Some Questions about Cornish Crosses

[Robo]

So here is my list.

1. When is the best time to process?

2. When do they reach the 10 pound mark?

3. Do they crow at the age you process? (Don't want 20 loud roosters)

4. What feed is best? Starter, quail starter, or 20% grower?

5. What is the best weight to process at?

Thanks in advance. Looking to try some big old meaties.

 

[Karrie13]

I have only raised cornish crosses one time so I don't have as much experience! I just process my extra roo's from the eggs I hatch (except the silkies, I find them homes).

1. My birds were done in small batches of a couple here and there. I started at 8 weeks old and finished when they were almost 12 weeks. I let my birds free range so they moved a bit more than some people have them do. I had their food in one spot and their water in another to force them to get up and move.

2. Mine as a processed weight they were around 5-9 lbs with a couple of 3 lb birds. I didn't get a live weight before processing.

3. I had a couple that just started to make a noise that could be considered a "starter crow" about a week before I processed them.

4. My feed store has a feed for meat birds that I used, it is higher in protein than regular chick starter/grower.

5. It all depends on what you want them for. I was going to cut mine up so I wanted them a little bigger. I don't think I would have liked them to be any bigger than they were.

Remember it is best to start taking their feed away for 12 hours a day when they are about 2 weeks old. I didn't until mine were about 3-4 weeks old and I ended up losing some to heart attacks. They don't have sense enough to stop eating.

Mine were very tasty! I also love the fact that I know what went into them.

 

[Robo]

Thanks, do you know what % of protein is the best? I'm thinking about flock raiser...

 

[bantyhen'sfriend]

Start off with a 23% chick starter for 4 weeks, restricting food (12 hours on and 12 hours off) starting at 2 weeks, then finish with a 20% from 4 weeks until slaughter. This is for maximum yield.

 

[Robo]

Thanks for all the help, one more question. When can they be put outside in 40* weather?

 

[Karrie13]

They should be fine once they are fully feathered, but may need some extra warmth at night for a little while. Just depends on how draft free their area will be. I don't remember how long it took mine to fully feather, but I know it was faster than my layers.