Raising Meat birds w/ dual purpose, overeating problem?

[cfabe]

We're raising chicks for the first time and we got a few "Cornish Roaster" birds from McMurray along with some dual purpose breeds. They are about 2 weeks old now and are huge in comparison to the dual purpose birds. I realize they grow faster, but I'm shocked at the difference. They're probably 3 times the size. We have them in the same brooder so the meat birds eat as much as they want. Is this okay or will they overeat and die/have problems?

Here's a picture of one of them at 10 days versus a buff orp. Normal size difference?

 

[Judy]

I was tempted to get some of these; I like that they grow a little more slowly that Cornish X. I can't find anything on the McMurray site about feeding them. I'd like to know what is recommended as well.

Can you contact McMurray and see if they will give you any feeding recommendations? Esp. if no one here replies. I would love to know whether feed must be held after a certain number of weeks for these, as is recommended for Cornish X.

I suspect the size difference you are seeing is normal.

 

[sharkobeach]

It is better for the Cornish x to have food withheld for 12hrs a day. Last year I had a couple of packing peanuts in with my meat birds and they did not seem to be bothered by the lack of food overnight.

 

[jaku]

I'd separate them and feed the broilers 12 on 12 off. The meaties don't have the same heat requirements as the BO's either, so you'll start lowering their heat early and get them outside at three weeks. That looks like normal growth to me- I swear, you can almost watch their wing and tail feathers grow in.

 

[quercus21]

I would separate them at this point. I purchased our Cornish x & NH Reds and separated them. The reason I did so was I wanted to let the NH Reds have food 24/7 and limit the Cornish X to 12/7. After a week I did that. For just the Cornish X, after a week of food for 24/7, they were limited to 12/7.

This link is from Welp Hatchery about the care of Cornish X.

http://www.welphatchery.com/cornish_rock_care.asp

Kaj

 

[Brunty_Farms]

I feed them 24/7 for the first two weeks and then they go on a 12 on 12 off feeding system / natural daylight feeding sytem.

This way it keeps their growth in check and they don't develp any leg or heart problems. As like you stated they will eat themselved to death.

 

[pdpatch]

Cornish Roaster should be raised as you would a standard heavey breed chicken since it's a standard heavey breed. Most people, as they already stated above us different methods for cornish cross. We is what we are doing with this years cornish X.

Last year we got a assortment of heavey breed meat birds and there was one cornish cross in the batch. we raised it just like the other heavey breed roo's.

So if yo have more then one, I would also seperate them

Tom

 

[mxpres]

at what point in their growth period do the cornish X start displaying leg problems?or is something they are born with and increases with weight gain?

 

[Brunty_Farms]

At about 4 weeks, if they are week this is when you will tell. But by slowing them down at 2 weeks you will not see but a 1-2% mortality from legs, heart, or organ failure.... if any at all.