I just bought 20 Cornish Cross

[LoneCowboy]

yeah, mine stink too. I have them in one of those commercial brooders so I just pull out the droppings drawer and change the paper everyday. Plus they have those feeders that attach to the sides of the brooder, so there is no wasted food. I'm kinda liking these brooders. I didn't think I would because I don't like raising chickens on a wire floor but wow is it much easier. Plus they don't have a problem with night and day since it's a heater not a light than keeps them warm. There are some real advantages to these.

 

[Redfeathers]

Well it's been exactly a month now since I posted this thread. My 20 Cornish are all still alive and kicking at a few days past four weeks. I'm wondering what the average weight should be for them at this point. I worry that mine might not weigh what they should. I fill up their feed tray and they devour it right away. I come back out a few hours later and fill it up again..this goes on three or four times a day. They have no feed at night. They drink almost 3 gallons of water a day too. They look pretty plump but I'm wondering if I should be feeding more.

 

[LoneCowboy]

At 4 weeks my largest one weighed 3 lbs. But boy they took off right after that. I'll bet they've gained a whole pound this week and it's not even been a week since I weighed them.

 

[zippychickens]

I just bought 6 cornishX. I half wonder what i've gotten myself into!! haha.

 

[mmajw]

Quote:
You have only got yourself into 6 thats not bad!!!!!

Good luck with them they are yummy

 

[MissPrissy]

Redfeathers, you will really see a huge jump in their growth in the next two weeks. Good job keeping them all healthy and active. It can be done despite all the ney sayers.

 

[Redfeathers]

Quote:
Thank you. I was worried, there are some folks here that don't like the Cornish X because of health issues...so far I haven't noticed anything wrong, they act very normal. I do worry about keeping the outside pen clean enough, we put them in a nice big run last week and already it's all flattened down grass covered in poo. I throw shavings in there everyday but still it doesn't seem like it's clean enough. Will they actually be OK living like that? How did you keep the pen clean? It's been raining too, so it's wet..

 

[HobbyChickener]

Mine have hit that getting to fat and lazy to put much effort into flying or running. It will be a couple weeks before they go the the kenmore coop but they are looking tasty!

 

[MissPrissy]

We shoveled the coop once a week and added a new layer as needed. Mine were fully feathered and never lost one belly feather.

 

[LoneCowboy]

Mine are in a tractor, we move it everyday. I can imagin what it would be like if we didn't though

You can tell where they've been the grass is all pasted down with poo.

Weighed a couple today. 1 was 3.5 lbs, and one was 4.25 lbs. They're really growing now.

I've been feeding them crumbles, anybody notice that they don't like to eat the powder in the bottoms of their feeders? Either that or it just takes too long to eat it. Any ideas on how to get them to eat that powdery mess? Add water? Any ideas?