First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

Good job getting them home!

How many chicken wrangling trained mules did you find?

Did you have any troubles at the river crossings? Chickens can rebel and stampede at them.

Did you have any stampedes?


I saw the wires in the pictures ( well the fence posts) So I have a couple questions.

Will you be moving the wires when you move the tractor?

Do you have wingless chickens? I know a couple of mine just fly over the fence when I try to lock them in, some are fence trained and they stay in, BUT others do not respect a fence.
 
My incubators are almost full, but I still have room for a dozen Ethel Eggs.

I have a few maybe Bert babies in each group, the first hatch Friday.

I have 7 creamettes this week, and of course turkeys.






 
Well, I am a bit confused as to how you are limiting their food if the feeder is never empty. I let them eat as much as they can the first week, then they only get fed 2x a day. Last batch I fed 3 or 4 times a day, but it was colder and there were not many bugs for foraging (it was late in the fall). My meatballs are about 2 1/2 weeks right now, they are only being fed twice a day. They free range the rest of the day (in their fenced in area). I give them about as much as they can eat in 15 minutes.

Sadly, I think your meaties are growing too fast and are having heart attacks. I would butcher. You can still eat them.

Sorry your first experience is not so great. You still have plenty of time to raise another batch, if you choose. I know a few of us here have also raised other birds for meat that take longer to grow. Maybe they are the birds for you. I did Red Rangers (I believe Holm is doing them this spring) last summer. I enjoyed the meat, but I do prefer the CX.

Last fall, I willy nilly ordered CX from the feed store. Then I freaked out. I realized I wanted nothing to do with frankenbirds. It was the whole reason I went with Red Rangers the first time, but I didn't have as long for them to grow since it was later in the fall. Then I found this thread! I read through the whole thing in an afternoon (there were only 90 some odd pages back then, I think). I LEARNED SO MUCH! I was, and am incredibly thankful for this forum! The main lesson I learned before they arrived- Just because they can be grown so quickly they can be butchered at 6-8, does not mean it is the way to go. You get sick birds. You get frankenbirds. Slow, slow, slow.
I am not trying to be hard on you, it is all a learning curve and nobody has the perfect answer, but in my opinion, you fed them too much. I do hope you try another batch of them though, they are great meat birds!





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Great post!!!!! Everyday is a learning day and this forum is the best at teaching. Usually by our mistakes.
 
Good job getting them home!

How many chicken wrangling trained mules did you find?

Did you have any troubles at the river crossings? Chickens can rebel and stampede at them.

Did you have any stampedes?


I saw the wires in the pictures ( well the fence posts) So I have a couple questions.

Will you be moving the wires when you move the tractor?

Do you have wingless chickens? I know a couple of mine just fly over the fence when I try to lock them in, some are fence trained and they stay in, BUT others do not respect a fence.
No mules. You were supposed to bring those but you stood us up!

It was just 3 of us. One caught and two of us ran back and forth loading the trailer. Exhausting! I feel like I should be skinny now after that. I wish they had stampeded themselves straight into the trailer. That would have been easier!

The fences will move every time we move the tractor so whole space will be fresh. The occasional chicken may fly over the fence. Usually they just want back in. If we lose a couple this way, it isn't the end of the world. These are old hens that are getting a taste of the good life before they are sold. They are helping us test our system really and when the chicks are old enough to move we are hoping to have the kinks worked out. Of course, if they start pumping out a ton of eggs, we may have to rethink this......
 
Ralphie- about your cremettes- I has creamettes too and I hatched out 2 girls.

I'm about to fill my incubator again because I just won a charity drawing for 6+ ccl hatching eggs to pick up today or tomorrow, along with my other ccl eggs that may or may not be pure as my bean line ayam cemani rooster has been with them lately :)

And 2 days ago 3 of my 5 ccl got out into my very urban neighborhood. I got 2 back immediately, but the 3rd one who is now named Amelia took much more time and effort to get back home.

One neighbor said she was high up in a pine tree. Roofing guys across the street were laughing at me as I walked around in the rain in my slippers saying "Chicken! Bawk bawk bawk! Chicken!" For several hours.

I know what "pollo loco " means. :)

Another neighbor texted my bf a picture of THE chicken in a yard 2 houses down, which ended up with both me & the bf chasing it down the street, up the alley 2 x BEFORE she ran through the hole in the back fence and straight up to the entrance of the enclosed run she calls home.

My cx are 7-8 weeks old today. I think. They are half the size of my largest muscovy drake. Freezer camp is set for next weekend. Yay.
 
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