I need some informed input about cornish cross broilers please!

[omelay]

every year we buy 50 cornish cross broiler chicks and raise them in our chicken tractors. we are set on the breed and won't bother with dual purpose birds again. we have had ok luck with estes hatchery and have used them a few times. they are local and we don't have to pay shipping. we are always very happy with McMurray hatchery but they are pricey and shipping even makes their cost worse. furthermore we really like to raise only cockerels and both hatcheries offer cockerels at a slight premium.

someone suggested that we try central hatchery. he gave them glorious praise and said that they are really cheap too (i checked they are less than half the price). but they only offer straight run birds. as badly as i'd like to try central hatchery because of the cost savings i have a problem. my wife reminded me that during last butcher i vowed to never again raise anything except cockerels again. the pullets were much fattier and didn't dress out nearly as nice. i'm not really sure what my question is except i cannot convince my wife to get 100 chicks and probably 50 of them would be cockerels for less than i can buy 50 anywhere else unless we are sure that central hatchery has some really great birds. she says that cornish cross breeding stock is critical.

so does anyone have any experience with central hatchery? or, does anyone have different advise?

 

[herfrds]

I would consider butchering the pullets sooner if you were unhappy with the way they finished.
Normally I get my chicks from McMurray so I can't help you with the hatchery question.