving it around, that is perfectly fine.

X2 I had 25 freedom rangers in a 8 x 8 tractor, that turned out to be no moveable after I added sides to it. Even though the free ranged it was a mess to clean every other day.