First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[duluthralphie]

Hi! I am new to the site. I am on my 2nd batch of Cornish X. They are 6 weeks old and i have had a couple die recently. Their breathing gets slow and their skin is turning purple. Im thinking heart failure but i honestly have no idea. Any ideas? What can i do to stop this, its breaking my heart. Thanks for the help.

It is too late..

If you butcher now you will find some have liquid in their cavities, that is Ascites. It means the hearts and kidneys are giving out. You have over fed and under exercised them.

I would process as soon as I can to save the meat, Ascites does not effect the meat that I know of, I had the same problem until I learned how to raise them.

 

[MMroz20]

It is too late..

If you butcher now you will find some have liquid in their cavities, that is Ascites. It means the hearts and kidneys are giving out. You have over fed and under exercised them.

I would process as soon as I can to save the meat, Ascites does not effect the meat that I know of, I had the same problem until I learned how to raise them.

Well shoot. Thank you for the information and being so nice about it. Seems like everyone feeds them different and its hard to decide what to do. My last batch didnt have any problems. Guess i know now.

I have 75 of them and their butcher date isnt until May 24th. I have to book my butcher date over a month in advance.

 

[bluto in mo]

I feed mine 2x a day and that's it. Usually it's what they can eat in an hour. They will eat them self to death if allowed.

 

[duluthralphie]

When mine start free ranging I feed them once a day for 20-30 minutes at night and that is it...

I did my first batch the way the hatchery instructions said, and I ended up with chicks that were crippled, had fluid in them and with heart attacks. I was watching them one day and a chick started jumping for a leaf in a tree/bush on the 4th jump it just keeled over started convulsing and died of a heart attack!

That was at 41 days. I cleaned them all the next day. My last batch I did not lose one chick after the first week, I kept them 13 weeks had 13 pound dressed birds and I still have 1 alive and laying eggs at over 10 months.... Bert and Bertha are a year now but they are only 3/4 CX.

 

[Amandakae]

This is seriously the best thread ever!! I have spent many a sleepless night reading about all of yall's beginning endeavors in meat chicks!

I have made it to page 29 of...130?

Similar to binging on Netflix, but much more educational!
I justhttp:// have to post this pic me singing to my 50, 3.5 week old CX! The way they love be to climb on me (even when I'm standing!!!), I thought this song quite apropo

Thank you JR! I am going to try to upload the video a different way and see if this works better.

Hahaha, that could not be a worse thumbnail pic!!!!

 

[Amandakae]

I do have a couple questions, now that I am being brave enough to post on here

When I feed my munchkins (50 of them, almost 4 wks old), they are quite aggressive with me. Pecking me, attacking my hands when I reach for the dishes, etc. Some of them, Im guessing roosters, can be right out a#@ holes. Its not that big of a deal right now since they are still little, but I am worried about what feeding time will be like once they get older. Everyone talks about how docile the breed is, but that has not been my experience so far. I wanted them to be as active as possible, so when at 5 days old they acted like they wanted out of their brooder, I let them, and wow did they run! They were so active and fearless that they were free ranging FAR from their cook at 8 days old! Who needs a stupid heat lamp when I could be chasing BUGS!!!?

Also, I usually feed my layers free choice dry layer crumble, but now the chicks have found it. My ladies are NOT happy that I am now just feeding them moist feed in the am when the chicks are fed their food. What do you all do to avoid this problem? My chicks are free range, they can fit through the fencing so they just go where they want!

 

[cyborg]

I do have a couple questions, now that I am being brave enough to post on here 

When I feed my munchkins (50 of them, almost 4 wks old), they are quite aggressive with me. Pecking me, attacking my hands when I reach for the dishes, etc. Some of them, Im guessing roosters, can be right out a#@ holes. Its not that big of a deal right now since they are still little, but I am worried about what feeding time will be like once they get older. Everyone talks about how docile the breed is, but that has not been my experience so far. I wanted them to be as active as possible, so when at 5 days old they acted like they wanted out of their brooder, I let them, and wow did they run! They were so active and fearless that they were free ranging FAR from their cook at 8 days old! Who needs a stupid heat lamp when I could be chasing BUGS!!!? 

Also, I usually feed my layers free choice dry layer crumble, but now the chicks have found it. My ladies are NOT happy that I am now just feeding them moist feed in the am when the chicks are fed their food. What do you all do to avoid this problem? My chicks are free range, they can fit through the fencing so they just go where they want!  

I keep mine in separate pens. At the local Lowe's, they sell plastic poultry netting in 3 foot x 25 foot rolls. I zip tie it to the chain link fence to keep the chicks where I want them.

And yes, they will get all over you when food is involved. That is not aggressive. It is HUNGRY!

 

[JRNash]

Ditto on what Cyborg said. When they ate hungry they go crazy.lol

 

[JRNash]

these are my welp slow broiler hens.They lay a large brown egg nearly every day

 

[JRNash]

dark cornish hybrid.these crosses are showing alot heavier leg bone