Problems with cornish?

[chefrico]

Hey, there, I'm a new member.

We're looking to get away from CX, on account of the leg troubles resulting from their speed of growth.

Has anybody got any experience with straight Cornish, and have you encountered problems with splay leg, the achilles tendon slipping, or other leg problems common the CXs?

We're growing for meat, and are looking for a faster turn around and higher yield than the rangers we grew last year, but these CXs we've got now are heart breaking, and we find that a 20% loss of flock prior to slaughter is unacceptable.

I'm hoping that Cornish will fare better.

Thanks.

 

[fried green eggs]

I'm sorry for your loss. We did meatbirds cornishX last year and didn't butcher until they where 14 weeks old. They where the size of turkeys 12 lbs. We free ranged them all day, everyday and only put food in for them at night so, they grew a little slower. If we walked out in the yard they would come waddle-running-flapping wings over to us. LOL I got too attached to them so, we arn't doing meatbirds again. Maybe you just got some bad bred ones.

 

[Buster52]

Standard Cornish will not grow as fast as a ranger hybrid. They mature enough for butcher between 18 and 24 weeks, while rangers are there in 12-14.

 

[kfacres]

We never experience crippled birds with our WLR, BLR, or Dark Cornish birds.

Their growth rate really isn't as slow as everyone thinks it is, I have 18 week old birds that I plan to butcher this weekend, however, for the last month and a half-- they've been on layer feed due to pen shortages-- thus slowing their growth down.

 

[chicken pickin]

Hey, there, I'm a new member.

We're looking to get away from CX, on account of the leg troubles resulting from their speed of growth.

Has anybody got any experience with straight Cornish, and have you encountered problems with splay leg, the achilles tendon slipping, or other leg problems common the CXs?

We're growing for meat, and are looking for a faster turn around and higher yield than the rangers we grew last year, but these CXs we've got now are heart breaking, and we find that a 20% loss of flock prior to slaughter is unacceptable.

I'm hoping that Cornish will fare better.

Thanks.

Just curious where you got your cx from? I have my first batch of 26 cx from meyers they are 2weeks 1day and so far all are well. I was nervous to get into the cx because of the leg problems everyone speaks of. When did your birds start showing signs of problems? Im nervous to even handle the birds because I dont want to injure a leg and my poor kids beg to hold them but i dont let them. I dont want injury due to handling error.

 

[bigredfeather]

Hey, there, I'm a new member.

We're looking to get away from CX, on account of the leg troubles resulting from their speed of growth.




We're growing for meat, and are looking for a faster turn around and higher yield than the rangers we grew last year, but these CXs we've got now are heart breaking, and we find that a 20% loss of flock prior to slaughter is unacceptable.




Thanks.

Leg troubles are a result of either too much feed or a feed that is not nutritionally complete.

If your looking for quicker and more, CX is your best choice. I can tell you from expirience that a 20% loss can happen, but it is by no means the norm. I've raised batches of 100 birds and only lost a few.

I would suggest figuring out why you had problems and correct them. You will find if raised properly, the CX is as good as it gets for producing an abundance of meat quickly and efficiently.

Goodluck!

 

[kfacres]

Leg troubles are a result of either too much feed or a feed that is not nutritionally complete.

If your looking for quicker and more, CX is your best choice. I can tell you from expirience that a 20% loss can happen, but it is by no means the norm. I've raised batches of 100 birds and only lost a few.

I would suggest figuring out why you had problems and correct them. You will find if raised properly, the CX is as good as it gets for producing an abundance of meat quickly and efficiently.

Goodluck!

i agree.. most problems happen with people who don't know what they are doing... I would guess around here- about 1 in 75 birds experiences a problem.

 

[enel 1]

there are a few different strains of broilers ,so if you do a little research you should be able to find a hatchery that sells a slower growing strain.I get mine from Dunlap in southern Idaho and haven't had any leg problems they take about 10 weeks to get to 5 lbs on 20% flock raiser.i have 1 over 8 mo old and 1 over 6 mo old now,that I use for breeding,and they eat with the layers so they don't get to big to fast.My oldest (fat patty) is around 11 lbs. and lays about 4 eggs a week.