My first go around with Cornish X's

[bowhunter862]

Greetings All. I'm a long time reader of these forums but this is my first post. I have spent the last 6 hours searching these forums and reading all the available threads on feeding my Cornish X's. All that has done is give me a 50/50 split on which feeding and light schedule I should use raising my first batch of these freakishly large chickens.

I have 53 chicks and they are now 2 weeks old. I had 55 but 2 died at 2 days old. They have had light and feed 24/7 since I got them. They are all males and weigh average 1 pound 2 oz currently.

My goal is to produce the largest chicken I can in 8 1/2 weeks. (Processing day is set since I can get help that day. Hence, the 8 1/2 weeks.)

I'd like to minimize my risk of flip.

My barn is 12'X12' with a 8'X16' yard. I cannot tractor or allow free range.

Let's see if I get a 50/50 split on opinions again.

Should I restrict feed to the 12/12 or feed 24/7?

Should they have the light off at all? I'm running the brooder and 1 CFL 25 watt bulb in the barn.

All opinions greatly appreciated.

PS: Jersey Giants make bad meat chickens. Yeah I know you all know that but now I know that too and needed to share.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I only give 24 hour light for the first 7-10 days. After that, 8 hours of dark at night. During light periods I don't restrict feed.
I use 22-24% protein the first 3 or 4 weeks and cut back to 18 or 19 the rest of the way.
They really do need a lights out period after the first week.
They won't need to free range since they really don't like to that much.

Why are JGs bad, cause they grow so slowly?

 

[bowhunter862]

Jersey Giants do grow slow. Raised the last crop to 6 months. Dressed weight was 3-5 pounds. No breast meat to speak of and, as my wife puts it, "that chicken is tougher than a whale bone." Can't eat them unless they have spent all day in the crock pot.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They're tougher because they've been using their muscles. There's a few tricks to having a nice tender(relatively speaking) heritage bird.
I pull them off pasture 2 or 3 weeks before harvest date. Give them only 8 hours of light.
I have a special diet I switch them to for that period.
After processing, they have to rest at least 3 days before cooking or freezing.
Most importantly is the cooking process. They can't be cooked the same as the mushy grocery store chickens.
Low heat and very slow cooking. If cooking a whole bird, I put them breast down in a broth at about 200 degrees for about 5 hours or until the meat starts falling off the leg bones.
The meat has more flavor but it is necessary to chew it.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

I had absolutely huge CornishX last year, the smallest carcass weighed 8 lbs dressed and the largest carcass weighed 15 lbs dressed. It was first year raising them so I waited to butcher until 8wks. Those were fed Flock Raiser 24/7 with no supplemental light, they were raised by a broody hen.
All the males looked like short Broad Breasted White Turkeys waddling around the pen. I did loose 1 male to a heart attack the day before butchering, but it was the middle of August in the blazing heat.I did have a male break a leg 2 days before processing, he was the biggest bird in the pen.

My April/May batch this year are looking great so far, 5 wks old last monday and only 2 aren't fully feathered. I have 36 both males and females, with the largest males weighing in at 5 lbs or just under and females are about 3 1/2 - 4 lbs, at least from my sample of 10 birds. (5 male, 5 female)
I wanted to slow this batch down compared to last years, so I fed 24/7 for the first 3 wks and 12hrs on/ 12hrs off. I feed 20% starter/grower. They don't have any supplemental lighting now, but did have a light on 24/7 until week 3 because their feathers had yet to come in fully and we had unusually cold weather.
I plan to process the roosters at wk 7 and the hens at wk 8.

 

[bowhunter862]

I had absolutely huge CornishX last year, the smallest carcass weighed 8 lbs dressed and the largest carcass weighed 15 lbs dressed. It was first year raising them so I waited to butcher until 8wks. Those were fed Flock Raiser 24/7 with no supplemental light, they were raised by a broody hen.
All the males looked like short Broad Breasted White Turkeys waddling around the pen. I did loose 1 male to a heart attack the day before butchering, but it was the middle of August in the blazing heat.I did have a male break a leg 2 days before processing, he was the biggest bird in the pen.

My April/May batch this year are looking great so far, 5 wks old last monday and only 2 aren't fully feathered. I have 36 both males and females, with the largest males weighing in at 5 lbs or just under and females are about 3 1/2 - 4 lbs, at least from my sample of 10 birds. (5 male, 5 female)
I wanted to slow this batch down compared to last years, so I fed 24/7 for the first 3 wks and 12hrs on/ 12hrs off. I feed 20% starter/grower. They don't have any supplemental lighting now, but did have a light on 24/7 until week 3 because their feathers had yet to come in fully and we had unusually cold weather.
I plan to process the roosters at wk 7 and the hens at wk 8.

Thank You for that information. I really appreciate it. I want 'em big but I don't want to feed them so much I kill them. If they'll last 8 weeks feeding all the time and grow big, that's what I want. When you say "slow this batch down" What weight are you expecting at 8 weeks?

 

[locoguru]

Welcome to BYC from Menifee. Will try some meaties next year.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

I'm hoping that the males will dress at 6-7 lbs and the females at 4-5 lbs. I'm selling these ones though, so I want them to be a marketable size, not turkey size that won't appeal to some people. I have 50 pullets ordered for the second week of June, unfortunately Meyer only had females available from now until August

, oh well, I'll just have to up their feed a little more.

 

[ZooSD]

I'm hoping that the males will dress at 6-7 lbs and the females at 4-5 lbs. I'm selling these ones though, so I want them to be a marketable size, not turkey size that won't appeal to some people. I have 50 pullets ordered for the second week of June, unfortunately Meyer only had females available from now until August

, oh well, I'll just have to up their feed a little more.

Between weeks 4-7 I fed mine fermented Turkey starter (28% protein) and they really packed on the muscle. I haven't had one yet that had any fat on it and the smallest one so far dressed out at just over 6lbs at 8wks.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

ZooSD,
Thanks for the tip, I am going to increase the protein for the girls after I butcher all the males this go around