Trying to get my meaties to go outside

[dparadise]

I didn't know what I was getting at the TSC when I bought my chickies and ended up with 4 cornish x's. 3 roosters and a hen. They aren't as bad as some I've read about but they will lay down for awhile after eating, which is quite a show somedays! I think that they're the sweetest chickens and that I would have preferred NOT to get them the first time out. Now I have them so I've learned to deal with the fact that it's better for them not to be around after 10 to 12 weeks. My only problem is I don't think I can wait that long, they're just sooooo big already.

I just keep the water and food separate so that they have to move and it does help. They aren't free ranged, I don't trust my dogs that much. They will come running for snacks though, they love grass and will stand in front of me and take it a piece at a time to eat.

 

[Beekissed]

Mine are at 4 wks now and they have a very steep ramp of approx. 1.5 ft. in length they have to traverse to reach water outside and then back up the ramp to reach the food inside. They only get fed in the evenings with the rest of the free range flock but I've noticed they hug that coop a lot, flow in and out throughout the day but do not range as far out as my layers. In the evening, after eats, they tend to range out more into the grass of the orchard and seem to be foraging during those times.

I've noticed this has nothing to do with temps, and they are just not a good foraging type bird and seem to like to rest a lot more than my normal flock. I'm going to cut back on the feed a little, as I think they are remaining in the coop during the day to clean up the previous evening's leftovers. I figure, if they get hungry enough, they will hunt for some food and have to forage to do so.

 

[schmije]

Quote:
If you have cornish x, you'll probably want to butcher them before 10-12 weeks. Typical time is 6-8 weeks. By 7 weeks, mine were big lazy slugs that barely moved around. After dressing they averaged 4.5 lbs, and a few were over 5 lbs! We could have taken them at 6 weeks.