First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[JessicaThistle]

If you need to just do a coop and run, make sure that you do a deep litter. Start with 4" pine shavings and stir daily and add more if necessary. Also, think about fermenting your feed. I do both and have never had smell and I don't really see the poop. It just disintegrates into the shavings. The fermentation allows the body to absorb more nutrients. It changes the poop. Notice that normal chickens poop have corn and stuff in it. Mine doesn't. It's all absorbed. But these are not meat chickens.
For one thing, treat your meat birds as chickens. Feed 2 x a day all they will eat in 20 min or so. Then put away. Keep water out at all times. They will attack you at feeding time. Running. You can make a trough out of a rain gutter. Cut it into 5' lengths and stabilize with 2x4" on the ends. If you are interested:

http://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

I second what Linda says if you need to have a stationary area for them. How big is your pasture? Mine is less than an acre and contains a small barn, a large mulch pile and a burn pile that take up alot of space. We are doing fine on the small area that we have and I am moving them in their 10 X 5 1/2 ft tractor 3 times a day now that they are older, plus allowing free range time every day.

I posted the chicken tractor plans I used earlier in the thread but if interested, it is at www.foodcyclist.com. It is working perfectly and easy for me to move even though I am only 5 ft tall.

 

[Brookshire11]

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've had getting a few meat birds on my mind for a month or two. The actual processing just seems intimidating. I have 6 layers and have raised them since chicks. My only worry is we live in a suburb on a smaller lot. Plenty of room for my 6 girls to free range. I do also have a 12x12 run that I was thinking I could keep them in.
I was thinking of only starting with 6 or so, then getting more after we're a little more experienced.
We have a chest freezer that looks awfully empty..lol
We've made the switch with produce, eggs, and recently raw milk! So I feel like meat is next on our list.

Thank you for documenting your journey!
I've heard the same about Cornish having problems but this looks very promising!

 

[Oakdale Farm]

We processed 18 CX birds just 2 weeks ago. We let them go to 9 weeks, which is one week too many. My wife and I both felt the last week only added chicken fat to the birds. We like ours roasted mostly, so we let them get bigger. We ended up with about 135 pounds of meat from these 18. Averaged right at 7.5 each with very little variation from carcass to carcass. We cut them in half to freeze. Cooked one last week and WOW are they delicious. Moist meat, tender, and lots of flavor. This is our 2d year to raise them and we'll keep at it, they are so good.

I found this thread late, but here's some advice I was given by a friend who raises CX for farmers markets. No night time desert for these birds! He insists that the noon meal is the last of it for the day. He says he avoids lots of health problems this way. I've done this, and have had virtually no losses. We start the birds on vitamin/electrolite in the water and use medicated feed starter to get them going. Just sharing my experience.

 

[LindaB220]

We processed 18 CX birds just 2 weeks ago. We let them go to 9 weeks, which is one week too many. My wife and I both felt the last week only added chicken fat to the birds. We like ours roasted mostly, so we let them get bigger. We ended up with about 135 pounds of meat from these 18. Averaged right at 7.5 each with very little variation from carcass to carcass. We cut them in half to freeze. Cooked one last week and WOW are they delicious. Moist meat, tender, and lots of flavor. This is our 2d year to raise them and we'll keep at it, they are so good.

I found this thread late, but here's some advice I was given by a friend who raises CX for farmers markets. No night time desert for these birds! He insists that the noon meal is the last of it for the day. He says he avoids lots of health problems this way. I've done this, and have had virtually no losses. We start the birds on vitamin/electrolite in the water and use medicated feed starter to get them going. Just sharing my experience.

Glad to have you. Can you expand a little on the timing? Do you leave food down and just take away at noon? 135 lbs is outstanding. Congrats.

 

[JessicaThistle]

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've had getting a few meat birds on my mind for a month or two. The actual processing just seems intimidating. I have 6 layers and have raised them since chicks. My only worry is we live in a suburb on a smaller lot. Plenty of room for my 6 girls to free range. I do also have a 12x12 run that I was thinking I could keep them in.
I was thinking of only starting with 6 or so, then getting more after we're a little more experienced.
We have a chest freezer that looks awfully empty..lol
We've made the switch with produce, eggs, and recently raw milk! So I feel like meat is next on our list.

Thank you for documenting your journey!
I've heard the same about Cornish having problems but this looks very promising!

I am glad you found my thread and found it helpful! That was what I was trying to do for others like me! My point in this thread was to let other newbies know that these are awesome chickens to raise and can be done successfully. I'm not done with my batch, but I am determined to finish this out fully!

It is a good idea to start small if you don't have the room or are just concerned in general. If you are wanting to pack 6 chickens into your freezer, you may want to plan on adding one or two to that to pad the loss you may have. Don't let loss deter you. These are awesome chicken to raise but sometimes problems just happen.

If you see a chick that does not go to the food trough during feeding, grab him up and give him special treatment forcing vitamins, water, electrolytes and food down him. If you read early in my thread, I did this with two and saved my investment.

Pay attention to your chicks and you will be successful and what an awesome contribution for your family!

 

[Oakdale Farm]

Glad to have you. Can you expand a little on the timing? Do you leave food down and just take away at noon? 135 lbs is outstanding. Congrats.

We use self-feeders (actually, a 5-gallon bucket with holes at the bottom which release the feed into an attached pan.) Using no science or precision, but simply observation and 'best guess' we fill the feeder in the morning with the amount of feed we think they will consume by mid/late afternoon. When it is gone, it is gone for the day. Always have lots of fresh water for them 24/7. We prefer the little 'drinkie cups' to the nipples. The chickens seem to drink more water with these or an open pan than the nipples. Also, the cups don't seem to be so touchy about the correct height for the birds as they grow and get bigger. We move them around the farm in their portable house every day so they have fresh grass to munch on whenever they feel like it. As they get bigger, they lose interest in much other than the feeder, the water dish and a nap. We have, so far, never had any problem at all with legs or feet injuries. My understanding is that if these CX birds are allowed full feed full time, they can outgrow their bones and develop health issues.

 

[JessicaThistle]

We processed 18 CX birds just 2 weeks ago. We let them go to 9 weeks, which is one week too many. My wife and I both felt the last week only added chicken fat to the birds. We like ours roasted mostly, so we let them get bigger. We ended up with about 135 pounds of meat from these 18. Averaged right at 7.5 each with very little variation from carcass to carcass. We cut them in half to freeze. Cooked one last week and WOW are they delicious. Moist meat, tender, and lots of flavor. This is our 2d year to raise them and we'll keep at it, they are so good.

I found this thread late, but here's some advice I was given by a friend who raises CX for farmers markets. No night time desert for these birds! He insists that the noon meal is the last of it for the day. He says he avoids lots of health problems this way. I've done this, and have had virtually no losses. We start the birds on vitamin/electrolite in the water and use medicated feed starter to get them going. Just sharing my experience.

I'm glad you found my thread and am happy for you to add your tips here! That sounds like an awesome amount of meat from your chickens! I am very much looking forward to enjoying the fruits of my labor too.

I am using the 5 gallon bucket with nipples for watering. I have the gravity waterer that I refill multiple times per day only because it has been so hot lately that I didn't want to risk taking it away. I have a pvc trough that I add a measured amount of food to 4 times per day rather than fill to the brim and let them gorge themselves. I admit that from day 1, I have never provided nonstop feed to these guys. I have basically measured and tracked how much they eat in about 10-15 minutes. They get that amount at each feeding. I like the idea of them eating and processing the food but not being so darn stuffed that they can't move. I am encouraging free range time for 3-5 hours each day as well. My chickens run and I mean run across my pasture. I love it! They are too cute to watch. We have had no legs problem even though the terrain in my yard being far from flat could make problems. I am pretty proud of my results so far.

Today is weekly weights. I'm excited to see how much they've grown this week!

 

[Oakdale Farm]

Two things: One, I think the very fact that your chickens are running around on 'real' turf is good for them. They need exercise just like the rest of us, and they (we) are the better for it. Feeding as you're doing is more work for you than the way we do it, but the point is the same. Give them what they can reasonably eat without just gorging, which they will do. I move my hanging feeder bucket from one end of their range to the other just to keep them up and at 'em. They are funny to watch in the 'Oklahoma Land Rush' race for the feeder every morning. I also have the feed holes in my bucket feeder restricted so they have to work at getting the feed to release. Seems to slow them down on the gorge factor.

Second (third?) We noticed that after about week 7 their appetite started to fall off, and their movement did too. I'll bet the scale will tell the same tale. After a certain point in their development,their body structure has maxed out, and they are just slowly gaining fat instead of muscle. Since muscle is heavier than fat, I'd guess your scale will tell you when they have crossed that magic point on the time line toward 'Freezer Camp.'

Just finished a lunch of Chicken Marsala. Absolutely delicious!!!

 

[LindaB220]

Two things: One, I think the very fact that your chickens are running around on 'real' turf is good for them. They need exercise just like the rest of us, and they (we) are the better for it. Feeding as you're doing is more work for you than the way we do it, but the point is the same. Give them what they can reasonably eat without just gorging, which they will do. I move my hanging feeder bucket from one end of their range to the other just to keep them up and at 'em. They are funny to watch in the 'Oklahoma Land Rush' race for the feeder every morning. I also have the feed holes in my bucket feeder restricted so they have to work at getting the feed to release. Seems to slow them down on the gorge factor.

Second (third?) We noticed that after about week 7 their appetite started to fall off, and their movement did too. I'll bet the scale will tell the same tale. After a certain point in their development,their body structure has maxed out, and they are just slowly gaining fat instead of muscle. Since muscle is heavier than fat, I'd guess your scale will tell you when they have crossed that magic point on the time line toward 'Freezer Camp.'

Just finished a lunch of Chicken Marsala. Absolutely delicious!!!

Yum!!!! I love Marsala.

 

[JessicaThistle]

Two things: One, I think the very fact that your chickens are running around on 'real' turf is good for them. They need exercise just like the rest of us, and they (we) are the better for it. Feeding as you're doing is more work for you than the way we do it, but the point is the same. Give them what they can reasonably eat without just gorging, which they will do. I move my hanging feeder bucket from one end of their range to the other just to keep them up and at 'em. They are funny to watch in the 'Oklahoma Land Rush' race for the feeder every morning. I also have the feed holes in my bucket feeder restricted so they have to work at getting the feed to release. Seems to slow them down on the gorge factor.

Second (third?) We noticed that after about week 7 their appetite started to fall off, and their movement did too. I'll bet the scale will tell the same tale. After a certain point in their development,their body structure has maxed out, and they are just slowly gaining fat instead of muscle. Since muscle is heavier than fat, I'd guess your scale will tell you when they have crossed that magic point on the time line toward 'Freezer Camp.'

Just finished a lunch of Chicken Marsala. Absolutely delicious!!!

Oh, I know feeding them 4 times is extra work. LOL! But I work from home and sometimes I just need to tear my eyes away from the stupid computer! It gives me an excuse to go hang out with them and get refreshed. I suppose I don't really need an excuse to do it but it works. These little guys just make me smile.

Chicken Marsala sounds yummy! Just a few more weeks for us!