Feed amounts for Cornish Giants?

[Peruvian]

New poster here. I just ordered 25 Cornish Giants from Moyers Chicks in Quakertown, PA. I will be buying feed from a local Poulin Grain dealer and wonder how much I will need. It sounds like for 5-6 weeks they will eat the 20% protein chick starter and then a 15% protein finisher with scratch for the remaining 2-3 weeks. From reading posts here it sounds like I can expect to go through about 450 lbs of feed all together. Can I just assume that will be 300 lbs of starter and 150 lbs of finisher? I've got lots of projects to finish before they get here and I would like to be able to order/pick up the feed well in advance.

Thanks for your help!!

 

[AussieSharon]

I have 11 and plan to just keep them on starter which they eat free choice. I'm going to process at 6 to 8 weeks. I've read that feeding them corn for the last week improves the taste of the meat. Good luck and let me know how you like the Cornish from Moyers. I'm thinking about ordering some from them if all goes well this time.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

50 lb of starter and 300 lb of grower should get you a 25 6 lb birds. This assumes a 2.33 feed conversion.

Jim

 

[greentree]

They will probably be DONE at 6 weeks!! I would not bother switching them over....I also would not store feed for 6 weeks, critters would have gotten into it by then, but I live in Texas!!
The fresher the feed, the better the birds are going to do...I think.

Good luck!!! Welcome to BYC!!!

Make sure you have a BIG waterer, or you will fill it 4 times a day!!

Nancy

 

[blue90292]

true, i can't store that much feed for that many weeks. it's very humid here in houston and my feed can easily spoil. i can't let it touch the ground or the moisture will rot the food.

 

[tim1970]

Quote:
How much water? I have 70 Cornish X on the way. I have a 3 gallon size waterers. Will this be enough for one day?

 

[greyfields]

Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay :

50 lb of starter and 300 lb of grower should get you a 25 6 lb birds. This assumes a 2.33 feed conversion.

Jim

As he's pointed out, it's not how long you raise them but to what weight want them to be when you process them. I assume a 3.0 FCR for my birds and then budget for them all to reach 10 lbs before processing. Now I take them in when the largest are 10 lbs and the 3.0 is conservative, but it seems that extra bit always gets used. So, I assume 30 lbs per bird. Remember, it's not how long you own them, it's how big you grow them.

Most meat chicken foods are starter/finishers meaning you never change the feed. So you may want to look into that, rather than using "chick starter" on them.

As an interesting side note, the FCR's on Freedom Rangers are essentially identical to that of Cornish Crosses. The difference is they are going to take an extra 2 weeks to reach the same weight a CC would. So, if time is not critical for you (as it shouldn't be for us small backyard producers) it doesn't cost you any more to raise alternatives to Cornish Crosses. It just takes you 8, 9 or 10 weeks instead of 42 days.

Some people also comment how much poop a Cornish Cross makes. It's not that they poop more or less than any other bird, it is that they're eating food at a rate many multiples higher than a developing pullet would. A hen eating the same ammount of food would create adn equal amount of crap. But, since they take in food at a slower rate, you just don't notice it at much.

The high concentration of crap can be advantageous if you are running your tractor over where you plan to grow crops later. Potatoes love a good heavy feeding.​

 

[greyfields]

Quote:
How much water? I have 70 Cornish X on the way. I have a 3 gallon size waterers. Will this be enough for one day?

At first yes. Eventually, no. I want to say in the last couple weeks mine go through 15 gallons of water twice a day. This is why I set them up with a 10 gallon tank and float valve to reduce the hand labor. Don't believe what you read. Chickens drink fine out of a tank. My crops are 50 birds rather than 70 as well.

 

[wynedot55]

3 gal water might last 70 chicks a day.but at a week old theyll go though 9 gal or more a day.an the last 3wks prolly 15 to 20 gal of water a day or more.

 

[silkiechicken]

My 7meat birds and 3 leghorns are going though a gallon a day at 3-4 weeks old. I'm in a cold wet damp area so if you're in a warmer place or somwhere it isn't rainin every day, they'd probably go though alot more.