What do you feed your Cornish X

[4H-Mom]

I am trying to learn exactly what my daughter should be feeding her Cornish X. I have heard several different things. Please let me know what we should be feeding them. Game Bird feed, Chick feed, Percentages. Help please.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Will they be strictly pets or will you be processing them?

 

[Wolfwoman]

I have been feeding mine broiler/layer feed 20% and so far no troubles.

 

[farmboydj]

all propose poultry

 

[4H-Mom]

She will be showing them at the fair & then selling them in the 4H auction. The few that will be left over will go in the freezer. From my understanding they dont live long. Right now I have a 27% game bird feed but I was told 22% so I also have 2% game bird starter grower. They are chickens. Should they be on Gamebird or broiler orwhat? I am so confused. They are growing fast on the 27%.

 

[farmboydj]

use the broiler it will make them fatter and add weight to them where do you buy your feed ?

 

[4H-Mom]

We get feed at a small feed store called St James Elevator but we also have MFA. I thought about calling them both tomorrow. The elevator is closed on mondays

 

[farmboydj]

that might be the best every feed store has different types of grain and ingredients in them

 

[Beekissed]

Find out what perimeters your market pens of broilers have to have(should be in your project booklet or your fair book)....what are the usual market weight ranges, appearance, etc. Then find out from your 4-H leader what feeds they usually feed and at what rate to achieve this market weight, size, appearance.

We found that, in regards to judging of market pens, being fatter is not necessarily the goal...at least for meat rabbits. I'm sure it would be the same for chickens. If it went solely on just finished weights there would be some seriously big and ill chickens there. Judges usually look for good muscling, general health, uniformity in size and weight(according to criteria) when judging a market pen.

 

[FrozenChicken]

Broilers I always start with Chick Starter for 3 weeks then switch to the growwer blend. At about 4 weeks I give them a percentage of crushed wheat and oats. Above all though with broilers is giving them enough space and making them walk between water and food source. If they don't have enough space you will have legging problems as they will be very fat sitting in the feeders. For great taste 2 weeks before butcher day switch them to straight grain with crushed yellow peas.