Meat birds dieing -- Just have to rant...

[UncleHoot]

Quote:
www.jmhatchery.com and www.sandgpoultry.com
I haven't tried S&G yet, but I think I'm going to do that for my late summer batch. I bought Colored Rangers from JM last year and enjoyed them quite a bit. Their feed conversion is a bit higher (plan on around 3:1 or maybe higher if you're free ranging them). Plus, the cost per chick is probably higher, if you don't order 100 or more.

I think S&G and JM have very similar birds, but I can't say that for an absolute certainty. Either way, plan on processing them at 12 weeks, and don't expect any dressed weights over 6 lbs. Be happy if they average between 4 and 5 lbs dressed at 12 weeks.

Are they better tasting? Maybe a small percentage more flavor, probably because they are older. But they are without a doubt more active, and better foragers. Plus, I think they are simply more fun to raise. I believe they eat more grass than the cornish X, which probably makes them a bit healthier to eat, as well. I definitely plan to raise them again.

 

[StillwaterCreek]

Thanks! Definitely looks like what I'm after...

 

[kentucky dixie]

We got 10 Cornish X this year from Ideal Poultry because I didn't know any better than to just order 25 straight run chicks of whatever breed the hatchery decided to send me. (no, I won't be doing THAT again!)

When they arrived, I had 10 Cornish X, 10 Black Australorps and 5 crested. I didn't even know what a cornish was, so the big birds suffocated one of my crested and one of my Australorps before I began to figure it out and isolated them in their own brooder. When they were two weeks old, I went to Rural King and bought 25 more chicks. About two weeks ago we moved them all to the coop, which is 8X12 plus a run at least that large. The babies from RK are all different kinds, most of them I can't identify but it doesn't appear I got any meaties. The plan is to kill the excess roosters sometime in late summer and hopefully be left with a laying flock of 20 or so standard size and the 4 crested. (which I also would not have chosen but they do look cool so I'm keeping them!)

Anyway, the Cornish are six weeks old now and I haven't lost a single one. They are active, but not as much as the other birds. they also spend alot of time laying down next to the food bowl or the waterer. One of them is a rooster with blue eyes, and I call him Frank Sinatra, and he eats out of my hand if I'm so inclined to feed him. Doesn't matter, he's not a pet, as he too will go into the freezer soon along with all the other Cornish in my coop. I don't mind them, and they do mature quickly so I may order some more another time, but Gee Whiz they DO POOP alot!

 

[cackle]

A neighbor ordered us 40 along with her order and they are all still alive. we have them out in the pasture in a tractor and they are not real active. They live to eat,drink and poo. they go through 2 5 gallons buckets of water a day. we had 25 last year and now my husband refuses to eat grocery store chicken. i inject mine before roasting with just chicken broth, butter and garlic and then rub it with a dry rub. they are fabulous.

 

[jaku]

Quote:
I haven't had a grocery store chicken for the past two years, and I'll never go back! I wish beef and pork were this convenient to raise!