Hello!
I'm getting my first ever batch of 15 Cornish X in one week. Already have the brooders set up, tractor built, and am now looking for info on their care. No matter what google search I perform, I seem to have trouble finding answers to many of my questions in one source. Can anyone give me their opinion on:
What type of feed is best for these birds from 1-3 weeks and then 3-8 weeks? What are the best protein percentages?
Can they be given other forms of foods? Treats such as scrambled eggs, grains, oats, vegetables?
What are their ideal temperatures in the brooder? How fast should the temperature be dropped until they are outdoors?
These are probably questions with multiple or variable answers, but I would love some input and advice from anyone who has had success with their methods in the past. Any other tips would be much appreciated, as well.
Thank you!
It's hard to find a set guide on raising Cornish X's. People do things in such different ways.
I fed 18% Chick Starter from the beginning, fermented. I'm still feeding it now. They have gained weight tremendously, and I had no losses until last week. He was just big and I should've processed him earlier.
I've added oats to their fermented food on occasion, when I had it. No problems with it. I gave them some scrambled eggs as chicks, they seemed to like it.
As for the brooder, I've never kept a strict eye on how warm it was in there. If they were all huddled together, I lowered the heat lamp. This never happened, but if they started giving the heat lamp a wide berth, I would've raised it. I put them outside when they were feathered, about 3 weeks old. BUT, we live in a temperate climate.
Also, what are some housing tips that people use to keep them comfortable in a tractor? I read somewhere that they don't tend to use roosts
The majority of people using tractors, have a sheltered off area and the chickens can sleep on the ground. I added a raised area, because we live in an area where the ground can get wet, and floods. Also red ants. They do seem to prefer sleeping on the grass, it's more comfortable. A couple of them will roost, but the roosts we added and about an inch off the ground.
I'm already nervous, I started with 18 I'm down to 16 they're eating about a half pound of food a day and I have 20 more coming on May 9th
. What was I thinking?? This is my first time raising them I hope they all make it!
I started with 16, thought "this isn't too bad!" I got another 10, then the first 16 started eating significant amounts of food. Now I still have another 13 to process. It is a lot of work!
