First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[ottbmom]

So my sweet hubby brought me home 2 ducklings from TSC tonight! They are in with the cornish babies. It's so cute watching the chicks try to eat from the ducklings beaks when they take bites of feed....maybe they think the ducklings are their mommy's?

Oh my so cute!! They had ducklings in when I grabbed my cx, but we always say maybe next time :/

 

[ottbmom]

Woo hoo! I successfully kept the heat lamp off all night (low was 60, plus they're in the garage). They were huddled this morning--mostly, I have one hot natured thing that always sleeps far away from the others--but not excessively, and sprung to life and ran around for breakfast. This is awesome news because we are going out of town this weekend and hubby was adamant about the heat lamp not being on while we're gone. Never mind the fact that it's on while we're gone during the day

I managed to catch them making an "L"

Cute, but not as impressive as their perfect little rainbow yesterday
I find this funny because I don't remember my layers doing this. I wonder if it has to do with these were more likely hatched/shipped/brooded together? My layers were different breeds out of different bins.

 

[bubra007]

Great news!!! This makes me think maybe I can safely keep my heat lamp off. Our coop is a converted kids play set...the kind with the a frame tarp on top...over Christmas my hubby and father in law turned it into a coop. The swing area is the chicken wire run. The babies are in the "second story" fort area but it's fully enclosed. Hmmmmm......need to check the low temps this weekend!

 

[duluthralphie]

Hi New people,

Welcome to the thread I have been kind of busy so have not been on this thread much..

I was just reading back..

Hellbender is correct,,, FEED GRIT NOW>


Letting a CX nobble all day long is not a good Idea, unless you want sloppy dead chickens in 4-5 weeks.


Sorry, it is a fact you have to withhold feed to get the most out of CX"S.

There is a great article here written by the worlds foremost authority on big fat chickens....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/raising-large-table-birds

Enjoy the read and send the author lots of praise and stuff..


Have a good one..

JR where are you?

 

[JRNash]

Ralph I WAS in Colorado.I'm home now.
I've got some meat balls in the brooder. Tractor Supply's little placard said straight run. The lady working said they were ALL females. I do believe she may have been right.

 

[ottbmom]

Bubra-I assume you are in a warm climate? In case it helps you decide what to do, our lows are about 60 (darn cold front), and they're in the garage which is fairly well insulated so I'm guessing keeps them around 70. I'm impressed with them though; they're still all fuzzy for the most part and I remember keeping a heat lamp on my RSL and leghorns for approximately 5 1/2 years

Ralphie, thanks for the welcome! I've been reading through this whole thread so I feel like I've been creeping on you and your past...my husband knows you as "that guy in Minnesota

And thanks for the concern y'all; my chicks have grit

I'll check out the article by the amazing chicken god author quick question though since you addressed it; do you start withholding food from the beginning? I am currently giving them a set amount in the am, which I started with the thought of "once it's gone, it's gone," but they really aren't eating much during the day--is it better if I feed them twice daily, pulling out whatever they don't eat after a while?

 

[ottbmom]

I'll check out the article by the amazing chicken god author quick question though since you addressed it; do you start withholding food from the beginning? I am currently giving them a set amount in the am, which I started with the thought of "once it's gone, it's gone," but they really aren't eating much during the day--is it better if I feed them twice daily, pulling out whatever they don't eat after a while?

Yeah nevermind, I should have just gone ahead and read your article before opening my mouth (keyboard?). I'll start with twice a day feedings

 

[ottbmom]

You might have an obsession when:

and that's not even all of them

 

[JRNash]

yep.... crazy chicken people....WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

 

[duluthralphie]

Ralph I WAS in Colorado.I'm home now.
I've got some meat balls in the brooder. Tractor Supply's little placard said straight run. The lady working said they were ALL females. I do believe she may have been right.

That does not surprise me at all!

TSC gets the cheapest chicks they can. Females are cheaper than males.

I told you my hatchery experiences, I ordered Straight run 50 and got 15 roosters.. I ordered roosters 50 and got 10 hens.. I ordered hens 75, thinking I would get the accidental rooster and got 77 hens! Even the packing peanuts were girls!

Coincidence? I think not..









* numbers might be off slightly, but you get the idea.. BTW the last order of hens the number is right on! 90% reliability in sexing chickens, my butt!