So this year I have raise Naked Necks, CX and FR's for meat birds. The first two went off with no issues. NN's avg'd 3.8 lbs at 12 weeks. CX avg'd 6.8 lbs at 7/8 weeks. Can say of the two I preferred the NN for flavor and they ate about 25% less food and were far from as messy. But the CX were still good. Just more work. FR's well they will be getting processed in 12 days and from week three on have had huge loses. 65+ birds within a week to 10 day span then one or two every now and then for no reason. Well yesterday I noticed a couple of them had crops the size of softballs. I thought maybe they filled with air or were drinking a lot of water. When I feel them they feel like air or water not much food but they dive into the food bin and eat like crazy. Well now I see about 3 more. Is there anything anyone can point out to what may cause their crops to be that large? Will they shrink or do I just need to start processing birds now which is not in my schedule.
Sounds nasty I have no idea, but am hoping someone will come along who does have a clue. I'd probably just start processing myself. I was going to say maybe cocci before the whole huge squishy crop symptom. Sorry you are having such trouble!
I would think it would be just water, especially if they every ran out. They seem to drink way more then they need when they at first run out. I would just process as scheduled. It's odd that you lost 65 and without pics, more information ect it tough to diagnose over the net. To be honest it could be anything but I believe the crop is just coincidence. As for the CX, even if they were twice the work you still got twice the meat... with it being only 25% more feed and twice the weight difference, I would say that's a good deal! Not to mention four weeks sooner.
Quote:Did u get those replaced? I haven't had any problems with mine and they are huge. I just sent 10 down the road for processing. Will weigh them when I pick them up. I want big birds for roasting, I let my CX's go to 12 weeks and and the smallest was 7.5 lbs. I have two that was getting down last night and the two girls were right about 15 weeks. (due to me not having time to process work was busy)
I had two go down like that in the last few weeks. a roo in one flock and a pullet from a totally seperate flock. I have no idea what it was, never had it happen before. They both died after about a week, I was all set to panic but since then no one else has "ballooned up".
Jeff, I am pretty sure you are correct on the water front. We had a freeze here the other night and by the time I got the waters thawed and filled with warm water I literally watched a couple birds sit at the watering hole and saw the crop ballon in the matter of a mintue or two. And there a few even though it has been warm at night I come in the morning and they are all drinking like they never had water. So now I bring a 7 gallon and 5 gallon waterer home with me every night and keep 15 gallons at night with them. I come in the AM and they darned near wiped out. mstricer, I did not get them replaced. One I had had them for a good amount of time and I talked a lot with Joel at JM Hatchery and neither of us could figure out what is going on. But my last count when I moved them a 1/2 acre away I still had 95 of them. But losing 70 birds is a hit to the pocket book. Especially because they had eaten close to 1,000 lbs of feed already.
If you want your cornishX not to be so messie feed lower protein feed. Mine start on starter mash for 3 weeks then cut to about 17% protein. At 4 weeks I start adding whole corn. At 8 weeks they are on 90% corn. I dressed a 17 week old cockarl today that dressed 12#. They were as clean as could be. Am saving two for Thankgiving in 2 weeks.I like large chickens.
