First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[daskhan]

Now I remember!!  It was me.  Our units are on trailer frames.  I'm from Oregon though.  Ralph was joking about buying the house next door to me and breeding skunks.  We were discussing zoning in my area and he said something about wanting 1000 free range skunks next door to me.  It all came about because of my neighbor who complained that I had too many chickens and the insane zoning laws here.  He was telling me that I could have a worse neighbor or something with that example.  

Boo yeah my memory isn't completely gone

 

[eviemethugh]

Jessica, thanks!
I read the first 15 pages and then scanned a few more pages from there.
Holy Cow that is a lot of chickens! Do you have any info anywhere already on your egg mobiles? I'm especially interested in the sun shades or whatever on the sides.

We let our rangers free during the day last spring, and I hope to keep these guys moving around, so I may take up putting their feed out of the tractor and making them walk for it, especially as they grow! They already ALL got out today because they stormed the door at their 3rd feeding. Luckily, very motivated by food. ha! so they all went back in.

 

[JessicaThistle]

Jessica, thanks!
I read the first 15 pages and then scanned a few more pages from there.
Holy Cow that is a lot of chickens! Do you have any info anywhere already on your egg mobiles? I'm especially interested in the sun shades or whatever on the sides.

We let our rangers free during the day last spring, and I hope to keep these guys moving around, so I may take up putting their feed out of the tractor and making them walk for it, especially as they grow! They already ALL got out today because they stormed the door at their 3rd feeding. Luckily, very motivated by food. ha! so they all went back in.

Our mobile units are completely custom and no we don't share any specifics about them publicly. The coverings are just white tarps though. Nothing fancy.

Certainly get those meaties moving about as much as you can. I never had any problem getting mine to go back inside. Once chickens learn where their home is it seems they just get it on their own.

 

[kris86AR]

Ordered my first 30 Cornish cross and built a mobile chicken tractor to move daily. Wanting to let them out to eat bugs and forage for couple hours every other day at least. 8 x 8 tractor. Located in Arkansas. Summer gets into the 100's. Any tips? I ve read many articles but open for suggestions. Also going to build a barrel drum style plucker before processing. Any thoughts on using washing machine motor?

 

[JessicaThistle]

Ordered my first 30 Cornish cross and built a mobile chicken tractor to move daily. Wanting to let them out to eat bugs and forage for couple hours every other day at least. 8 x 8 tractor. Located in Arkansas. Summer gets into the 100's. Any tips? I ve read many articles but open for suggestions. Also going to build a barrel drum style plucker before processing. Any thoughts on using washing machine motor?

Welcome Kris!! Sounds like you have a some fun ahead! As far as the temps: make sure they have plenty of shady areas to get away from the sun and all the water they can drink. When it was extra hot we got an old t-shirt or towel wet with cold water and put that out in the tractor. The CX loved to lay on that to help them cool off.

I'll ask my hubby what he would think regarding using a washing machine motor. He built our plucker. I'll let you know.

 

[hellbender]

Omw

I guess u need to watch the video to know u don't go inside the chickens! I probably would get locked up

Don't worry about it. Young guys do and get away with a lot of things that an older fella' might get the CHAIR for.

 

[holm25]

Don't worry about it.  Young guys do and get away with a lot of things that an older fella' might get the CHAIR for.  

Lol!!

 

[daskhan]

Has anyone tried mixing a cx female with a Pavlov roo or leghorn roo?
Also at what age do they start laying eggs on average

 

[bramblefir]

My CX started laying at 16 weeks, much to my surprise.

 

[eviemethugh]

10 ish of our CX appear to be badly sunburnt on their rumps where they haven't feathered. I can go buy something tomorrow afternoon (we don't live in town) to treat it, but would blue spray lotion help at least a little bit for now? I was also hoping it might be dark enough to protect from more sunburn. It's not very hot out and they have access to shade, but they just sit there and sunbathe. They look like crispy cooked chickens. Yikes! Very red and irritated. And i looked under their wings and that skin is still white and I checked a few other chicks to try to have an idea of what was happening and they all look fine too. ?