First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[Chicken girl 15]

For those of you that have raised CX to laying age and beyond. What type of feeding regimen did you follow? I'll be picking up some chicks the end of February to begin my breeding project. Also, what age do they start laying?

I have 2 cx that are 4 months that live in with my laying flock. They currently have access to free choice feed as the layers will allow. They also free range a lot. So far no eggs.

 

[Molpet]

For those of you that have raised CX to laying age and beyond. What type of feeding regimen did you follow? I'll be picking up some chicks the end of February to begin my breeding project. Also, what age do they start laying?

I bought 5 CX on Good Friday 2016 for meat.. I then seen people were breeding so I started the 10-20 min 2x a day at a month old... I didn't lose any and I free ranged them with the layers.. I raised 2 BBB with them and later got 4 nari. They all were together before I processed...so lots of exercise running for their life LOL I feed fermented feed from day 1.

I kept the smallest in a separate night coop and she started laying end of august to end of Oct every 3 days a small tan/brn egg. .. she hasn't started again yet
I put 7 of her eggs, a couple of BR and a few other breeds under a BR broody.. I only had one mixed roo so he's the daddy....4 cx hatched.. interesting the oldest cx hatched and the newest cx didn't.. the 2 BR hatched (and a ISA brown that disappeared? shell looked like a good hatch)

I put the CX hen in a separate coop, since she is the roos favorite, some hens and turkeys hate her...the broody would take the chicks over to cx coop and when she weaned them they wanted to stay there... which is perfect

 

[duluthralphie]

I bought 5 CX on Good Friday 2016 for meat.. I then seen people were breeding so I started the 10-20 min 2x a day at a month old... I didn't lose any and I free ranged them with the layers.. I raised 2 BBB with them and later got 4 nari. They all were together before I processed...so lots of exercise running for their life LOL I feed fermented feed from day 1.

I kept the smallest in a separate night coop and she started laying end of august to end of Oct every 3 days a small tan/brn egg. .. she hasn't started again yet
I put 7 of her eggs, a couple of BR and a few other breeds under a BR broody.. I only had one mixed roo so he's the daddy....4 cx hatched.. interesting the oldest cx hatched and the newest cx didn't.. the 2 BR hatched (and a ISA brown that disappeared? shell looked like a good hatch)

I put the CX hen in a separate coop, since she is the roos favorite, some hens and turkeys hate her...the broody would take the chicks over to cx coop and when she weaned them they wanted to stay there... which is perfect

Do you have pictures of your mixed babies? Are you happy with them? What's your plans with them? Is there anything else you plan to do to get a "better" or different offspring?

 

[holm25]

I never was able to get my CX hens eggs to hatch. I wish i still had her to cross with one of my huge buckeyes :/

 

[duluthralphie]

I never was able to get my CX hens eggs to hatch. I wish i still had her to cross with one of my huge buckeyes

We might be able to fix that..... If Toads would work.

 

[holm25]

We might be able to fix that..... If Toads would work.

I guess I never even thought of that Ralphie. I am sure they would work. If you have any leftover pullets this summer let me know. I think the pea combs of the Buckeyes would help in MN

 

[duluthralphie]

I guess I never even thought of that Ralphie. I am sure they would work. If you have any leftover pullets this summer let me know. I think the pea combs of the Buckeyes would help in MN

I can give you some when you come for the turkeys. I should have plenty of them. That way they would lay this summer. You could see what the cross is like, I want to get rid of the single comb so this could be the perfect match.


A pea comb Toad is far superior in Mn to a single comb one.

 

[holm25]

Sounds good. I am thinking maybe this weekend we can make a trip depending in how long my sisters basketball game is. I think a pea or rose comb would be perfect on any bird here!

 

[duluthralphie]

Sounds good. I am thinking maybe this weekend we can make a trip depending in how long my sisters basketball game is. I think a pea or rose comb would be perfect on any bird here!

I have cushions combs on the PC they do better than pea or rose, IMHO. BUT anything is better than single.

 

[Chaos18]

I have cushions combs on the PC they do better than pea or rose, IMHO. BUT anything is better than single.

A double is better than a single?