Straight Run vs Male vs Female

[lazy gardener]

Regarding making them go back to the coop when you want them to. That's definitely something you can teach them, as long as you have a couple of minutes to spare each day to see to it that it happens. All you need to do is with hold their final feeding for the day, and then call them and shake a can of scratch. Be careful. This is a dangerous technique, only to be engaged in by those who are fast on their feet, as you're likely to get mobbed, mowed over, knocked down, and otherwise thrashed as the birds attempt to get the scratch away from you. They'll follow you any where if you have food. Then, just lead them to the coop or tractor, toss the scratch through the door, and stand out of the way. I always hold back just a bit in the can, just in case I mis-counted and there are a couple of stragglers that need to be rounded up.

With CXR, gender is only important as it relates to growth rate. You'll find that males grow faster and bigger than females. They'll be in the freezer long before their hormones kick in. Personal preference aside, regarding s.f./bird, a lot of folks do grow them in tractors at 2 s.f./bird. My preference would be a minimum of 4 s.f./bird. Your birds will have the advantage of a tractor. If you do free range them, they'll be as prone to (if not a bit more so) predator attacks as a layer chick because of their white color, and their more clumsy nature.

 

[19disbre]

Thank I will make the tractors bigger or more of them but, by saying that their hormones will kick in later you are saying that they won't fight correct?

 

[lazy gardener]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. IMO, that's the biggest + for raising CXR over Pioneers or Freedom Rangers.

 

[JJSS89]

Cornish Cross don't have the energy to fight enough to hurt each other and even then they don't fight until it's almost time to cut their throats open.

Tractors work fine for meat birds. Free ranging them will be a bad investment unless you have lots of available forage and few predators. You'll need to move them every few days or you might sterilize the ground.

As far as males vs females, it doesn't matter much. If you were doing a bigger commercial operation, it might have an impact but just raising a 10-100 birds I would just go straight run.

 

[dfr1973]

With Cornish-Rocks, the pullets will be ready to slaughter at around 5 weeks, and the cockerels at about 8 weeks. I strongly advise against waiting longer than 12 weeks, based on recent experience.

Two S.F. per bird is generous for a daily-moved tractor, especially as the pullets shouldn't live long enough to need that much space. Having them out in a tractor, on grass, and moving daily made my most recent batch more active than previous stationary penned ones. Their feathers will be cleaner as well, since they are up on their feet instead of laying in their excrement. They also won't have as much fat on the carcass, and the meat will have a bit more texture.

All this said ... I doubt I will buy any more CRs. Just a personal preference, as even with tractoring I didn't think they had enough flavor.

 

[JJSS89]

With Cornish-Rocks, the pullets will be ready to slaughter at around 5 weeks, and the cockerels at about 8 weeks. I strongly advise against waiting longer than 12 weeks, based on recent experience.

Two S.F. per bird is generous for a daily-moved tractor, especially as the pullets shouldn't live long enough to need that much space. Having them out in a tractor, on grass, and moving daily made my most recent batch more active than previous stationary penned ones. Their feathers will be cleaner as well, since they are up on their feet instead of laying in their excrement. They also won't have as much fat on the carcass, and the meat will have a bit more texture.

All this said ... I doubt I will buy any more CRs. Just a personal preference, as even with tractoring I didn't think they had enough flavor.

What do you feed? If you are able to get apples at a decent rate, it adds some awesome flavor.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I read from folks that butcher their own that they prefer the straight run as it gives them a break butchering. They butcher the faster growing males one weekend and let the females grow another week or two and then butcher them. As cost's go the males are the best bang for buck for a mere 20 cents more a bird- faster growing. For 10% more initial cost to get all males you shorten growth time for desired weights far more than 10%. But with the other factors to preference, are you doing any cornish game hen butchering?, do you want to butcher them all in a weekend? and any other factors the straight run usually works best for small scale. But again it's to your own factors of preference.

 

[JJSS89]

I read from folks that butcher their own that they prefer the straight run as it gives them a break butchering. They butcher the faster growing males one weekend and let the females grow another week or two and then butcher them. As cost's go the males are the best bang for buck for a mere 20 cents more a bird- faster growing. For 10% more initial cost to get all males you shorten growth time for desired weights far more than 10%. But with the other factors to preference, are you doing any cornish game hen butchering?, do you want to butcher them all in a weekend? and any other factors the straight run usually works best for small scale. But again it's to your own factors of preference.

I mostly agree with you, males are certainly faster growing but they are more susceptible to leg issues and faster growing does mean faster eating

But as you stated, for most small operations there is no real reason to not go straight run

 

[TSW99]

I mostly agree with you, males are certainly faster growing but they are more susceptible to leg issues and faster growing does mean faster eating

But as you stated, for most small operations there is no real reason to not go straight run

X2

 

[19disbre]

I would like to do them all in one day/weekend anyhow and I want them as cheap as possible, not that that would make a difference in cost but the faster they grow the more tender correct?