Really small Cornish X at 8 weeks

[Neebs]

It's our first year. We started with 29 cornish X and lost one the first night to shipping stress. Everyone has seemed healthy and we are now at 8 weeks.

We were feeding as much feed as they could eat in 20 minutes after the second week, twice daily. They seemed small (for what the hatchery says they should weigh at each week) at about 5 weeks, so started a third feed. We are now at 8 weeks and they might weigh 3 pounds. I was hoping to harvest them at this point, and obviously they are way too small for that. We have been feeding 20% chick starter since the beginning, and have just started mixing with 18% pullet mix.

They have to be harvested within the next two weeks as we are going away and don't want to task our neighbours with watching them, so how do we beef them up without losing them to flip over disease?

 

[slingshotandLAR]

These threads pop up a lot on here....

Live weight under 3lbs begs the question, they are in fact CX correct? Maybe post a pic. Another way to tell if they are CX some of the roosters should be crowing.

I feed 22% meat bird grower the entire time, even in the brooder. My birds at 7 weeks average just under 5lbs dressed. I've never had a bird dress under 3lbs, ever. Do they have a serious fit when you feed them? Again if they are CX they would be practically killing each other trying to eat.

Best thing you can do at this point is give them the highest protein feed you can find.

 

[Neebs]

Yes, they are definitely Cornish rock x, ordered directly from the poultry supplier.

They do go bananas when I go in, and feed like crazy for 5 minutes or so, eat about half, then pick away at the rest over the next hour. I'll supplement the feed with something high protein, since 20% is the highest protein we can locally non-medicated.

 

[MichaelZ13]

I feed mine for 12 hours. Not that they eat non-stop, but they certainly do hit the feeder many times during that 12 hours. At 8-9 weeks mine ate a total of 21 pounds of feed each, on average, and weighed around 7-8 pounds live weight. And mine ate a fair amount of grass and clover. These birds are made to eat - they will eat almost around the clock if you let them, which is why many people pull feed for 12 hours each day. So try 12 hours of feed access and pull the feed for 12 hrs at night.

How much feed have you gone through?

 

[Neebs]

300 pounds of chick starter (that also fed 16 barred rocks, same age) but the barred rocks were getting some 18% homemade feed as well over the past two weeks. I haven't kept track of how much I've made, just refill the pail when it needs it. Grit once or twice a week. Occassional table scraps, but these have only been given a few times.

Thanks for everyone's help and advice here. I really appreciate the troubleshooting!

I softened a couple pounds of split peas tonight and mixed them in with the feed, so hopefully that will help boost them.

 

[Neebs]

I should add, we ferment the feed as well. We read lots of good things about it, but it does make it hard to provide enough feed for 12 hours when we are away for 9 at work.

Since they are growing slower, do you think that their hearts and legs might be better suited to their body size and we might be able to grow them out a little longer without issue?

 

[slingshotandLAR]

I should add, we ferment the feed as well. We read lots of good things about it, but it does make it hard to provide enough feed for 12 hours when we are away for 9 at work.

Since they are growing slower, do you think that their hearts and legs might be better suited to their body size and we might be able to grow them out a little longer without issue?

They should be just fine if they only weigh 3lbs....

I feed mine twice a day, 75 birds get about a 5 gallon bucket full at each feeding

 

[donrae]

I don't think they're Cornish cross with those weights. Do you have a picture?