Surviving Minnesota!

[lvie]

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I am glad you are okay and healing. Sleep heals. Ouch! I hate it when things like that happen!

 

[duluthralphie]

Hi All,

I just found this Minnesota topic! I live in Isanti.

We just got 12 adult (1 year old) laying hens and 1 rooster a week ago. Averaging 9 eggs a day. Never had chickens before so I have a lot to learn!

I'm interested in maybe getting some cornish cross meat birds as chicks. I understand they go out in the chicken tractor at about 3 weeks.

I'm curious with our climate about when I would want to have the chicks delivered so that at 3 weeks of age the outside temps would be okay for them?

Thanks!

Welcome to the thread, Neighbor!

CX's (Cornish crosses) are fantastic birds. if you do not over feed them. I have mine outside ( when my wife permits me to buy some) at between 2-3 weeks. They can handle the cold pretty good. The heat is harder on them.

How large do you want to grow them?

Then figure what day you want to process them and work backwards to figure the date to get them. Free ranging them makes a great eating bird. When I have mine outside in tractors with small coops, I feed them every night and only what they can eat in 15 minutes or so. I just open the tractor in the morning and let them run, making them forage.

If you feed them too much they will get sickly and die around 6-7 weeks. If you do what the hatcheries say to do 40 days is about it for them, and the birds will be dirty, smelly and lazy.

Last year I raised 70 of them, We had a freezer camp day ( kind of a party/picnic get together) and we processed the birds. I had all hens (my error) I think as I recall they averages 9 lbs at 13 weeks. Roos will go 11-12 lbs. I think as I recall and some here can verify this, but I think I had $7.50 in each bird. People at the camp day bought them at cost.

You are so close I would be happy to help you get set up if you want to raise some.... Maybe you could host the 2016 camp day!

 

[lvie]

R.I.P


Today is a sad day here... We lost one our most beloved flock memberd. Lil' Mrs. Snowball has moved on to the big coop in the sky. She would have been 2 years old this spring

So what happened? Only two years old. I guess I am asking to prepare myself for what is to come. Besides Eagles, and I know what happened to those beautiful Australorps - I still have not recovered from it; I do not really know what to expect for the second year of the chickens. First year is nearly under my belt now. Does that mean I am a first-year experienced chickener?

 

[KlopKlop]

Welcome to the thread, Neighbor!

CX's (Cornish crosses) are fantastic birds. if you do not over feed them. I have mine outside ( when my wife permits me to buy some) at between 2-3 weeks.  They can handle the cold pretty good. The heat is harder on them.

How large do you want to grow them?

Then figure what day you want to process them and work backwards to figure the date to get them.    Free ranging them makes a great eating bird.  When I have mine outside in tractors with small coops, I feed them every night and only what they can eat in 15 minutes or so. I just open the tractor in the morning and let them run, making them forage.

If you feed them too much they will get sickly and die around 6-7 weeks. If you do what the hatcheries say to do 40 days is about it for them, and the birds will be dirty, smelly and lazy.

Last year I raised 70 of them, We had a freezer camp day ( kind of a party/picnic get together) and we processed the birds. I had all hens (my error) I think as I recall they averages 9 lbs at 13 weeks. Roos will go 11-12 lbs.   I think as I recall and some here can verify this, but I think I had $7.50 in each bird.  People at the camp day bought them at cost.

You are so close I would be happy to help you get set up if you want to raise some.... Maybe you could host the 2016 camp day!

Easy now, ralphie! You don't want to scare off the new people

 

[holm25]

So what happened? Only two years old. I guess I am asking to prepare myself for what is to come. Besides Eagles, and I know what happened to those beautiful Australorps - I still have not recovered from it; I do not really know what to expect for the second year of the chickens. First year is nearly under my belt now. Does that mean I am a first-year experienced chickener?

Nah CX dont live long... Something on them gives out eventually

. She just died of old CX age

 

[duluthralphie]

In cattle , goats and horses they often upgrade or breed up from grade stock . Lots of Hereford cattle in the west trace back to a Longhorn momma . I have used this method a lot in chickens . So recessive white Legbar is not hard to make .The Legbar over white Ameraucana would work in a few generations and breed true to Legbar type . So not a big deal for me .

So can I ask what you charge for Legbar chicks ?

Sure,

I had started selling them at $8 a piece for the girls, 5 for the boys.

I had so many orders I could not keep up so I went to $15 the orders have slowed down, but I am still 50 chicks behind, I still sell the roosters a 5.

I know crossbreeding can be good for the animal. I just want all the ones with the recessive white gene, Of course, once I get them the gene will no longer be recessive. I also know this generation with if f3 for me will have a higher concentration of birds with one recessive white which means more white birds than this year. Even if I get no more.

BUT I really want to get you a white Rooster too! I think the one I have left is a rooster which should increase my percentages of white in f4 also.


Now, I also understand how stupid this sounds. I am basically turning a CLB back into a White Leghorn, where it started (that lays blue eggs). I just want to do it with the stock I have and not adding another bird to the mix. I suppose breeding a white leghorn in would speed the process up and increase eggs size. It is just not the way I want to do it.. I am old and retired, I need this silly projects to keep me going.

 

[duluthralphie]

Whats Hwy 169 Princeton? And what is that a picture of under your name? It looks like a meteor soaring through the night sky - I bet the real explanation will be better than that - LOL.

She was just taunting me, letting me know she was close but too good to stop in and have coffee with me...

 

[duluthralphie]

Easy now, ralphie! You don't want to scare off the new people

I am just preparing him!!

 

[duluthralphie]

Nah CX dont live long... Something on them gives out eventually

. She just died of old CX age

A 2 year old CX is a realllllllllly old lady!


I only have one of mine left from last year.

 

[holm25]

A 2 year old CX is a realllllllllly old lady!


I only have one of mine left from last year.

Yeah. R yours on a diet?