Meet Nugget and Pie

[Xouie]

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before:

I stopped in at Tractor Supply for some scratch and a quail feeder and had to walk past the chick pen....

Note: Nugget and Pie were listed on the board as Cornish Rocks.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Yes it is impossible to leave without them! Congratulations on your little chicks!

 

[Xouie]

So now some real data. Day one weights*

Nugget = 4.1 ounces (oz)
Pie = 6.3 oz

* Day one is day purchased. Actual age in days unknown. Weights to be taken in ounces/pounds.

 

[Aapomp831]

I hope you know that those are broiler chickens.....

 

[piminuse]

Oh what cuties!

Question: are you planning on these being backyard pets/layers or for meat birds? There are specific ways to raise them for their two different purposes and it might be best to research them if you're unfamiliar with the (traditionally broiler) breed.

 

[Xouie]

Thanks for the heads-up. (I can only imagine if somebody bought a pair of those to keep.) I thought Tractor Supply only has Cornish cross, so the Cornish rock label surprised me. These are our first hatchery birds in about 20 years.

Their original names were supposed to be Thanksgiving and Christmas. Their destinies are to be dinners. They will get high protein unmedicated starter and grower.

 

[Xouie]

Oh, duh. Cornish Rock and Cornish Cross are the same thing. ☺

 

[Xouie]

I'm curious about the rapid development of meat birds, so I'm tracking their weight gain and adding periodic updates. New weight measurements with percentage increase over previous day) are as follows:

Day 2
Nugget = 4.7 oz (14.6% gain)
Pie = 7.1 oz (12.7% gain)

Day 3
Nugget = 5.5 oz (17.0% gain)
Pie = 8.9 oz (25.4% gain)

This super fast weight gain isn't just bulk; Pie can almost peck the wire at the top of their brooder bin now. They'll be moving to a taller cage in the hen coop by end of day tomorrow.

It's no joke that these birds do nothing but eat, sleep and poop. When we take them out for playtime or cleaning the bin, they just stand. No pecking or running or any of the behaviours we usually see in chicks this age (guessing less than a week).

 

[Thechicksdigme]

Congratulations on the new chicks.

 

[Xouie]

Pie has now been with us for 2 weeks. We lost Nugget on day 6; at 10am she was fine, at 11am she was dead. So Pie lives in a separate area of the Swedish flower coop with social time outside several times a day. I’ve never spent so much time with my dinner!

photo update: