First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[mountain mom]

I would be surprised if a Colorado feed store was ordering from a tiny hatchery in Oregon, but who knows.  At least I'm not the only one with the black feathered guys.

Mine go around with their crops full too.  They look so funny when they walk or run with a full crop.  I can't even make a guess at what they are finding out there to munch on.  Mine still always want dinner though.

OMG mountainmom.  Did you update your location after I asked or did I ask completely missing that?  I thought I looked there and didn't find location.  Sorry if I had a dumb moment!

Haha! I did update it I didn't realize it was not on there.

 

[CoHomestead]

My first batch of chicks (15 layers, 10 cornish x) shipped this morning from McMurray. I am crazy excited, but super nervous at the same time. I have a 4x8 brooder set up, and started FF tonight to have it ready to go. I swear waiting for them is almost as nerve racking as waiting on a baby lol.

 

[amanda721]

i love the little chicks

 

[Double Kindness]

Cohomestead- are you in co? If so.. then I might have to cave in and get myself 25 cx chicks to get shipped in the next few days too.

I have a new huge brooder box built from closet doors ready lol.. but I'm expecting white bresse any day now. I was wondering however, if at 2-3 weeks old, if I could put cornish x with my currently 7-8 week old dp chickens that would be 9-10 weeks old by then?

My bf built a pretty awesome rabbit cage yesterday for me and it's big enough for 2 rabbits with their kits, but only 1 rabbit for the moment, another being added in a few weeks, and she's going to be pregnant. Meat for the freezer, poop for my garden lol.

I might even just mosey up to ft collins to that feed store you got yours at mountain mom... how much were they? Agh! Chicken math!

Next is building a coop and run for the chicks in my other huge brooder box in the barn that just has 6 chicks in it, and the dozen or so chicks I'm expecting any day now. Since I'm going to be practically living in the barn the next month with getting new chicks, what's another 15-25?

My itty bitty peep peeps follow me all over the backyard, their run is pretty huge and mostly enclosed, as a hawk got pretty brazen and was in the run yesterday afternoon so when my 6'8" 24 year old adopted son was over I put him to work putting up bird blocking netting over the entire run. He loves mom's home cooked meals with desserts, but clearly thinks I've lost my mind but admires my bf (his adoptive dad) for letting me do all this bird raising/gardening/urban homesteading thing. They are however lobbying to keep the horse shoe pit..and not happy my next coop/run entails them no longer having a horse shoe pit in the backyard. Considering they only play 2 times a year...

Gosh, 16 weeks old and at 12 lbs! That's mighty impressive! My dp meaties are the size yours were at when they were 3-4 weeks old! I'm just living vicariously through you guys, but might just join you all. With 59 chickens, what's another 15?

I picked up the latest issue of cook's illustrated on the best chicken recipes & looking forward to making all of them! What about you guys? What's some of your favorite ways to prepare chicken?

 

[JessicaThistle]

Welcome to BYC and this thread amanda and CoHomestead and whoever else has visited. The posts come so quick that I can't keep up sometimes!

CoHomestead - That is so exciting that your first flock is on the way! I have never been happier since getting chickens. I absolutely love them! My teen daughter actually made a comment that she hasn't seen me smile this much in a long time. I wish I'd gotten chickens years ago!

Make sure that you glean all the information you can from this site and ask all of the questions that you can! You won't find a bunch of more knowledgeable chicken owners than you will here.

Some important things to remember about Cornish X:
1. They don't have the same needs that your layers will. They are very hot bodied and won't need the heat lamp for very long.
2. They will grow so much faster than the layers that they will be ready to move to their "rest of the time" home between 2-3 weeks, whereas your layers could stay in the brooder until 5 weeks or even longer.
3. They will eat way more than your layers and since they get so big so fast, they will crowd your layers away from the feeder. Pay attention and add a feeder if needed. This is another reason to move the Cornish X out. I move mine out in the chicken tractor on the grass at about 2 1/2 weeks. Trust me, you will see.
4. Free range them if you can. They will be so much happier and cleaner. They love running around pecking and scratching!
5. Don't leave food out 24/7. Some say not to after a couple of weeks. I don't feel bad if mine go without food for an hour even when they are small. I think it encouraged their scratching and pecking.
6. Pay close attention to these guys. They have a potential for health problems and if they all of a sudden act weird something may be wrong. Just be prepared and don't beat yourself up if you have loss.

And the final and most important thing - If you have any questions definitely post here for help! You can PM me. I'm don't claim to know everything or really very much, but I will do my best to help if I can!

 

[JessicaThistle]

Cohomestead- are you in co? If so.. then I might have to cave in and get myself 25 cx chicks to get shipped in the next few days too.

I have a new huge brooder box built from closet doors ready lol.. but I'm expecting white bresse any day now. I was wondering however, if at 2-3 weeks old, if I could put cornish x with my currently 7-8 week old dp chickens that would be 9-10 weeks old by then?

My bf built a pretty awesome rabbit cage yesterday for me and it's big enough for 2 rabbits with their kits, but only 1 rabbit for the moment, another being added in a few weeks, and she's going to be pregnant. Meat for the freezer, poop for my garden lol.

I might even just mosey up to ft collins to that feed store you got yours at mountain mom... how much were they? Agh! Chicken math!

Next is building a coop and run for the chicks in my other huge brooder box in the barn that just has 6 chicks in it, and the dozen or so chicks I'm expecting any day now. Since I'm going to be practically living in the barn the next month with getting new chicks, what's another 15-25?

My itty bitty peep peeps follow me all over the backyard, their run is pretty huge and mostly enclosed, as a hawk got pretty brazen and was in the run yesterday afternoon so when my 6'8" 24 year old adopted son was over I put him to work putting up bird blocking netting over the entire run. He loves mom's home cooked meals with desserts, but clearly thinks I've lost my mind but admires my bf (his adoptive dad) for letting me do all this bird raising/gardening/urban homesteading thing. They are however lobbying to keep the horse shoe pit..and not happy my next coop/run entails them no longer having a horse shoe pit in the backyard. Considering they only play 2 times a year...

Gosh, 16 weeks old and at 12 lbs! That's mighty impressive! My dp meaties are the size yours were at when they were 3-4 weeks old! I'm just living vicariously through you guys, but might just join you all. With 59 chickens, what's another 15?

I picked up the latest issue of cook's illustrated on the best chicken recipes & looking forward to making all of them! What about you guys? What's some of your favorite ways to prepare chicken?

You may be able to put 2-3 week old CX with DPs that old. They could possibly be the same size. You would need to compare the size of them when you have them in front of you. However, the CX are very docile and may not fight back as much to get position in the pecking order. My CX roos don't even try to fight back against my laying hens. They just run away. My hens pick on my CX all of the time but they seem to have an understanding. My hens don't harm them it's more of a chest bump, that goodie is mine kind of thing. The CX run away and give in. Aside from a few missing tail feathers my CX aren't harmed by them. I do correct my hens alot to make sure they don't just get free reign over the meaties though. I am the boss and they know it.

Yep, chicken math. I'm at 42 now. 25 CX, 10 layers and 7 chicks.

Stop living vicariously through us. Taking care of 2 chickens is no different than taking care of 100 in the end really, right? Order up those CX! They are so fun to raise and the meat is SOOOO good!

 

[Double Kindness]

Jessica- if I can put them in the same run as the dp meaties I will get them, as it's looking like it's going to be 8 weeks more before I am harvesting my dp meaties. The same time give or take for cx, so I don't see the problem of getting 10 at least.

Which hatcheries did everyone use? I think someone recommended Central hatchery? Or?? Since there was mention of using several different hatcheries a few posts back. I guess I will go check on availability.

Especially if my 12 bresse don't hatch/ship well, I will have a brooder box sitting empty. Can't have any of that nonsense. This is my way of um, cleaning up our property, as for some reason there are a lot of closet doors in my backyard?!? As well as a big remainder of hardware cloth I trip over or stub my toe on several times a day.

 

[mountain mom]

Welcome to BYC and this thread amanda and CoHomestead and whoever else has visited.  The posts come so quick that I can't keep up sometimes!

CoHomestead - That is so exciting that your first flock is on the way!  I have never been happier since getting chickens.  I absolutely love them!  My teen daughter actually made a comment that she hasn't seen me smile this much in a long time.  I wish I'd gotten chickens years ago!

Make sure that you glean all the information you can from this site and ask all of the questions that you can!  You won't find a bunch of more knowledgeable chicken owners than you will here.

Some important things to remember about Cornish X:  
1.  They don't have the same needs that your layers will.  They are very hot bodied and won't need the heat lamp for very long.  
2.  They will grow so much faster than the layers that they will be ready to move to their "rest of the time" home between 2-3 weeks, whereas your layers could stay in the brooder until 5 weeks or even longer.
3.  They will eat way more than your layers and since they get so big so fast, they will crowd your layers away from the feeder.  Pay attention and add a feeder if needed.  This is another reason to move the Cornish X out.  I move mine out in the chicken tractor on the grass at about 2 1/2 weeks.  Trust me, you will see.
4.  Free range them if you can.  They will be so much happier and cleaner.  They love running around pecking and scratching!
5.  Don't leave food out 24/7.  Some say not to after a couple of weeks.  I don't feel bad if mine go without food for an hour even when they are small.  I think it encouraged their scratching and pecking.
6.  Pay close attention to these guys.  They have a potential for health problems and if they all of a sudden act weird something may be wrong.  Just be prepared and don't beat yourself up if you have loss.

And the final and most important thing - If you have any questions definitely post here for help!  You can PM me.  I'm don't claim to know everything or really very much, but I will do my best to help if I can!

SUCH good advice!

 

[holm25]

Mine go around with their crops full too. They look so funny when they walk or run with a full crop. I can't even make a guess at what they are finding out there to munch on. Mine still always want dinner though.

Our's always had full crop's to .

 

[duluthralphie]

DoubleKindness


What is DP?

If you get the CX's now hey will be ready in 8 weeks for sure. You may have to slow their growth to get them to last 8 weeks. MY first batch I feed like the hatcheries say with free food 12 hours a day, I was forced to process them on day 42 as they were too big and starting to have heart problems, A few died with ascites. When I processed I had a couple more that had the beginnings of ascites.

They are delicious!

This batch I have severely slowed down and they are still growing fast. I free ranged them, and then moved them to a huge pen after a fox got one. (BTW the fox is no longer a threat to anyone, ever). This batch hatched August 1st. I would like to keep them alive until 11th. I am going to try to send everyone to camp on that day. With the exception of 10 that are going to early camp this weekend. If I can keep them until Oct 11 they will be 10 weeks old. I hope to over winter 4 of them!

NEXT year I will get some "frogs" to butcher and more CX's, I hope to raise them 16 weeks!