Jumbo Cornish X Rocks from McMurray Hatchery

[MissPrissy]

I ordered 25 of the jumbo cornish x rocks from McMurray. They arrived this morning.

They are fluffy, yellow, active and quite loud. They are eating and drinking very well. No problems at all with delivery.



Here is a short clip of them.

At the moment I am VERY pleased with the chicks.

 

[homesteader]

My cornish did not come from McMurray and I am considering buying from them next time. One thing I immediately noticed with my chicks was that they were very quiet and not super active like my laying hens were when we got them.

I have not been very satisfied with these chicks. The ones that survived look good, but I lost 7 due to illness or leg problems. I'm thinking McMurray might have better stock to breed from.

 

[silkiechicken]

FYI

If you look through the threads, many people have issues with the cornish x's. I personally do not have problems, but there are alternatives if your batches don't turn out well. There are lots of variables and parent strain is one of them. As for leg problems, feed restriction can help, but with illness, that's something else.

 

[LoneCowboy]

I just got 51 layers from Murray McMurray. They are active started porking down food really fast and drinking. Very happy little girls. Couldn't be happier. They shipped in the morning, and I got a call in the afternoon from the mail sort center to pick them up, and I live in Colorado.

Getting some meat birds in spring, glad you had a good experience, I'll get mine there too. Was considering trying some place else.

 

[MissPrissy]

I have never had a bad experience with McMurray or the birds I have gotten from them. They always include extra birds and I have been pleased with those as well (not the free rare chick either, I mean the extra packing peanut chicks lol).

From my previous order I had 2 little barred rock pullets that did not do well. They seemed sickly when they arrived. McMurray gave credit on them and all the barred rocks for our troubles. Which I felt was extremely generous although it was sad the little sick chicks were not culled initially when the order was packaged for shipping. It was obvious something was wrong with those 2 from the start. They did not make it through the day when they arrived.

I think the success with the chicks from any hatchery is also in the planning of your purchase. It pays to be concerned about the weather and getting the chicks at a time when the weather is not too cold or not too hot, also when it is not too damp or rainy. I have tried to plan for good warm weather, moderately dry but not excessively humid. It is a hard call sometimes.

This is the first time I have gotten the jumbo cornish x so I am curious as to the outcome of these. Our weather is still very warm, unseasonably so for October - low 90's. Very odd. But the evening and morning air is cool and feels like spring instead of fall. If the weather holds out like this for another week or two I won't be concerned too much with their health. It is ideal weather for baby chicks here in central Va., nestled near the foot hills of the Blue Ridge. I have set a small run away from the large coop and these chicks will get a chance daily to run and play in the grass.

With that said I am trying EXTREMELY hard not to see these little guys as the holding making a pet out of chicks. It would be far too hard to follow through with the end result if I did. But it is so hard to resist not reaching in and playing with them.

Happy chicken raising everyone!

 

[silkiechicken]

I would go ahead and reach in and play with them! They grow so fast and are very sweet natured birds. Calm too. If they get used to you, it will be less stress on you and the bird when butchering time comes around. They wont fight to get away and you wont fight to keep them down. In addition, with a calmer bird going to butcher, you won't break any wings or legs trying to catch or control them.

 

[snugglepup]

I have to say... I do hold mine.

They get so ugly so fast, but when they are small and fluffy, I can't help it. Fortunately, my cold, heartless husband does the head chopping, and I just have to dress them.

 

[MissPrissy]

I wish it were that easy, silkie.

I have children who will make pets out of anything if allowed. They won't understand why we have to process these birds if I let them play with the chicks. It is better for me to remain rock solid on not letting them get attached to these chicks. The laying hens we have now as well as all of the roosters (10 extra) are friendly 'pets' who provide us with eggs. The roosters climb on their shoulders, even sit on the top of their heads. Those are the pet chickens. Not these new little guys who won't be around beyond 8 - 10 weeks.

 

[LoneCowboy]

Well, if you name them, call them "Hot Wings", "Drumstick", "Roaster" etc.

Lucky for me we have a processing plant close, that will do the dirty work.

Weather is so important. I didn't want to do a batch this time of year, but my husband insisted it would be ok. So far so good, except we are expecting a storm this weekend. Might have issues in the chick brooder. It's outside in it's own coop, but I have to open the whole wall to get in. I don't like to let too much cool air in on the chicks when it's cold. I wait till late morning when it's warm to open it up and change water etc.

I'm having trouble regulating the temp inside. It's very cool at night, and very warm in the afternoon. so it's either to hot or too cold inside

I've been giving them their 1/2 hour of lights out in the afternoon when it's so warm to kind of help cool it off while getting them used to what night is like.

 

[halo]

Miss Prissy, how did these babies grow for you? Do you still have them, or are they in the freezer by now?