First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[bluto in mo]

I've got 33 started with 36. The brooder was 6x4. They made a mess real fast and was starting to smell. I got the in a 7x7 out side they seem much happier.

This pic was a few days ago.

 

[bluto in mo]

Any pics on cleanest and effective brooder waterers and feeders?

For waterer the cleanest would be nipples. My feeder I use a 5.5ft piece of gutter with a board over the top so they can't get in a lay down. Raise it up so they can't sit down to eat and it will keep the mess to a minimum.

 

[bluto in mo]

Here is a pic of my flock using the feeder

 

[JRNash]

I don't typically remove the light completely until they have their body feathers. If they get wet or catch a chill their goners.~ Nice looking flocks!! The mess and smell go hand and hand with a brooder full of birds. I clean mine 2 times a week. once they hit 4 to 5 weeks depending on the weather. I move them to an outside enclosure that still has two heat lamps that stay on, its 4x4x16

at this time it has around 60 in it

 

[JRNash]

I've got egg layers mixed with CX and CX hybrids. in the big pen with another 84 eggs in the incubator.Th I.vs are ramping up FAST

 

[duluthralphie]

I pull the lights at 4 weeks.

35 is a tad cold but if they are given a an covered enclosure so they are out of the wind they will do fine. I move my regular chicks outside at 4 weeks and take the light away from them. CX generate more heat than the regular birds.

Cleaning is a never ending chore with them. Getting water outside helps. I free range though so that makes a difference.

Nice looking birds to all of you, nice tractors. I use one kind of like that. I have a door slot in it and slip in different doors so the CX's can get inside and the full grown birds are locked outside.

 

[kris86AR]

It sounds like the red watering nipples are the easiest, cheapest, cleanest watering option. I have one of the pvc feeders but really like the one I've seen with holes drilled in so they can eat out of pipe running parrelel to ground

 

[bluto in mo]

As far as I could tell this am they all made it. Only a few were under the light.

 

[ottbmom]

Hi all, I thought I'd jump in! I actually got some cx a few days ago but thought I'd read this thread from beginning to end lol! I got to about post 575 and realized that I was still in 2014 haha, so I've skipped ahead for the time being.

This is my first go with meaties, and actually only my second with chicks (I'm not good at chicken math; started with 6 layers 2 years ago, now I have 5). My husband and I have toyed for a year or so with the idea of raising meat birds, so when I saw TSC had their cx on clearance for .99, I couldn't pass it up! I voted for 10, but my husband said that was way too many and we should get 4. The minimum was 6 though, so we got 7. It turned out to be good that I didn't grab 10; I just reused my Rubbermaid brooder box from when I raised my layers, completely not anticipating how fast they actually grow!

Here are my little guys:

I'm planning to free range them and overnight them in a tractor pen. My fingers are crossed that they don't need the light soon so that I can work on putting them out! I did a test run today and turned off the lamp for an hour, and when I came back they were dogpiled.

Question, what square footage per bird in a tractor seems to work well when combined with free ranging?

 

[JRNash]

Welcome. ottbmom. I have no idea about square ft per bird. I just look at em and think, they look crowded so then I build something bigger....then I think,got room for more birds!!!(chicken math)