First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[duluthralphie]

It is not fancy.

I have a tractor made out of junk lumber that is 5 feet wide and about 12 feet long. It is about 2 feet tall.

I have a "hole" for a doorway on the one end.

I have two "brooders" both are 4x4 ft and about 2 feet tall. One has just one hole for a door. The other one has 3 holes. I placed the holes in the center of the walls.

I can then slide them together however I want.

I can make the coop area larger and with the 3rd hole, the one you see in the video, I have a door to the outside for them. I plan to make more sections all with three doors, so I can place more brooders end to end. I would like to make a couple more tractors so I could connect and enlarge them also.

Beings I free range it is not a rush, but at times I like the safety of a tractor.

 

[Double Kindness]

It looks like our 5 dp meaties are going to freezer camp very soon as I don't have caponizing equipment yet, so I'm "replacing" the 5 with.. here's my chicken math at work.. 15 cornish x. Lol. 5 out=15 in. And 3 ducks. My math is excellent no?

ralphie- I love the commentary in your video.

Yes, that's the pathetic sound my roos are making. Pathetic. But mine are no where near the size yours are (mine being dp wl, br, slw), so, I guess chicken stock? Or just very little meat. Out of 26 chickens, only 5 roosters. What the cluck!?

 

[duluthralphie]

It looks like our 5 dp meaties are going to freezer camp very soon as I don't have caponizing equipment yet, so I'm "replacing" the 5 with.. here's my chicken math at work.. 15 cornish x. Lol. 5 out=15 in. And 3 ducks. My math is excellent no?

I hate to point out the errors in others chicken math BUT, You are only using a multiplier of 3, I suggest you try it with a 5....

 

[Double Kindness]

Well in 3's, but 4 times aha! 5 out = 15 cx in plus 3 muscovy ducks. 3 to the 4th power? Chicken math.

 

[LindaB220]

It looks like our 5 dp meaties are going to freezer camp very soon as I don't have caponizing equipment yet, so I'm "replacing" the 5 with.. here's my chicken math at work.. 15 cornish x. Lol. 5 out=15 in. And 3 ducks. My math is excellent no?

ralphie- I love the commentary in your video, and yes, that's the pathetic sound my roos are making. Pathetic. But mine are no where near the size yours are (mine being dp wl, br, slw), so, I guess chicken stock? Or just very little meat. Out of 26 chickens, only 5 roosters. What the cluck!?

It works for me.

I'm downsizing for winter. I have sold my 6 Sapphire blue egg layers and given away the 10 males. Yea. Extra space to do something. My Swedish Flower Hen eggs are on day 16 so we'll see what hatches. I only had 2 barred rock last time. The order of Silver Grey Dorking eggs were cancelled because a limb fell in the run and scared them so they ALL went into molt. I'm getting a refund Monday. I don't think I'm going to keep ordering different kinds. Over all that. I want to raise my very good White Plymouth Rocks and sell eggs and raise CX's for meat for me. I still have my hatchery Comets and White rock pulllets POL to be sold. Just put on CL yesterday. $10 just to get rid of them.

 

[KCMOLisa]

Ralphie - Your chickens are looking great! I want to process mine about that size. Your little narrator was so cute and observant!

I'm kind of worried about one of my meatballs today. She is the biggest one, a little over 2 pounds at 3 1/2 weeks old. All of my others are about 1 pound, 10 ounces average. For the past two days, she gags a couple of times while she's eating and then for about 2 hours afterward she pants with her mouth open. I don't know if she is just gorging herself and eating way too fast or if some health problem is developing. She's obviously eating more than her share because she's almost 1/2 pound bigger than everyone else. She is alert and active otherwise and her crop feels okay (other than the fact it's huge, but they all have huge crops). I have been feeding small amounts 3-4 times a day and they eat everything within about 20 minutes. Then they have no food for the next few hours. They've been free ranging from around 10 AM - 6 PM every day.

Has anyone had experience with this or have any suggestions about what to do about her? I saw a video of some full grown Cornish X and some of them had their mouths open and were panting like she is doing, so maybe it's normal. I'm just worried since she's the only one doing it.

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

Been a big day for the girls. I added a few bricks and a branch for them to have a bit of variety and practice roosting on. Also switched over to all pine shavings and a food tray which has meant a lot more messy food. They all seem to be enjoying the shavings and additions

I love the little arena brooder you have set up for them! Nice job.

It works for me.

I'm downsizing for winter. I have sold my 6 Sapphire blue egg layers and given away the 10 males. Yea. Extra space to do something. My Swedish Flower Hen eggs are on day 16 so we'll see what hatches. I only had 2 barred rock last time. The order of Silver Grey Dorking eggs were cancelled because a limb fell in the run and scared them so they ALL went into molt. I'm getting a refund Monday. I don't think I'm going to keep ordering different kinds. Over all that. I want to raise my very good White Plymouth Rocks and sell eggs and raise CX's for meat for me. I still have my hatchery Comets and White rock pulllets POL to be sold. Just put on CL yesterday. $10 just to get rid of them.

Woo! I am having SFH envy!! They are #1 on my NEED to have in my life list! Did you have your eggs shipped or did you get them locally?

Ralphie - Your chickens are looking great! I want to process mine about that size. Your little narrator was so cute and observant!

I'm kind of worried about one of my meatballs today. She is the biggest one, a little over 2 pounds at 3 1/2 weeks old. All of my others are about 1 pound, 10 ounces average. For the past two days, she gags a couple of times while she's eating and then for about 2 hours afterward she pants with her mouth open. I don't know if she is just gorging herself and eating way too fast or if some health problem is developing. She's obviously eating more than her share because she's almost 1/2 pound bigger than everyone else. She is alert and active otherwise and her crop feels okay (other than the fact it's huge, but they all have huge crops). I have been feeding small amounts 3-4 times a day and they eat everything within about 20 minutes. Then they have no food for the next few hours. They've been free ranging from around 10 AM - 6 PM every day.

Has anyone had experience with this or have any suggestions about what to do about her? I saw a video of some full grown Cornish X and some of them had their mouths open and were panting like she is doing, so maybe it's normal. I'm just worried since she's the only one doing it.

Mine would do that periodically if they ate too much in one go (I noticed the piggier of the crew still occasionally do it still), but it always resolved. I've only had issues with panting birds and no appetite---so I think if she is still eating and showing appetite she is ok. Someone else on here may have better advice, but that's just how its been with my batch of meaties

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

My ugly socks and shorts with a ton of pretty birds and one little girl talking:

I love the video ) My kids are part of what i love about having birds---their observations always make me smile and reappreciate things. Good looking birds, too! I think they're bigger than mine.
DH processed one of the bigger ones a few days ago and he came to 4 lbs 10oz. I was supposed to have today be "the day" but DH got called into work for the day, so they'll go until Tues or Weds whenever DH can take a comp day to make up for having to get called in yesterday and today.

 

[KCMOLisa]

That makes me feel better, Plaid. Thanks! I will keep an eye on her, but I'm trying not to worry because I don't really know what I would do for her anyway. I made sure she was drinking water. She definitely still has an appetite!

Also, it's been in the 60s and 70s and then today got up to 85. I'm sure she's the hottest because she's the biggest and has almost all her feathers. I have some that still have wing feathers only and some almost fully feathered. It's weird.

 

[LindaB220]

I love the little arena brooder you have set up for them! Nice job.

Woo! I am having SFH envy!! They are #1 on my NEED to have in my life list! Did you have your eggs shipped or did you get them locally?

Mine would do that periodically if they ate too much in one go (I noticed the piggier of the crew still occasionally do it still), but it always resolved. I've only had issues with panting birds and no appetite---so I think if she is still eating and showing appetite she is ok. Someone else on here may have better advice, but that's just how its been with my batch of meaties

Wow, what a day. My DD and SIL told me I couldn't give away my chickens. Well, I did give away 10 roosters that weren't the meaty kind and sold the rest of my girls. So 27 birds lighter. Two, count them, two coops empty. Woohoo. SIL only put it on CL last night and everything gone by noon. Hah!!! I got my SFH eggs from a fellow in Pa to replace the scrambled order of basques and coronation sussex. We'll see how many actually hatch. Hopeful. I'm doing the method of soaking eggs for 2 min in 1 tsp or 3 crushed Vit C tabs or ascorbic acid in 1 liter water. Dry on towel without rinsing and incubate. On day 8 through day 18 I take the top off for 2 hrs to cool down. This is supposed to increase hatchability and lower deformities and mortality. By up to 30%.