How do YOU like to raise your Cornish X's?

[Mrs.ChickChick]

This is my first time with Cornish Crosses, although I've had chickens for 5 years now. My question: what works for you raising these meat birds? Fermented feed? Do you raise them alongside your heritage breeds? Do you restrict their feed? Mine are about a week old now and are twice as big as their heritage breed brooder mates. Need to make some decisions soon if I'm going to separate the Cornish Crosses from the others. If I keep them together and restrict their feed wondering if it will delay the growth of the smaller heritage breed chicks?

 

[Coralietg]

I like fermenting the feed. The simplest reason is I've found there is so much less food waste from them flicking food everywhere!

Right now I have meat chickens in a tractor, and meat chickens free ranging with the layers. It's hard to compare now because the tractor ones are 8 weeks old and the free ranging are 4 weeks old. I like the protection the tractor offers, but I like the "freedom" the others have out and about. They still spend a lot of time sitting though.

 

[cassie]

I raised my Cornish X 25 at a time in a well ventilated but not drafty 12 x 12 box stall bedded with shavings. Shavings were added as necessary so the bedding never got wet and stinky. I did not clean out the stall until after the chickens were gone. I fed mine broiler feed when I could get it and turkey feed when I couldn't. I added Broiler Booster, a vitamin supplement available from Murray McMurray, to the water from start to finish. I had hanging feeders and waterers.. The feeders and waterers were snapped to a chain and could be raised and lowered as necessary.They had to stand to get to the feed and waste was minimal. They had access to feed for 12 hours and no feed for 12 hours. I had minimal losses and my set up was virtually labor free. It took just a few minutes morning and night to care for them. Because there was plenty of ventilation and the bedding was dry there was virtually no odor. When it was time to process them I didn't try to do them all at once. I processed them two or three a day. That way the work involved was not overwhelming.

 

[amtreth]

I raise them with heritage until they start to get feathers then the Cornish go out into the yard to free range by two weeks. I don't restrict their food and they pretty much roam around my backyard with the egg layers. My producing egg layers are in a different coop so get different food but the young heritage and Cornish both get the meat bird 19% crumble. To be completely honest the heritage roam farther and usually get pushed out of the way by the Cornish when it comes to food. I do batches of 12 every other week or so

 

[amtreth]

Oh I have only had two losses an that was because I got mean heritage chicks on accident and they attacked the Cornish day olds

 

[Mrs.ChickChick]

At almost 3 weeks old I have separated the CornishX and the standard breed chicks and everyone seems better off for it. The little ones were getting shoved around by the CornishX when it came to food. Now everyone is much more calm. Continuing the fermented feed for both. Am still feeding free choice food but will likely start restricting feed for CornishX by next week.

 

[LindaB220]

I raise them with heritage until they start to get feathers then the Cornish go out into the yard to free range by two weeks. I don't restrict their food and they pretty much roam around my backyard with the egg layers. My producing egg layers are in a different coop so get different food but the young heritage and Cornish both get the meat bird 19% crumble. To be completely honest the heritage roam farther and usually get pushed out of the way by the Cornish when it comes to food. I do batches of 12 every other week or so

I really like the idea of batches every couple of weeks.