Not entirely happy with meaties. Anyone do White Rocks?

[halo]

I got some meaties from TSC the first of March, which makes them around 5 weeks old. I got 6 of them. One got sick and died; another looks like Im going to lose it tonight. Two look good, one is much smaller, and another is also smaller with NO FEATHERS. Absolutely bald. Im just not entirely happy with how these are growing.

They are on chick starter, they run out of feed in the evening, then they go out to graze until dark. I fill the feeders in the morning. Im not very happy with the inconsistency. Did I just get a bad batch? Is one hatchery better than another to get them from.?

Im also growing out some white rocks that I got from a hatchery. They are about 2 weeks older. They look great, happy, run around, graze all day. The of course arent built like the meaties, but they look really nice. Has anyone used White Rocks as meaties instead of Cornish X?

 

[lemongrass]

I'm bumping due to my interest in the same question -- my fiance doesn't want CX, was looking into White Rocks as well.

 

[maizey]

Ive not raised Cornish x but impretty certain no batch of chicks should have dead/ bald ones in it. I also understand they are pretty much born to eat and that's what they do best.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

It does sound like you got a bum batch, however if they are around 5 weeks and you want the exstrordinary growth you have heard of they should be on meat bird feed by now. Bald is normal at that age the feathers start grwoing in around 6 weeks from my experience.
White rocks were pretty much the standard farm yard meat bird before CX came along. Do some back reading on here you will find many are using them today still.

 

[dgecko]

I have white rocks and never had that problem. I am crossing my white rocks with my white leghorns because I love the egg production I am getting off the leghorns but I wanted a larger body bird. If you cann't find the white rocks you are looking for you might want to try some of my white leghorn/white rock cross. My leghorns haven't missed to many days on the egg production.

 

[COgirl]

I'm getting an order of 60 White Rocks the end of May. So I'm curious as to how the ones you have will do as this is my first venture into meat birds and we cannot raise the Cornishx because of altitude. From what I have gleaned here on BYC they seem to be an acceptable meat bird. I was glad to read the ones that you have are doing well so far.

 

[Sundown_Farmer]

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Honestly, that tears me up every time. Feels like I've done something wrong...bad stewardship. We have lost CX, we have lost New Hampshires, we have lost tomato plants. OK, I don't feel too bad about tomato plants but some chicks, breeding aside, just don't have it in them.

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Probably.

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Inappropriate feeding routine for the breed? Probably. More on that below.

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Yes but having observed customers playing petting zoo at farm stores I would rather order directly from any hatchery than buy them at a retail store.

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I bet. They are more like a reliable, fuel efficient economy car built to last as opposed to a gas-hogging, race car built to run once. CX want/need to eat. Filling the feeder once and letting them go without puts them at a real disadvantage. If you want to finish the race you've got to put the right fuel in your funny car. There was a thread last fall(?) showing pictures of two batches of CX. One batch was fed all day, restricted at night. The other was fed in the mornings. The difference between the birds was amazing. Sorry I can't find the thread.

 

[WalkerH]

Out of seven Cornish X we bought from TSC one died. But we were also there the moment they unloaded and picked ours before anyone else even touched them. Our first venture into chickens, and I was skittish about getting meaties the first time. But they actually have held up better then the Golden Laced Wyandottes. I would say you got a bum batch, but I also know I won't be doing Cornish X again. I'll probably just stick to culling the roosters.

 

[halo]

I probably didnt 'splain myself well. They were on chick starter, they are now on Flock Raiser, and the feeders are full until dark. Two of them look pretty hefty, two look average, and one is still smaller than the white rocks, still with no feathers. Verdict is still out whether I will do them again, but I think I might try them this fall, and get them from a hatchery instead of TSC. Just bought them on a whim to try them.