First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[CoHomestead]

I know I'm still learning too, but have mine on ff, and have been checking and refilling as needed starting around 645 am. I check every few hours, and towards the end of each serving they are all scratching about. Figure it is good for them to learn to scratch about a bit. They are eating out of pie tins until they get a bit bigger. I give them one last tin around 7 or 8 and since most are sleeping that lasts through the night for those wake up for a snack. They aren't starving in the morning, and all are doing well so far.

 

[LindaB220]

I know I'm still learning too, but have mine on ff, and have been checking and refilling as needed starting around 645 am. I check every few hours, and towards the end of each serving they are all scratching about. Figure it is good for them to learn to scratch about a bit. They are eating out of pie tins until they get a bit bigger. I give them one last tin around 7 or 8 and since most are sleeping that lasts through the night for those wake up for a snack. They aren't starving in the morning, and all are doing well so far.

That's perfect timing for them. If they need more later just increase the amount in the tins.

 

[duluthralphie]

I let mine eat as much as they could, twice a day for 20-30 minutes at a time.

I fed them in a tray big enough for all of them to eat without crowding.

The second week I did the same but I started them on grit and scratch during the day so they learned to forage.

I should say I wanted to slow the growth of mine down after I had so many heart attacks and leg problems with my first batch.

I have birds now the size I butchered last time, but I think I will get 2-3 more weeks growth on them, which should add a two to three pounds or more to them.

 

[JessicaThistle]

I used muffin tins during their first week. I would just check them every few hours and refill if they needed it. They were always scratching and pecking though and I have never purchased scratch even for my layers. I never felt bad if they had gone a little while without food since they kicked so much out into the wood chips and that spurred them to scratch and hunt for the spilled pieces.

When I move them to the tractor at sometime during the second week, they go to free range and get fed 3-4 times per day about 1/2 to 3/4 of a quart of feed for 25 chicks. They eat that in about 10-15 minutes. If my hubby has brought home some fruit from a customer I generally do 3 times. Since we are getting close, I am trying really hard to make sure I feed 4 times as these are a slimmer bunch than the last group and due to an upcoming trip, can't keep them longer than 9 weeks.

 

[LindaB220]

I used muffin tins during their first week. I would just check them every few hours and refill if they needed it. They were always scratching and pecking though and I have never purchased scratch even for my layers. I never felt bad if they had gone a little while without food since they kicked so much out into the wood chips and that spurred them to scratch and hunt for the spilled pieces.

When I move them to the tractor at sometime during the second week, they go to free range and get fed 3-4 times per day about 1/2 to 3/4 of a quart of feed for 25 chicks. They eat that in about 10-15 minutes. If my hubby has brought home some fruit from a customer I generally do 3 times. Since we are getting close, I am trying really hard to make sure I feed 4 times as these are a slimmer bunch than the last group and due to an upcoming trip, can't keep them longer than 9 weeks.

Really up the protein if you can. Maybe mix in a bag of gamebird to the ration. The last week or so don't let them out to roam. It will build them up more. I buy a bag of catfish feed and it has about 36%. I use maybe 15-20% in the ration. You do understand this is all research on my part. Considering you are the one that has had success with raising CX's.

But I have been on here for a year and have read thousands of posts. I like to read.

 

[Betsy57]

I used muffin tins during their first week. I would just check them every few hours and refill if they needed it. They were always scratching and pecking though and I have never purchased scratch even for my layers. I never felt bad if they had gone a little while without food since they kicked so much out into the wood chips and that spurred them to scratch and hunt for the spilled pieces.

When I move them to the tractor at sometime during the second week, they go to free range and get fed 3-4 times per day about 1/2 to 3/4 of a quart of feed for 25 chicks. They eat that in about 10-15 minutes. If my hubby has brought home some fruit from a customer I generally do 3 times. Since we are getting close, I am trying really hard to make sure I feed 4 times as these are a slimmer bunch than the last group and due to an upcoming trip, can't keep them longer than 9 weeks.

What does your husband bringing fruit home have to do with the number of times you feed?

 

[duluthralphie]

I used muffin tins during their first week. I would just check them every few hours and refill if they needed it. They were always scratching and pecking though and I have never purchased scratch even for my layers. I never felt bad if they had gone a little while without food since they kicked so much out into the wood chips and that spurred them to scratch and hunt for the spilled pieces.

When I move them to the tractor at sometime during the second week, they go to free range and get fed 3-4 times per day about 1/2 to 3/4 of a quart of feed for 25 chicks. They eat that in about 10-15 minutes. If my hubby has brought home some fruit from a customer I generally do 3 times. Since we are getting close, I am trying really hard to make sure I feed 4 times as these are a slimmer bunch than the last group and due to an upcoming trip, can't keep them longer than 9 weeks.

When my chicks are young I raise them on that red rolled construction paper used for underlayment. I have no idea of it's real name. I sprinkle a little "scratch on top of that for them. When I remove the paper I go will go without scratch for a few days, but by then I think they have the idea of scratching for food. I never put much on the paper at a time and I will drop it at irregular intervals whenever I happen to go by them or look in on them.

Putting them in my brooder/tractor at one week gives me lots of opportunity to reinforce the foraging to them.

I do not buy scratch as such. I buy corn, oats, sunflower seeds wild birds seeds and generally spoil them with treats. I also sprinkle chick grit on the paper as a scratch.

PS I put an ad on Craigslist for corn from a farmer, I paid $4 dollars a bushel or 25 dollars for a 55 gallon barrels full. I asked him about his screenings under the dryer during harvest time, He said I could have them too. Beware they contain cracked broken corn but lots of weed seeds. The birds love it!

 

[holm25]

I need a new avatar which pic should I use?!?!?

 

[Double Kindness]

I like the 2nd one. My friend couldn't get to the feed store to get those cornish x before they closed the other day due to an accident on I-25 north of ft collins. I'm bummed. This morning letting out my dp meaties, 3 started crowing! OMG! My neighbors won't like that much going on, so today I'm going to get baby socks, hair ties and velcro straps to try to curb the "lookit me see this funny loud sound I'm making, lets see who can do it more and better and louder!" Round robin thing in my very urban backyard!

Do cornish x crow before you process them? This is the down point of dp meaties for me then, as my caponizing equipment isn't here yet, otherwise I would simply make the crowing offenders capons.

I'm pleading my case for going to ft collins in an hour or so to get some cornish x, b/c we might end up sending our roos to freezer camp immediately if I can't quiet the crowing.

 

[duluthralphie]

I need a new avatar which pic should I use?!?!?

Which one looks most like you?