eggs or chicks???

[kwynn's birds Alaska]

if I wanted to raise cornish cross...do I have to order chicks, or can I get eggs somewhere? I'd really like to hatch eggs, and not have to worry about live chicks in the mail...our post office isn't too great about being speedy.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

That's a new question on me. call a hatchery and see if they just sell teh cornish x eggs.

 

[kwynn's birds Alaska]

so everyone usually orders chicks?

 

[pdpatch]

Yes for the Cornish cross, usually chicks. I do remember someone check at one of the Hatcheries and were told they could get like thousands eggs minimum.

Tom

 

[redhead83402]

I actually have done quite a bit of research on this, and for my area, it is just cheaper for me to get chicks (cornish X.. not any other type) from my feedstore in the spring. They only cost about $1.18 or less (once had them at .78c ea.)
This is because they can order them in in such huge quantities. They also always run a deal on feed at that time ~ usually about half the cost. ($8 a 50# bag.) Since meat chicks are only grown for about 8 - 12 weeks, you can easily buy enough starter, grower, & finisher right off the bat, while it's still on sale. Just be certain to store it in a dry, dark place ( back of the shed is perfect, lol)

The next cheapest option for cornish X meat chicks would probably be Welp ~ IF you can get quite a few ( read, 50, split it up amongst your friends & neighbors). They run about $1.48 apiece.

All other options, are, in my opinion, too expensive, and will run you too much money, you may as well purchase the finished birds at the grocery store in bulk. (if you can stand the meat, lol)

The option of buying a bator for meat chicks just doesn't pan out $$-wise, for me. Now, if you already own one, because you are going to hatch out other types of heavy breed or specialty chicks...lol.. that's a whole different ballgame. I want a bator for hatching out quail & EE's, some marans, more layers...but I don't think it's worth the time & effort to hatch out cornish X's just because I can get them so cheap at my feed store.

It may be different for you, especially where you are in Alaska, and unless you have a local hatchery, eggs may well ship better than live chicks, I don't know.
~Red

 

[SewingDiva]

I have often wondered the same thing, and I found interesting article on on Wikipedia regarding the origin of the modern meat bird:

From "Broiler " on Wikipedia:

Broilers are often called "Rock-Cornish," referring to the adoption of a cross between a White Cornish male and a Barred Rock female. This hybrid was introduced in the 1930s and became dominant in the 1960s. The original cross was plagued by problems of low fertility, slow growth, and disease susceptibility, and modern broilers have gradually become very different from the Cornish x Rock hybrid.


Modern variants

Modern broilers are typically a third generation offspring (an F2 hybrid). The broiler's four grandparents come from four different strains, two of which produce the male parent line and two of which provide the female parent line, which are in turn mated to provide the broilers. The male lines and female lines are not bred for the same traits; for example, the female line needs to be able to lay as many eggs as possible, since the number of eggs laid per hen influences the cost of broiler eggs and hence broiler chicks. Egg-laying ability is less important in the male line, while rooster fertility is very important

Phyllis​

 

[Acre of Blessings]

I ordered mine from Meyer Hatchery and paid $0.86 each. There are no feed stores around here that order the meat birds, so I have to order from the hatchery. Call around to the feed stores and ask if they will carry the cornish x in the spring.

 

[skeeter]

Quote:
how did you get them for 86 cents?
oh duh you got 50 plus, i guess I should read a little before asking silly questions

 

[greyfields]

Chicks. You can get eggs, but it ends up costing you about 3x as much per bird when you account for shipping.

 

[jvls1942]

CornishxRock........................................

eggs is not the way to go for co$t..

Is it possible to get the rooster and hens needed to make your own eggs??

I would imagine you would have to have two flocks of purebred birds to keep yourself in supply of the needed types of birds..

you could not use the eggs from the CxR to raise your breeders from..

am I right? or wrong??