I've lost 3 meaties in 1 1/2 weeks- Why??

[TeriS]

I had 2 that flipped at almost 5 weeks and another dead this a.m., (5 1/2 weeks) but not flipped- am I doing something wrong? I only started w/ 25 and 3 are dead and 1 has a broken leg and has basically quit growing. Am I doing something wrong? Please advise!

 

[Minniechickmama]

What do you mean by 'flipped'?

 

[SpringChickens]

Meaties are only meant to have a very finite lifespan, its not at all uncommon for them to start dying at 5 1/2 weeks from heart attacks, especially when they've been fed to grow quickly.

How have you been feeding them? A lot of people on here remove the feed at night (12 h with feed, 12 h without) to slow their growth to reduce the mortality that you see in older birds (4.5+ weeks). Its definitely a problem with meaties... commercial growers have them start dropping like flies at the same age; their hearts just can't keep up with the rest of their body. I would recommend having a processing day this weekend to cut your losses, not much else you can do for them at this point.

 

[Minniechickmama]

When I grow mine, I feed them twice a day. They always have water, but I don't give them all the feed they want. I have lost one to a raccoon, and 3 to heat/heart attack (it got cooking here last summer just as we were preparing them for fair and the died). That is out of 75 that I have raised of the CRXs. Nothing would surprise me about losing some of them.
Sorry, it is one of those things with raising the CRX meat birds, they just aren't built to last, just grow and eat early.

 

[TeriS]

I had been feeding them 24 hours, but last week cut back to 12 on / 12 off. The 1 I just lost this morning was going to be 6 weeks old on Friday. It was 4 1/2 lbs. Did it grow too fast? The last 2 flipped- I found them upside down, but this one wasn't- it was laying on its belly. I'm not very sure I will do meaties again- this is a little disheartening! Does anyone know if ducks are any easier than Cornish's? (For next year, of course)

 

[BarefootMom]

Quote:
This is what we have been doing. We feed in the morning and at night along with all the other chores. I have only lost 1 this time around and I think it was smothered out. They will be 6 weeks tomorrow and are doing great. They do lay around quite a bit but it is rather hot (I have a fan on them) but still there isn't a whole lot to do in the coop. I do know if we ever do meat chickens again I would have to have some kind of tractor and I would like to do a dual purpose or freedom ranger meatie.

 

[BuffaloWings]

Welp Hatchery has some helpful information on their site:

http://www.welphatchery.com/cornish_rock_care.asp

 

[TeriS]

Quote:
Thank you- that was very informative!

 

[blueskylen]

if it has been hot where you are, you may want to run a fan for more ventilation. it definitely helps when they start panting to ease their discomfort.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Once mine are feathered enough, they go in a tractor until butcher time. The ones I lost last year, 2 were ones we washed for fair and stuck in a cage in the garage and they must have overheated after being handled. It was sad, they were the two biggest, best looking ones that my son was going to show. Then, the poor kid, his rabbit got sick and couldn't go. It was not his year.

If you raise ducks, be prepared, they are messy, messy, messy! I am doing ducks for the first time and I can't believe how much they drink and poop and slop all over everything. I can't wait until I have the hutch and pasture ready for them!