Dual Purpose breeds?

[ttrammell]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/407294/the-heritage-rhode-island-red-site

Thanks

 

[tadkerson]

I have heard this a lot but I am going to respectively question this.... only because of my past experience.
I'd love to be able to analyze why there is purported to be high mortality in Cornish crosses, but I haven't had that problem.


Because you have not had the problem does not mean others did not have the problem. Why would my friend give me false information about his birds? I believe him when he said his birds died. And I believe him when he had much better success with his second group of chicks.

Like I stated before he restricted the feed to a specific amount of food per bird. I analyzed his problems and one problem was over feeding the chicks. This is a cost effective measure that he was happy to implement. The second time he raised more birds on less feed. The feed restriction plan came from the company that produces the birds and is what they use to efficiently raise their birds commercially.

He also needed another lamp for the very young chicks- one was not enough.

We also had a few days of hot weather when the birds were older and he lost birds due to the heat. I informed him about a few measures that would help with the heat stress. One bit of information was to make sure the birds have plenty of water- birds lose heat from their lungs by water evaporating from the inner surface of the lungs. The birds were too close together and needed more room for air to circulate around the birds. In the future, he is going to water down the area where the birds are raised and make sure they have plenty of shade. The water evaporates from the ground and cools the area if the wind is not blowing to hard- this creates what is known as a microclimate. The area where the evaporation takes place is much cooler than the dry area. If the birds are still stressed, he is going to mist the birds.



Tim