First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[Morrigan]

It sounds like you have some good help lined up, DK. I know you can do this . . . it's just not an easy thing to do. Good luck.

 

[Turkeytruff]

Guess what? I went to a poultry swap and passed up so many baby chicks: EE's, Wheatens, Polish, Silkies ducks, emus...I wanted them all. The silkies were the hardest because I have two white silkie hens and have contemplated breeding. I guess 816 ish chickens is enough for me right now or something.

YOU SURE????

So, i had to do something today that I thought I wouldn't ever do to one of my hens. Tell me if you all think this was a bad, bad idea. Be honest. I have a hen in a group that will soon be moved to the big pasture. She has been escaping from my electric fenced area in my yard daily and laying eggs in my neighbor's horse barn. My neighbor loves my chickens so that isn't the problem. I'm afraid if I didn't train this hen now that when I move her to pasture, she would escape and be killed by something while I'm not there. Soooo, I trimmed her flight feathers.

Am I a terrible chicken mom? I feel like she needs to learn to stay where she belongs! When my hubby and i talked about what to do about her the options were culling or trimming flight feathers. At least this saved her life.

This was a very very good thing to do. I had a turkey hen ripped to pieces by the neighbour dogs last summer and I was heartbroken; spent hours and hours trying to find her when she flew over the fence and would hide on their 20 acre property. Now I clip each turkey hen's primaries. My anxiety about diminishing their enjoyment of life is gone. They still fly, just not over the 10 foot high fence.

JR rush
your goal for a 12 week chicken is a great one. That's what I like about the Mistral Gris birds - 12 to 14 weeks, they free range, they taste fantastic, & if you hold the pullets over they lay frequent large eggs. I am also trying mating them with an enormous Red Orpington and will see what their chicks turn out like - but that is for next spring. I'm about done hatching for myself this spring/ summer and am only custom hatching for others now.

 

[raisinemright]

Ok so what do you all think?

I think all our hard work paid off! These birds turned out great!

 

[holm25]

Ok so what do you all think?

I think all our hard work paid off! These birds turned out great!

 

[JessicaThistle]

Ok so what do you all think?

I think all our hard work paid off! These birds turned out great!

Something is wrong with this pic. That chicken is obviously cooked but there are no drippings in the pan. Freeeaaakkkky!

 

[Turkeytruff]

Ok so what do you all think?

I think all our hard work paid off! These birds turned out great!

yum!!!!!

 

[JRNash]

Now that's pretty

 

[mountain mom]

Haha! I noticed the same thing Jessica!
Looks amazing Raisinemright! Sounds like you had excellent weights too.

Jessica- X2 to what everyone else has said. You likely saved her life by providing a little haircut.
Okay, now. Talk about restraint. Your leaving a swap with NOTHING in your hands is WAAAAAYYYY better restraint than me leaving the feed store with 3 chicks.

JRNash- Welcome to the Bar & Grill! It is always great to meet new likeminded folks.
On the backyard line topic, I know DuluthRalphie (he is currently off galavanting around Florida or somewhere warm) just hatched out what he calls Toads. Why Toads? Long story. But, they are CX rooster mated to Dixie Rainbow hens. He really likes them so far, and I know a few of us here are really interested to see how they turn out as well.

RedNugget- My CX, Pearl, lays a nearly giant egg about 5 days a week. She is a super sweet hen.
Keep in mind, you may also have roosters in your mystery birds. Meat birds are not sexed.
And as I can tell you know, neither are Silkies. There is one thread in particular that I found helpful here called Silkie Sexing. Of course, you can always just wait to see if your Nugget crows or lays an egg...

DK- Hope all went well yesterday!
How on earth did a duckling get to the front? Predator?

Well, it is official. My husband wants to keep our BBB (turkey dinner). I caught him out at the barn (which is his woodworking shop/ manly escape area) with all 3 turkeys. He was talking to them as they followed him around asking him what everything was.
I inquired as to how they got out to the barn.
He said they wandered from the coop and found the gate (which was open) and found him. He had been on the phone and they heard his voice and came running!
I gave a sly smile and asked what we were going to have for Thanksgiving dinner... he said, "An overgrown meatball" (the CX).

The meaties are doing great. No more losses so far. And are proving to be quite acrobatic.
They get so dang excited when they see the black feed bucket. They start flying at the fence and perch on the wire half way up, all the while cheeping madly as if they have been starved for days.
It is so funny. I will try to get a video of it today. If there is a break in the rain.

 

[JRNash]

Toads... lol that's a new one

 

[JRNash]

Meatballs. lol got to tell my daughter that one