First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[duluthralphie]

What size is your tractor? 15-20 was just a thought, I could try starting with 8-10 and see how it goes. I basically have about twice what you can see in the picture, my back is towards the house but I am about 5-10 feet away from it.

Plan on using the hose to wash the poop away.

Or I could lend you Pearl, my poopsicle loving dog, she would keep the area clean. I hate when she 'bumps' my hand or licks it! So gross.


Jessica, I can see no reason to start a new thread. I like the familiar. Besides a new thread would mean we would have to have the frog argument all over, once was enough. I plan to raise only frogs and no CX's unless that experiment fails. In which case I am making a quick trip to Linda's to borrow a few. The danger in that is three fold, I do not like Alligator area, I am allergic to buckshot, and it is a long escape run back home.

My CX's are officially 18 weeks old today! They seem to have stopped growing I think they are finally full grown. The rooster is still a sweet heart and not aggressive at all. unlike my other three.

With Brutus in Chicken Heaven, there is a void in the coop. I am not sure who is the head roo now. I was worried the roosters would pleasure themselves constantly on the hens, I have not seen that happen. I have seen a couple matings but nothing vicious or going on too long too many times.


I forgot to mention, I got a white egg yesterday! The best part is I have no white egg laying breeds.

 

[mountain mom]

Not to seem rude,,,,,BUT

Not mentioning Colorado was not an oversight, Your weather is not enough better than mine. However, I am sure you will find someone in the Yukon willing to trade.

I didn't figure it to be an oversight

 

[Double Kindness]

Right now I have been begging my bf for 2 incubators. I showed him pictures. I am being pretty specific, this is our 8th holiday season together. I know I need to be insanely precise, or I get house hold appliances for presents or nothing at all. (We went without celebrating for 3 years to buy equipment and tools to build our business).

I'm liking the janoel jn7-56 for incubating, and the genisis 1588 for hatching. What do you guys think of my choices? Is there something different I should be looking at?

I'll likely use the 2 big brooder boxes we made from closet doors and 1/2" hardware cloth. I can use them as tractors in my front yard. I think I want to do 2 batches of 25-35 in lare feb and late april. As long as I have a plucker. Or start them in the brooder boxes then move them to the big raised garden bed in back. I can't wait for spring planting in that raised bed area with all that chicken/duck poop/straw.

The last of the dp meaties (2 roos, 3 pullets, 1 production red capon and 1 pr roo) are in the expanded raised garden bed area.

I'm procrastinating moving the 2 pullets into my laying flock. The last freezer camp is slated for the 21st. The other slw pullet Wobbles is in with the ayam cemani. Who are the most arrogant breed btw. They are younger/smaller than the muscovies and they boss everyone around.

I kept 3 muscovies, Elvis, Truffle and Trouble. 6 (3 & 3 boys/girls) white bresse. 2 haffie pullets, 3 ayam cemani pullets, 2 keeper ac roos, 3 non keeper ac roos, 2 slw pullets, 1 br pullet, 1 rc leghorn, 1 splash polish, 3 little ee's, 3 bigger ee's, 1 ameracuna, 1 big roo salmon favorelle x wellsummer x light brahma, and the other 3 roos and 1 capon, 2 meat bunnies, 1 is pregnant, 2 greyhounds (who are in the doghouse b/c they ate my new Christmas candy last night).

I am not busy at all. Being sick. The gluten is really making me sooo sick from cross contamination due to gluten in the chicken feed.

I love coming here to this thread. Even though I have no cx. I tried many times to get them though!

Does it strike anyone else as odd that I couldn't seem to get my hands on cx to raise this past year, but I got white bresse and ayam cemani? The 2 breeds I thought would always remain on my wish list?

Mountain mom- I definitely want to get cx with u or cohomestead or someone local ish in CO. Maybe we can start to plan, so order in bulk for a discount?

 

[Morrigan]

I pretty sure one of my buff orpingtons has gone broody. I've been seeing her in the same box a lot and last night I took a peek -- she was still in the box while everyone else was roosting. This morning she was still in the box and there was broody poop in the coop. She left the nest for a few minutes while I was cleaning up the coop, but she's back on now, sitting on a golf ball. My egg production is way down, what with the molting and short days, but I hope I can scrounge up at least 5 eggs over the next couple of days for her to sit on.

My 7 surviving CXs look so lonely in their big yard. No more crowding/swarming at the feeding trough as there is plenty of room for everyone now. I'm going to probably let them go at least one more week, in the hopes of getting them to 5 lbs dressed. They were the smallest of the lot, and all seem pretty healthy, so I'm in no particular rush.

11mini -- I highly, highly recommend doing fermented feed for your CX. There is a whole thread dedicated to it and there are different ways to do it, some of which can seem complicated and overwhelming. I did the simplest possible method. I mixed equal parts of purchased store feed (any kind will do except for medicated) and water in a bucket. Loosely covered the top and stirred a couple of times a day. After 4 days is was ready to go. When I had used up about 1/2 the bucket, I would add more feed/water into the same bucket at night (called back-slopping), stir and by morning it was ready.

I started them on the FF from day 1, and was really pleased. Their brooder hardly smelled. And, although CX do poop, I never encountered the huge piles of stinky poo others have described. I had 19 CX, and although they had a really big run, they slept on straw in a 3x6 foot shelter. In the morning, I would use a pitchfolk to remove a few clumps of poopy straw and lay down a few handful of fresh straw. They never got poo encrusted and I never found the smell to be so bad. Whatever you decide, good luck!!!!

 

[JessicaThistle]

11Mini: My tractor is 5 1/2 X 10. They also free range for most of the day. I do have to move the tractor 2-3 times per day to keep the area clean especially when they are between 6-8 weeks old. I am just concerned that if you overdo your area that you may not have a positive experience. Many people are overwhelmed by the difference between cx and their layers. This is one reason that cx have such bad press.

Ralph: Does using a hose to clean the area actually work? Unfortunately my hose doesn't reach out into the pasture and my dogs don't clean up well after the cxs. There is just too much poo. Apparently even my dogs have to draw the line somewhere.

 

[mountain mom]

I pretty sure one of my buff orpingtons has gone broody. I've been seeing her in the same box a lot and last night I took a peek -- she was still in the box while everyone else was roosting. This morning she was still in the box and there was broody poop in the coop. She left the nest for a few minutes while I was cleaning up the coop, but she's back on now, sitting on a golf ball. My egg production is way down, what with the molting and short days, but I hope I can scrounge up at least 5 eggs over the next couple of days for her to sit on.

My 7 surviving CXs look so lonely in their big yard. No more crowding/swarming at the feeding trough as there is plenty of room for everyone now. I'm going to probably let them go at least one more week, in the hopes of getting them to 5 lbs dressed. They were the smallest of the lot, and all seem pretty healthy, so I'm in no particular rush.

11mini -- I highly, highly recommend doing fermented feed for your CX. There is a whole thread dedicated to it and there are different ways to do it, some of which can seem complicated and overwhelming. I did the simplest possible method. I mixed equal parts of purchased store feed (any kind will do except for medicated) and water in a bucket. Loosely covered the top and stirred a couple of times a day. After 4 days is was ready to go. When I had used up about 1/2 the bucket, I would add more feed/water into the same bucket at night (called back-slopping), stir and by morning it was ready.

I started them on the FF from day 1, and was really pleased. Their brooder hardly smelled. And, although CX do poop, I never encountered the huge piles of stinky poo others have described. I had 19 CX, and although they had a really big run, they slept on straw in a 3x6 foot shelter. In the morning, I would use a pitchfolk to remove a few clumps of poopy straw and lay down a few handful of fresh straw. They never got poo encrusted and I never found the smell to be so bad. Whatever you decide, good luck!!!!

Fermented Feed for sure! I agree that it seriously helped with the smelly poo. And it wasn't all goopy, it was always a solid. Another plus was that they didn't drink as much water (a plus since it was cold for a chunk of the time they were alive and I didn't have to carry as many water buckets to them).

Our egg production is waaaay down too. Molting and short days are killing me here! Dixie, our Dixie Rainbow, was our best layer this summer. 6 giant eggs a week. She is molting now
The only two hens that are consistently laying now are our Silkie and Salmon Faverolles. Once or twice a week our Wyandottes will lay. No Speckled Sussex eggs for weeks now. I think I will put supplemental light in the coop. I have a black light in there for a little extra heat on extremely cold nights (0 degrees or lower). I am thinking of adding a strand of Christmas lights to add some light in the morning and early evening.

Good luck getting eggs for your Buff!

Ralphie where on earth did your white egg come from? A CX egg? Sometimes one of our layers will produce an egg that is not as dark as usual and it seems white in comparison.

Double Kindness- I was thinking of ordering from the feed store again... They will bring in as many as you ask for. For me that is just easier. They get there, they are alive, you know. But if we do a big order and get a really good price, maybe we should do it.
How is Wobbles today?

 

[duluthralphie]

I
My 7 surviving CXs look so lonely in their big yard. No more crowding/swarming at the feeding trough as there is plenty of room for everyone now. I'm going to probably let them go at least one more week, in the hopes of getting them to 5 lbs dressed. They were the smallest of the lot, and all seem pretty healthy, so I'm in no particular rush.

Come on!! Let them join the ranks of the big guys. Let them go to 12 lbs!.

I just came in from visiting my chickens. The CX's are just so cool. I am thinking of moving them, but I hate to stress them with a move in this chilly spell.

I want to move them to their spring abode, letting them get use to it before I move JJ and Ethel in with them for a couple months.

I am getting cabin fever, these highs in the teens are wearing on me.

 

[Double Kindness]

I saw with giving my flock ff their poops just kinda disintegrate into the dirt. In the brooder box, different story lol.

The past week though no one wants ff after getting tylan injections. I had put sweet pdz powder everywhere and all my chickens got sick except the last of my meaties.

So idk if it's b/c it's so cold outside, they don't want wet food, the probiotics in their guts gone or what. Ideas?

 

[LindaB220]

Sorry, I am all booked up in July,,,,

Besides I find Iowa too hot in July.

I think your climate is hotter in the summer than I thought. It seems that our summers are hot but not as hot as in bygone days. Since I've probably jinxed myself, it will be 105 for the entire summer. ( It was 103 for a couple of days last year, Not that hot,)

 

[Morrigan]

I saw with giving my flock ff their poops just kinda disintegrate into the dirt. In the brooder box, different story lol.

The past week though no one wants ff after getting tylan injections. I had put sweet pdz powder everywhere and all my chickens got sick except the last of my meaties.

So idk if it's b/c it's so cold outside, they don't want wet food, the probiotics in their guts gone or what. Ideas?

You could heat it (or move the ff bucket inside your house so it's a little warmer) and then feed them inside the coop. It's been raining here, so I moved the FF for my layers into their coop. I give them some dry pellets too, so they have a choice. Most go for the FF.