Keeping Cornish x clean

[Mikedero]

Actually they go in/out of the coop all the time, all day long...so I consider it part of their living space. Your birds must be different than mine, mine are fairly active as all my meaties have been. This particular batch is from Hoover, though I've bought from McMurray and Ideal before.

I personally don't care how you raise your birds, I just was just curious about the thread because I've never had a dirty Cornish before.

Like I stated not trying to get into a pissing contest. I was just stating facts not my way of raising but just facts. Each person is different and will do things differently which is 100% OK nothing wrong with either way. Most of my statements where meant for the others that have a hard and fast rule 4 sq feet per bird. if the choose to raise them that way perfect nothing wrong with it. but when they tell someone else looking for advice that it needs to be 4 feet well that is not facts but opinions. and everyone has one of them.

 

[Mikedero]

to the OP I move my pen twice a day not a full move but only like 5 feet as most of mine stay on the side with the water and food. Sometimes I move them forward and sideways to get them fresh ground. I personally (Opinion here) liek the tractor set up as there is no epxense on getting hay or bedding keeping the cost down. Look on the site more there are many people keeping them in tractors there might be some added advice they give. more like apples to apples as you are raising them in a tractor.

besides almost time to process add a little dawn soap to the water that will help and hose them off before plucking.

 

[donrae]

I think we scared poor Moffomv away!

The original question was how to keep the birds cleaner. I don't think you can really argue that giving them more space will help them stay cleaner, that's basic common sense.

And that's all I have to say about that...

 

[Moffomv]

Wow...I didn't check this in afew days and things quickly got out of hand. I appreciate everyone's opinions. I will clarify that my birds are far from disgusting, I was just curious if there were any techniques on keeping them a little cleaner. Since I am a true backyard chicken enthusiast, my amount of space is limited and a bigger tractor would take up more space. I think I will just scale back to 10 CX next time or look into a cleaner breed. Thanks again.

 

[lizanne]

I could see how the Cornish X would get super nasty if you kept them in a small tractor. I don't want to start any issues, but mine are 11 weeks old and between 9.5 and 12 pounds, and they still "waddle run" around. They walk all over the yard and try to fly and scratch around. They even roost at night with my layer girls. They do love to eat, but they do other things too.

 

[donrae]

Wow...I didn't check this in afew days and things quickly got out of hand. I appreciate everyone's opinions. I will clarify that my birds are far from disgusting, I was just curious if there were any techniques on keeping them a little cleaner. Since I am a true backyard chicken enthusiast, my amount of space is limited and a bigger tractor would take up more space. I think I will just scale back to 10 CX next time or look into a cleaner breed. Thanks again.

I forgot to say it is pretty normal for them to not have a lot of feathers on the breast/belly area, due to the fact that they do lay down a lot. That red skin can look kind of freaky, and seeing poop on it can be off-putting. But, a good wash with a hose and dip in hot water to pluck, or skinning the bird altogether, does away with all that.

 

[smilingcat]

My meaties prefer to sleep by their feed and water. Right now we only have 6 birds. 12sq feet of coop plus 16 sq feet of run. Run is not a tractor where I can move it in the field. That space is for my layers. Coop and run gets additional inch or two of wood shaving every day and depending on how bad it looks, it gets cleaned out every 3 to 4 days. We toss in chunks of sod into the run but they don't seem to have much interest.

And yes they are filthy compared to my layers and seem bit more dumb with one track mind. EAT, DRINK, POOP and SLEEP.

After the cone, they get a good hose down with bit of soap, rinse then into "hot" water for plucking...If the poop on skin is a turn off, you should stop eating crispy fried chicken with skin on. If you think factory farm chicken is cleaner, then you are for a rude awakening.

We don't grow too many meaties since we don't sell them. It's for personal consumption only. Selling is such a hassle. If anything, I'll trade something I want from my neighbor for something they want from us. I don't want to call it barter either. It's more of hey **** I got some extra want some? Few days later my neighbor comes over Hey ****, I've got some extra... want some? Heck sure... So its not even a barter.

Just my two cents.

Do what you want. 4 sq feet is more than plenty for a meaties. If you want to keep their bellys cleaner, add wood shaving into their run/coop or wherever every two to three hours.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I think we scared poor Moffomv away!

The original question was how to keep the birds cleaner. I don't think you can really argue that giving them more space will help them stay cleaner, that's basic common sense.

And that's all I have to say about that...

This was actually my point, as well. The OP was moving the tractor multiple times a day, and still concerned about all the poop. More room fixes this problem.

 

[Mikedero]

This was actually my point, as well. The OP was moving the tractor multiple times a day, and still concerned about all the poop. More room fixes this problem.

Sure it does and my pionts where correcting others on FACTS which seem to lack here.

I use extra hay in the tractor this helps as well it also helps bring the grass back to normal faster as well.