Cornish X sourcing recommendations? Also management recommendations welcome.

[FunClucks]

I fed Meat bird 22% protein start to finish.

I fed, under continuous light, unrestricted, meaning feed in front of them at all times, for the first 5 days. it is important to keep the feeders full at all times.

After that I only allowed them to eat what they wanted for 12 hours and went back to a normal daylight cycle so they had night time darkness.

For the birds I kept confined in a large pen I also put an ounce of nutri-drench into the waterer every Sunday. each day I would top the water so it would dilute what was left. emptying out and scrubbing the waterer on Sunday before I repeated the whole process. I had no leg or health issues at all. For those on pasture, I did not add Nutri-drench at all and never noticed leg or health issues.

I have a thread on the meat bird forum where I weighed feed to birds every week back in 2020.

Thank you! This is super helpful!!!

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

You are not mistaken!

Yes, we've raised CX the last few years.
We've tried three different hatcheries, Metzer, Meyer, and Welp. I'm not familiar with there being different strains of CX, but the batch we got from Metzer did the most poorly. We did brood that batch differently than rhe other two (in an outdoor building on dirt) instead of in our basement but otherwise everything was the same. Could have been the different brooding environment or just a coincidence, idk.

Seeing as you're in Alabama, I would raise them during the cooler weather, as cool as is reasonable. They are not heat tolerant at all. They need lots of ventilation, shade, and water, and sometimes it's still not enough and some will have a heart attack or heat stroke/exhaustion of some kind.

I love your thinking about feeding 12 hrs on and 12 off. That's what we did, as well. Our birds were definitely more lazy than our layer chickens but we haven't experienced leg issues or extreme laziness that I've seen others report and I attribute that to not giving them free access to feed 24/7.

You may think now of processing at 8-10 weeks but be open to processing sooner. Sometimes they get bigger quicker than you think or some may not be doing as well in the heat so best to get them processed earlier.

I was just going to comment pretty much all the same stuff as you just did. But I also just wanted to stress to OP that they may be ready earlier than 8-10 weeks. I processed mine at exactly 8 weeks and they were HUGE (several were 8.5 pounds after processing). I can't imagine going longer than that and it may have been better for me to process them a week or two earlier than I did because I was starting to see them start to lay about a lot.

Also, I got mine from Meyer. Started with 7, lost 1 to a health issue at week 2, but the other 6 were otherwise very healthy and got huge. I would recommend them but I have nothing to compare them to, as it was my only time doing this.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

How did you feed your Cornish? I've purchased a batch from Welp, and their recommendations on their website aren't what I was expecting as far a protein goes. Not sure how to reconcile these with the main contenders here at Tractor supply. If I exceed the minimum protein will the chickens have issues?

View attachment 3376670

The best options I can see at my local tractor supply include:

1. Purina All Flock (Flockraiser) crumbles, 20% protein with grit on the side - this plus oyster shell is my current feed for all my eggers.
2. Purina Meat Bird Non-Medicated Crumbles, 22% protein.
3. Nutrena Naturewise Meat Bird, 22% protein crumbles.
4. Nutrena NatureWise 18% Protein Starter Grower Crumbles Chick Feed, 50 lb.
5. There's also Dumor All Flock pellets, at 17% protein, but doesn't have as much vitamins or amino acids or something as the Purina All Flock.
   

I did chick feed (maybe 20%?) for the first two weeks, but then 18% feed all the way through from there. I used a bag of 18% broiler feed that I got at the hatchery, and then switched to 18% Nutrena Naturewise Starter Grower. And my birds were still between 6.5 and 8.5 pounds processed at 8 weeks. And no leg issues. I was told overloading on protein (over 18 or 20%) can increase the chance of leg issues.

 

[CNJ]

McMurray hatchery has free shipping on 15 or more Jumbo Cornish Cross. They sent them to my local post office in Hawaii for pick up. I did not have to fill in any import regulation forms, they handle everything. All the vaccinated chicks arrived alive and healthy.

That was before I found my local Jumbo Cornish Cross breeder. Now I can phone in my order a week in advance and schedule a pick up locally.

 

[FunClucks]

I want to thank everyone for your excellent guidance and advice! I've read and researched as much as I can, but some answers have been hard to find, so I really appreciate your personal experiences!!!

An update on my Cornish Cross journey:

So when I went to check out Welp Hatchery, they had a sale on Cornish X - $1.50 per chick for a batch of 25 chicks and free shipping. They apparently had more early chicks than they expected. They shipped them out to me today for arrival Thursday or Friday I think. Wish me luck!!!

I wasn't planning to do Cornish Cross so early in the year, and I already have 24 eggs in the incubator that are set to hatch on Friday, but I think it should work out okay. The Cornish Cross will be processed around the time the regular chicks are ready to go outside, and this way, I avoid raising them in the mid-summer heat, which can be horrid here in North Alabama.

Turns out the internet lied (which is not surprising, but I thought I'd checked thoroughly). The only meat bird feeds that are available regularly at TSC are NatureWise 22% Meat Bird feed and there's also an organic option by a different manufacturer for double the price. So I came home with some NatureWise meat bird feed. If I have trouble sourcing it for some reason, Purina Flockraiser (20% protein) is usually available, and I keep several bags on hand for my egger flock. So I guess that's what I'll go with. I have coccidiostat to put in their water if needed.

I meant to ask for the hatchery to spray the chicks with coccidiosis spray, but the button got unchecked somehow and I didn't catch it prior to placing my order. Do you guys think the coccidiosis spray by the hatchery is worth the added price (in this case, $0.20 per chick)? Does it actually help them not get pasty butt?

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I want to thank everyone for your excellent guidance and advice! I've read and researched as much as I can, but some answers have been hard to find, so I really appreciate your personal experiences!!!

An update on my Cornish Cross journey:

So when I went to check out Welp Hatchery, they had a sale on Cornish X - $1.50 per chick for a batch of 25 chicks and free shipping. They apparently had more early chicks than they expected. They shipped them out to me today for arrival Thursday or Friday I think. Wish me luck!!!

I wasn't planning to do Cornish Cross so early in the year, and I already have 24 eggs in the incubator that are set to hatch on Friday, but I think it should work out okay. The Cornish Cross will be processed around the time the regular chicks are ready to go outside, and this way, I avoid raising them in the mid-summer heat, which can be horrid here in North Alabama.

Turns out the internet lied (which is not surprising, but I thought I'd checked thoroughly). The only meat bird feeds that are available regularly at TSC are NatureWise 22% Meat Bird feed and there's also an organic option by a different manufacturer for double the price. So I came home with some NatureWise meat bird feed. If I have trouble sourcing it for some reason, Purina Flockraiser (20% protein) is usually available, and I keep several bags on hand for my egger flock. So I guess that's what I'll go with. I have coccidiostat to put in their water if needed.

I meant to ask for the hatchery to spray the chicks with coccidiosis spray, but the button got unchecked somehow and I didn't catch it prior to placing my order. Do you guys think the coccidiosis spray by the hatchery is worth the added price (in this case, $0.20 per chick)? Does it actually help them not get pasty butt?

Congrats and good luck!

About the coccidiosis spray, I'm no expert but I don't think it's a bad idea if you don't plan to use any medicated feed. I used medicated the first 2 weeks just as a precaution, but I don't think I would have if they were treated at the hatchery. I'm sure you could call them and ask to add it to your order if you change your mind. Also, I don't think cocci has anything to do with pasty butt, so I doubt the spray would do anything for that. Just monitor their little booties daily, especially in the beginning.

Good luck. Glad you found a nice deal on some CX and will be raising them before it gets too hot in Alabama.

 

[NatJ]

I'm sure you could call them and ask to add it to your order if you change your mind.

If the chicks already shipped, it is too late for the hatchery to add anything:

They shipped them out to me today for arrival Thursday or Friday I think.

 

[FunClucks]

If the chicks already shipped, it is too late for the hatchery to add anything:

Yea, I know. I tried to call them first thing in the morning, but after they sent me to the neverending ring of doom, and then kicked me off the line 3 times, I figured they didn't want to talk to me much. Don't think they're big on phone communication.

I have Corid if I need it.

 

[NatJ]

I have Corid if I need it.

That sounds like a good way to deal with it: hope you don't need it, but ready in case you do

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

If the chicks already shipped, it is too late for the hatchery to add anything:

Whoops, missed that detail! Lol