Hello! Last fall I decided to start raising meat birds, after five years of owning layers and pets. We ordered seven Dark Cornish cockerels from McMurray Hatchery, who arrived the first of April.
When I first got them, I decided to start keeping a record of everything. Weights, health issues, etc. I ordered plastic leg bands, and started writing.
The Dark Cornish are now just over seven weeks old. They are all very healthy, and all seven were sexed correctly. I have been feeding them 26% protein Purina Turkey starter, and they are almost to the end of the 50lb. bag. At least three that I know of are over two pounds. Is this a good weight for hatchery-bred DP birds at this age?
And yesterday, despite my mother's protests (she doesn't like the thought of meat birds, even though she eats meat), I went down to the local feed store and bought four Cornish X. While I originally wanted to raise only DP birds because it seemed more natural, it is costing a lot. So I decided to experiment, and now have these four- who are absolute monsters! They don't even feel like chickens when I hold them... they feel all weird and bulky and meaty... which I guess is the point, but it's still really weird and sort of cool.
Here are the weight charts, copied out of my hand-written bird journal. Keep in mind that while I put the CX's weights under Day 1, I think they were about 4 days old when I bought them.
The birds are labeled by their band numbers. Any birds with bands in the 20ies or 30ies are DC, and any birds with bands starting with 40ies are CX.
I will add more info and the cost chart later!
When I first got them, I decided to start keeping a record of everything. Weights, health issues, etc. I ordered plastic leg bands, and started writing.
The Dark Cornish are now just over seven weeks old. They are all very healthy, and all seven were sexed correctly. I have been feeding them 26% protein Purina Turkey starter, and they are almost to the end of the 50lb. bag. At least three that I know of are over two pounds. Is this a good weight for hatchery-bred DP birds at this age?
And yesterday, despite my mother's protests (she doesn't like the thought of meat birds, even though she eats meat), I went down to the local feed store and bought four Cornish X. While I originally wanted to raise only DP birds because it seemed more natural, it is costing a lot. So I decided to experiment, and now have these four- who are absolute monsters! They don't even feel like chickens when I hold them... they feel all weird and bulky and meaty... which I guess is the point, but it's still really weird and sort of cool.
Here are the weight charts, copied out of my hand-written bird journal. Keep in mind that while I put the CX's weights under Day 1, I think they were about 4 days old when I bought them.
The birds are labeled by their band numbers. Any birds with bands in the 20ies or 30ies are DC, and any birds with bands starting with 40ies are CX.
DC & CX Weights
Day 1
Sorry, but the DC results got messed up because the bands were falling off and I couldn't tell who was who. CX:
40: 166 grams; 41: 154 grams; 42: 154 grams; 43: 158 grams.
Day 7
26: 70 g.; 27: 86 g.; 28: 80 g.; 29: 76 g.; 30: 94 g.; 31: 76 g.; 32: 84 g.
Day 30
26: 336 g.; 27: 374 g.; 28: 400 g.; 29: 400 g.; 30: 426 g.; 31: 344 g.; 32: 408 g.
I tried to upload some pictures of the run and coop (and the birds of course) but my computer wouldn't let me.Day 1
Sorry, but the DC results got messed up because the bands were falling off and I couldn't tell who was who. CX:
40: 166 grams; 41: 154 grams; 42: 154 grams; 43: 158 grams.
Day 7
26: 70 g.; 27: 86 g.; 28: 80 g.; 29: 76 g.; 30: 94 g.; 31: 76 g.; 32: 84 g.
Day 30
26: 336 g.; 27: 374 g.; 28: 400 g.; 29: 400 g.; 30: 426 g.; 31: 344 g.; 32: 408 g.
I will add more info and the cost chart later!
