First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[123RedBeard]

Great thread! I just read the whole thing!

Back about 35 years or so ago we raised CX ... We go them from a little feed store in Chester, VT where we lived ... If my memory serves me right ... We called them Cornish Rock Crosses ... How much Cornish and how much "Rock" (guessing White Rock) and who know what else if anything was in the lineage ...

We got 50-100 every spring, only choice was cockerel's ... They had a 25'X50' run, and we let them out to roam most days for an hour or two ... Weekends they free ranged most of the day!

We butchered them around the 12-16 week mark ... Got mostly 7-9 pounders, occasionally one hit 10 pounds ... We did this for quite a few years, then took a break, then I started again a few years later and raised them for my sled dogs, and would boils and de-bone and freeze to feed my dogs for extra protein just before a race, and also during a long distance race ...

We did have one that was a supposed "cockerel" ... But ended up a hen ... We put her in with our black sex links, and after her first molt, her feathers came in buff (she had a few buff feathers on her neck as she grew) ... She always laid double yoke eggs, and a few times triple yokes! HUGE eggs ... I'm not sure what would happen in the case of trying to hatch double yoke eggs ... Twins? Or would they die because of not enough white in there, or too little room???

Anyways ... Here is Buffy, as we eventually called her!

She lived with us for three years, gave us about 3-4 eggs a week, we finely ate her!

 

[LindaB220]

Thanks.

I do not know of an exception or loophole allowing me to remove or eliminate the eagles.

I would love to take them ice fishing and help them through the hole so they could catch winter walleyes.

I hate the idea of having to have all my birds in covered fences. I might make a covered pen for young birds. Allowing the chicks and turkeys to get nearly grown before free ranging,, BUT then I think half the taste of my birds is the food they forage!

How about something like fishing line strung criss cross over a larger area?

 

[LindaB220]

Wow! I have missed so much here. This week has been insane for work! I had a business trip on Tuesday and when I came back, I had 12 emailed orders and 2 phone calls for quotes. This was on top of the 10 orders that I was already working on as well as my biggest project of the year. I am missing out on precious time with my peeps in the yard and here!

I have also never used a pressure cooker nor do I own one. I admit a healthy fear of pressure cookers. I have canned. I make an awesome pickle. I have canned peaches and pears. I have also made a variety of delicious jams. I would love to do that now but owning my own business proves to limit my time.

QUESTION: When making broth, does it have to be pressure cooked to can or can you hot water bath it? I have kept all of the backs when I cut down my chickens. I also have a frozen baggie of broth that I made one night.

Ralph: My heart breaks for your loss of your chick. Is it illegal to throw rocks at eagles? Sling shot? Maybe it's time to throw a dead animal in your yard to attract vultures. I know that's disgusting but my neighbor, who is an irresponsible farmer that leaves his dead sheep in the pasture, has attracted so many vultures to the area that the hawks and eagles tend to avoid us. We have at least 50 crows that live in the area too. I'm about ready to start feeding them as well. Don't stop having chickens. Your life will be so empty.

Morrigan: I love your setup!

Morrigan & MountainMom: I love my little meat peeps too but truly feel that giving them a happy loving life is an awesome thing. They are making the ultimate sacrifice for us to eat. They deserve our appreciation. You will do fine when it comes to that time. It is difficult but give you an appreciation that you may have not had before. Seriously make sure you have steaks to cook up if you are actually hungryafterwards and a bottle of vodka (or your drink of choice) on hand to ease the pain. LOL!

Hi Sweetie, I've been gone too and happy to be back. Yes, you must do a pressure cooker for broth. Anything that is not acidic, even veggies, has to be pressure canned. I made a bone broth overnight in the crock pot. Garlic, one onion, bones, one chicken breast, tsp grated ginger, tsp turmeric and thyme. S & P of course. This gets smelly in the AM according to my family so next time I will put it in the garage. Pour me up a cup and add 1 tbl real butter. Divine. Healthiest thing you can put in your body. I beef it up by adding grassfed gelatin.
Okay, getting ready to go out by myself and burn my very first ever wood burn. Even though its been wet, SIL Clint is so worried about fire that I have to use the fire pit. I don't care. Just so I can get my wood ashes.

This has been an incredibly exciting year for me. I have gone from "You'll never do it" to "Man, you've made such a success with your chickens. They are beautiful". My family has been less than stellar with encouragement. Vindication is so nice.

 

[LindaB220]

Great thread! I just read the whole thing!

Back about 35 years or so ago we raised CX ... We go them from a little feed store in Chester, VT where we lived ... If my memory serves me right ... We called them Cornish Rock Crosses ... How much Cornish and how much "Rock" (guessing White Rock) and who know what else if anything was in the lineage ...

We got 50-100 every spring, only choice was cockerel's ... They had a 25'X50' run, and we let them out to roam most days for an hour or two ... Weekends they free ranged most of the day!

We butchered them around the 12-16 week mark ... Got mostly 7-9 pounders, occasionally one hit 10 pounds ... We did this for quite a few years, then took a break, then I started again a few years later and raised them for my sled dogs, and would boils and de-bone and freeze to feed my dogs for extra protein just before a race, and also during a long distance race ...

We did have one that was a supposed "cockerel" ... But ended up a hen ... We put her in with our black sex links, and after her first molt, her feathers came in buff (she had a few buff feathers on her neck as she grew) ... She always laid double yoke eggs, and a few times triple yokes! HUGE eggs ... I'm not sure what would happen in the case of trying to hatch double yoke eggs ... Twins? Or would they die because of not enough white in there, or too little room???

Anyways ... Here is Buffy, as we eventually called her!



She lived with us for three years, gave us about 3-4 eggs a week, we finely ate her!

and welcome to the best, friendliest thread out there. Love the story about your hen. You did right. If you had tried to hatch one of the double yolkers they would be really weak even if they lived.

 

[duluthralphie]

Great thread! I just read the whole thing!

Back about 35 years or so ago we raised CX ... We go them from a little feed store in Chester, VT where we lived ... If my memory serves me right ... We called them Cornish Rock Crosses ... How much Cornish and how much "Rock" (guessing White Rock) and who know what else if anything was in the lineage ...

We got 50-100 every spring, only choice was cockerel's ... They had a 25'X50' run, and we let them out to roam most days for an hour or two ... Weekends they free ranged most of the day!

We butchered them around the 12-16 week mark ... Got mostly 7-9 pounders, occasionally one hit 10 pounds ... We did this for quite a few years, then took a break, then I started again a few years later and raised them for my sled dogs, and would boils and de-bone and freeze to feed my dogs for extra protein just before a race, and also during a long distance race ...

We did have one that was a supposed "cockerel" ... But ended up a hen ... We put her in with our black sex links, and after her first molt, her feathers came in buff (she had a few buff feathers on her neck as she grew) ... She always laid double yoke eggs, and a few times triple yokes! HUGE eggs ... I'm not sure what would happen in the case of trying to hatch double yoke eggs ... Twins? Or would they die because of not enough white in there, or too little room???

Anyways ... Here is Buffy, as we eventually called her!



She lived with us for three years, gave us about 3-4 eggs a week, we finely ate her!

When I was a kid we raised a Cornish cross also. My folks butchered them around 16 weeks or so. I think they were a fore runner to the CX's we have today. I really held the feed back from mine and butchered them at 12 weeks and they all went close to 10lbs or over. I know the ones I kept to be my frog Daddy and Mommies are going to go bigger, and I am really holding them to small portions to keep them alive. CX's are the sweetest little babies though. My none chicken friends see my birds and I always ask them if they want to see my babies and take them to my CX's. When they waddle out they laugh and ask why I call them babies cause they are my biggest chickens....... I explain they are half the age of the others.

Welcome to the thread......


Linda I really do not have a way to hang fishing line over my birds. ( it was hard enough to hang CDs) I have such a large area for them to free range in. I have the chickens (layers and DPs) in a wire covered run now. The turkeys and guinea refuse to go into a building. even last night they sat out in the snow storm. ( Yea I got dumped on. I have 16-20 inches of snow in last 24 hours, with more expected.....And do not see above freezing temps in the forecast.

 

[1zooman12]

Hello Betsy,
That is a great idea! Every now and then genius rears its wonderfully inventive cranium. I'm wondering if the idea of attaching red ribbons at say 1 foot intervals along the suspended wires might add to the deterrent effect. As a one time curator of birds some professionals in our ranks noted that the sharp shinned hawk, for example, makes a living by exploding into a thicket of closely spaced limbs and twigs using surprise and shock as a means to nab a wild cousin, a song bird, as it emerges on the opposite side unexpectedly. In other words these high speed demons could readily negotiate dense growth. Therefore, one might think that they could do the same with narrow wire spaces. Raptors are not color blind. While the sharp shinned would avoid full sized chickens, the smaller bantams and growers would be attractive to the hawk and possibly benefit from the added distractions. Hence the suggestion that bright red ribbons might add some additional protection especially in a light breeze. Few raptors prey on any dinner that they cannot lift and carry away. The more off putting the scene, the better. It might be worth a shot.
Sincerely,
Neal, the Zooman

 

[duluthralphie]

Hello Betsy,
That is a great idea! Every now and then genius rears its wonderfully inventive cranium. I'm wondering if the idea of attaching red ribbons at say 1 foot intervals along the suspended wires might add to the deterrent effect. As a one time curator of birds some professionals in our ranks noted that the sharp shinned hawk, for example, makes a living by exploding into a thicket of closely spaced limbs and twigs using surprise and shock as a means to nab a wild cousin, a song bird, as it emerges on the opposite side unexpectedly. In other words these high speed demons could readily negotiate dense growth. Therefore, one might think that they could do the same with narrow wire spaces. Raptors are not color blind. While the sharp shinned would avoid full sized chickens, the smaller bantams and growers would be attractive to the hawk and possibly benefit from the added distractions. Hence the suggestion that bright red ribbons might add some additional protection especially in a light breeze. Few raptors prey on any dinner that they cannot lift and carry away. The more off putting the scene, the better. It might be worth a shot.
Sincerely,
Neal, the Zooman

That is the theory behind the CDs also. They dangle on monofilament fishing line blow in the wind and reflect sun that is suppose to scare them. Unfortunately, raptors seem to have the ability to learn.......

If I thought they would high dive into real thin piano wire and cut themselves to ribbons I would hang that above my babies... Maybe I can get some titanium tips for my birds toes and equalize the fight a tad.

I doubt it would help my CX's though as they are more peaceniks than fighters.

 

[CoHomestead]

Cold weather came yesterday, and I do mean COLD! Dropped down to 5 degrees last night, and is in the teens today. I ended up putting two heat lamps in the garage with the two week old cx, and two in the coop with the seven week old mixed flock. So far so good with no losses.

Posted a pic of the mixed flock. I set the feed bucket down to check the waterers and the cx swarmed lol. Hope you all are staying warm in your neck of the woods

 

[Morrigan]

Brrrrr CoH. I'm glad I'm in California.

Weigh-in today at one day shy of 5 weeks for 3 of my meaties. All around 3 lbs, so a little small, but I'd rather have them growing a little more slowly than too fast. They are doing a good job spreading out over the yard, clearing out any weeds and looking for bugs.

Right now, my biggest problem is making my way to their feeder with my bucket of fermented feed without stepping on them. They literally swarm me, standing on my shoes as I walk. Then, when I go to pour their food in, I end up pouring at least some on their heads, because they won't move out of the way,once the first food hits the tray. They are silly little birds.

 

[KCMOLisa]

Wow, that is really cold, CoHomestead!

Morrigan - I had the same problem. It was really the only annoying thing about free ranging. When it got close to their feeding time, they would all climb up on the porch and gather around the front door because they figured out that was where I always came from with food. Then when I went out there, they swarmed me and I could barely move. I resorted to throwing a couple of handfuls away from me and then running past them to where I was going to feed them. That probably wouldn't work with fermented feed, though.

I always ended up with a few of them covered in feed. Those got some bonus food when they were preening after their meal, I guess.

I'm trying to come up with an automated feeder for next year using an old deer feeder that will just drop a certain amount of food into a trough at certain intervals throughout the day. That is my goal for next year. If that works, hopefully they won't associate me as the food lady and I can actually walk around outside without a chicken entourage.