First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[Red Nugget]

I would guess they are what TSC said they were, They do have the CX body,  but the size is wrong at the age for CXs'.    You are probably the only person in the country that got the birds labeled correctly from TSC.



When I see your pictures I see CX's ,   I have a white rock (the Hussy) she looks nothing like yours.  She is smaller too, she was raised as a layer so she got free will food. She is not a "food hog" like my CX's. 

Pictures are deceiving sometimes, but they look like great eating. Grats on a good job raising them.   They had a great life and now they have that one bad day.

LOL now I need to find me two real CX. One roo and one hen. The idea of breeding my own meat birds has sold me. Does anyone know wear I can order just a few chicks? The TSC only sells them in spring here. Most places want you to get a group of them all at once. I just don't have room for 20 chicks at one time and the city said I could only have a total of 20 birds at once. Since the family and I decided to breed them . There is no culling them now till they are sick or die of natural causes. I'm glad to know the risk of heart attack and other health issues is not as grate as in the CX. When I first told Wendy we got the wrong kind of birds she called the TSC and they told her that they were Leghorns and they couldn't sell CX here. But they change their story from buying them to the call we made. So I don't know what to believe from them. I think they look like all the CX picks I've seen but if you look at a Plymouth Rock the chicks do look the same. So confused. But no matter I love them and hope to get a few CX to raise as well then

 

[JRNash]

Well I transferred the chicks to
"Target" Imagine my suprise when my wife and I came up with 33 instead of 31!! They should be 7 days old tomorrow. Here is a picture showing how the Cx are pulling ahead of the pack,white jersey giant on the left

 

[duluthralphie]

LOL now I need to find me two real CX. One roo and one hen. The idea of breeding my own meat birds has sold me. Does anyone know wear I can order just a few chicks? The TSC only sells them in spring here. Most places want you to get a group of them all at once. I just don't have room for 20 chicks at one time and the city said I could only have a total of 20 birds at once. Since the family and I decided to breed them . There is no culling them now till they are sick or die of natural causes. I'm glad to know the risk of heart attack and other health issues is not as grate as in the CX. When I first told Wendy we got the wrong kind of birds she called the TSC and they told her that they were Leghorns and they couldn't sell CX here. But they change their story from buying them to the call we made. So I don't know what to believe from them. I think they look like all the CX picks I've seen but if you look at a Plymouth Rock the chicks do look the same. So confused. But no matter I love them and hope to get a few CX to raise as well then

I am a French Fry short of a happy meal, but I know one thing, Those are not leghorns....

 

[kippycoo]

Yes, the meat birds are healthier if they can free range, but if you dont have the room its not a reauirement. Anything that you can give them thats bigger than a 3x3 cage is an improvement over factory farms. I dont have a coop for the meaties, just a 3 sided shelter with a good sized pen coming off the front. We dont keep them through winter.

My layers coop, we basically built a good sized shed. I wanted to be able to walk into it and hang out

. We have a run attached to that. But we didnt mess with the nest boxes that hang out the side for outside access or anything. Too much for my limited carpentry skills lol. Just stuck the nest boxes on the far wall where its a little darker and the girls are quite happy with that. They have a good sized run to one side, and I still have room for a good sized garden and the kids have plenty of room to play. Im sure you could manage it on your land. May take some finagling but it can be done. Good luck!

Thanks! I just have no idea how many we could do at once with our property. I like the idea of doing a few batches but I'm late the the game this year. I bought eggs to hatch hoping to get a few layers. I found this thread while waiting for the hatch and wondering what to do with the roosters. Then I wanted meaties lol. I read somewhere that you can eat them at any time so if there is too many we could just eat them. We are just starting out coop. Only a few deck blocks and 4 pieces pressure treated lumber. No outside easy access nest boxes for us either. It gets too cold up here. I'm planning on a Woods style coop. I hope to have place to hang out too. My kids are really enjoying the chicks.

So 20 min before they closed dh ordered 25 meaties, 2 turkeys, and 6 quails.

JR ty for posting the pics. The fuzzy butts are very cute. Your coop is err red! It's looking good so far. I hope to catch up soon!

Ralphie, your fuzzy butts are cute too. They look like my leghorns did last week. I find they even grow so fast.

Jessica, I'm sorry to hear of Sunny's passing. So sad.

 

[JRNash]

Kippy, lol I can't wait to trim it and add the doors and windows . Was wondering what it would look like with dormers

 

[duluthralphie]

I saw I had one pasty butt last night when I fed the CX's.

I tried to catch him, but failed miserably. It was not real bad but I just added more probiotic to the water.

You would not think a week old lazy bird could hide and run from me in a 16x8 ft pen. BUT he did. I would have my eye on him and think I had him grab him and it was the wrong bird. It was like the pea under a shell game. they twist and turn and are under and over each other so fast.

These are the first CX's I had raised in a pen with wire so they can see out. I like it. I always used a stock tank before for the first week, but I had too many for the stock tank. In the tank they seemed afraid of me. These birds are not, they come running when they see me coming. I had read somewhere (most likely on BYC) you get friendlier birds if they can see you coming. I think they are right.

I raised the lights and took one away last night. It only got down to 70 so they did not need all the heat. I think there is so many of them they could get by without heat, but I am always a little reluctant to remove it completely.




JR that is quite a coop if you are putting dorm rooms in it, I just have mine live in one huge community room....

 

[JRNash]

I can't win

 

[duluthralphie]

I can't win

Me either...

I have given my DW one simple duty and she fails at it week after week! all she needs to do is pick 6 number that will bring me riches beyond belief. 6 simple little numbers and she does not do it. I just can't win, but I feel sorry for her so I don't throw her butt out......

see I can't win...

 

[Red Nugget]

I am a French Fry short of  a happy meal, but I know one thing,  Those are not leghorns....

I know right? Way too wide in the shoulders. I guess I will figure it out when they start to lay eggs. Don't White Rocks lay Brown eggs? Holms showed me a pic of a CX egg and it was white. That should tell me. How can I get just a few CX this time of year? I Couldnt find them on my pet chicken. That was the only site I found that will ship me just 4 chicks.

 

[mountain mom]

Nugget- Can you call a different local feed store and see about them ordering for you? That is what I do. I don't do more than 20ish at a time. Also, the CX lay brown eggs too. Pearl's eggs were lighter than the others in the flock, but still not white. And they were a good size!!

Well, I will be off on the Great American/Canadian Road Trip tomorrow. I have to admit, I am worried about our birds. Only because I don't believe anyone can take care of them well enough. I thought my neighbor could, but after the fox incident (completely not her fault....) I have reservations.
We have people staying at our house most of the time we are gone though, so maybe that will rest my weary mind.

I know we don't have internet up at the place in Canada, so I will have to bid you adieu. Notice how I threw in a French word... I am brushing up for the vacation. Well, really I only know 6 French words. So I am pretending to brush up.
Ralph, please keep my stool at the bar dust free. I know I can trust you with this. Holm, don't turn 21 while I am gone, I need to be present when we serve you your first non-Shirley Temple.
Can't wait to see how the fuzzbutts have grown by the time I get back!