Summertime Meat Birds?

[teriz1091]

Does anyone try raising Cornish X in the middle of summer?
I’m in Kansas, summers are 90-100+ degrees with high humidity.
I’m currently finishing a batch of 11 birds that will be processed end of June. I’m considering ordering more chicks soon, which would mean an August butcher date. They would have to last through the heat of a Kansas summer. In the past, I’ve done fall or spring birds.
Attached is a picture of our meat bird pen. It’s 6’x15’, covered top, positioned in constant shade, & we mounted a box fan in the corner to keep air moving.
Think they could manage the heat ok, or think I’d be better off waiting until later in the summer to order & butchering when getting into cooler weather?

 

[RUNuts]

I did it in the Houston heat. Did not like it. I'd recommend waiting for fall. The birds didn't gain as much weight and were constantly panting. Lighter than the spring batch.

Looking back, I needed more shade. They were let loose in the garden to clean and fertilize with a tractor and a couple of shady spots. Not the best.

Best wishes!

 

[Compost King]

I like getting them in August and processing them in October. The first few weeks they handle the heat fine and i do not have to give them brooder heat. This year I got them in June due to Welps June CornishX sale. Likely I will process them very early and fill the freezer with Cornish Game Hens. The bigger they get the less they handle the heat.

 

[Parront]

I see a couple of open beaks like they are panting and hot now, and it is only June. I think that August is a good time to get chicks if you can keep them from overheating while they are being shipped. It is a pain processing in August heat, if you are having to do it your self.

 

[Folly's place]

Definitely not summer!
Early spring or fall are much better for everyone.
Last year we got a few Cornishx around Sept. 1st, and processed them in late October, and it worked out well.
Mary

 

[ShannonR]

I lost 2 today, I'm reasonably sure the heat did them in. I hadn't planned to get summer meat birds, I got them from someone else who bought them and didn't know what to do with em. I know better than to raise them throughout the summer but these kind of fell into my lap.

My current question: The remaining birds are almost Cornish game hen size. It is supposed to get hotter, next week it is supposed to be around 108 degrees. We have dry heat here, not humid. Should I just cut my losses and process out the tiny things, or try to take measures to keep them cooler (options are somewhat limited), or what?

 

[Compost King]

I received my meat birds yesterday, Because they are on sale. One of the benefits of getting CornishX in june is that I can brood them without electricity. And just my luck we are having the coldest June I have experienced... which includes the cool junes I spent in Western NY for 25 years. I used Hot Water bottles at first but eventually moved to a heating plate.

 

[RUNuts]

I lost 2 today, I'm reasonably sure the heat did them in. I hadn't planned to get summer meat birds, I got them from someone else who bought them and didn't know what to do with em. I know better than to raise them throughout the summer but these kind of fell into my lap.

My current question: The remaining birds are almost Cornish game hen size. It is supposed to get hotter, next week it is supposed to be around 108 degrees. We have dry heat here, not humid. Should I just cut my losses and process out the tiny things, or try to take measures to keep them cooler (options are somewhat limited), or what?

Personal choice.

They are game hen size and I would think 2-3 pounds? They should be able to handle the heat but it may be hotter later when they are less able to deal with it. Were the combs blue indicating heart failure? Are they in a tractor? I opened my tractors to let them wander to find shade in a fenced area. They spread out and looked for tall grass and a breeze.

I would provide shade and attempt to keep them cool to finish growing. My goal is a rotisserie chicken. If you are happy with this size, process.

 

[Parront]

I lost 2 today, I'm reasonably sure the heat did them in. I hadn't planned to get summer meat birds, I got them from someone else who bought them and didn't know what to do with em. I know better than to raise them throughout the summer but these kind of fell into my lap.

My current question: The remaining birds are almost Cornish game hen size. It is supposed to get hotter, next week it is supposed to be around 108 degrees. We have dry heat here, not humid. Should I just cut my losses and process out the tiny things, or try to take measures to keep them cooler (options are somewhat limited), or what?

When they are that uncomfortable they will not put on much weight. If you have low humidity you could try misters and big pans of water with ice blocks. They might stay alive but still not gain much weight for all that extra work. Cornish game hen is kind of nice when you look at the alternative.

 

[ShannonR]

Personal choice.

They are game hen size and I would think 2-3 pounds? They should be able to handle the heat but it may be hotter later when they are less able to deal with it. Were the combs blue indicating heart failure? Are they in a tractor? I opened my tractors to let them wander to find shade in a fenced area. They spread out and looked for tall grass and a breeze.

I would provide shade and attempt to keep them cool to finish growing. My goal is a rotisserie chicken. If you are happy with this size, process.

They aren't game hen size yet, I got them less than 2 weeks ago. I put some cardboard up on top and against the sunny sides of their fence to provide more shade today, hope it helps. Their shade structure is absolutely hideous looking, though!
There is no way I am going to let them out of their pen, they are in a temporary fence in my garden. I can move their entire run, but have limited spaces to put them. They have to stay in the fenced garden area because of the puppy and most of the space is taken by plants right now.

I'm looking at moving the entire garden fence out a bit so they have a bigger place to roam but it will not solve the shade problem at all. The whole yard gets full sun. There are city setback requirements that dictate I can't put them in shadier parts of the property...which is so stupid. Because of the size and shape of my property, the only place they can legally go is smack in the middle of my front yard, lol