Keeping a few Cornish hens.................

[CNJ]

Her legs look splayed, I see it slipping out on smooth surfaces. I think this is the one that I saw struggling.

 

[CNJ]

This one in the cage started laying soft eggs which doesn't make any sense to me, since I have been feeding them 20% layer pellets for about a month now. At least the egg whites are firm and not runny. Anyway if it doesn't rain tomorrow, I will process her. I fed her a cup of layer pellets in the am, should be digested by tomorrow.

 

[CNJ]

I have separated my Cornish x pullets into two breeding groups, one group with a White Plymouth Rock rooster and the other group with a Dark Cornish Rooster. The Cornish x pullets just started to lay small eggs, I put 7 small eggs in my incubator to see if my dominant Bresse Rooster did his job. He's not sexually crazy like my depraved White Rock or Dark Cornish cockerels, so I won't be surprised if the eggs aren't fertile.

I decided to start early, just in case any of them should die of a heart attack.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I decided to start early, just in case any of them should die of a heart attack.

I would probably have done the same thing. What's "best" is different for each of us, it depends on our circumstances and goals. Your hatch rate may not be great, but you can't get any chicks without incubating. You could get lucky. Good luck.

 

[cassie]

I

I just noticed, one of my Cornish pullets is having a hard time walking, its too fat. Her legs are shaking when she stands up. This must be the one that almost gave me a hernia the other day. I will process this one as soon as I can, maybe tomorrow.

I found that Broiler Booster, available from Murray McMurray will go along way toward preventing a lot of health problems the Cornish X are heir to. It is a vitamin electrolyte supplement and you add it to the water.

 

[CNJ]

I

I found that Broiler Booster, available from Murray McMurray will go along way toward preventing a lot of health problems the Cornish X are heir to. It is a vitamin electrolyte supplement and you add it to the water.

The Broiler Booster came with my Cornish X order from McMurray. I used it, but didn't order extra. That hen I was going to process laid a solid egg, and she was walking around, so I put her with one of my Dark Cornish cockerel.

 

[NatJ]

I will start feeding them once in the am.

They started eating the grass in their pen. Its something new for them. They were raised on a screen floor. I will try feeding them lettuce in the evening to supplement their once a day feeding.

Do you have a specific reason to feed them in the morning?

I would expect them to forage more (and get more exercise) if they were given the purchased food in the evening.

 

[CNJ]

Do you have a specific reason to feed them in the morning?

I would expect them to forage more (and get more exercise) if they were given the purchased food in the evening.

I think its because I felt sorry for them...............it just ended up that way.

 

[CNJ]

One of my Cornish x died today after laying an egg, she weighted 12 1/2 lbs. I put her in a trash bag and froze it for rubbish day. I think I over fed them. I started feeding them a little twice a day, thinking they needed the food to make eggs. They stop laying for 2 days, so I increased the food. I will cut back to once a day.
Its a good thing I started incubating their eggs early. I have 7 eggs that has been in the incubator for 8 days, I will check them tonight. I also have 5 eggs in a separate incubator that I started up today.
I hope some of the eggs are fertile....................and hatch with Bresse blue legs. I started collecting eggs when I paired two Cornish X with my white Plymouth Rock rooster, and dark Cornish rooster, but prior to that they were let out with my Breese rooster. I saw him jump on them a few times.

 

[CNJ]

Oh well, just one of seven eggs had red veins, the rest were duds. The next 5 should have better results.