When should we cull cronish cross chickens?

[Kr1spy_dreamz]

We have 3 cornish (2 hens and a roo) and they are about 2 months, anyone know when we should cull these meat chickens? We don't know they're weight because we dont have anything to weight them with and their almost the same size as our young hens.

2 of our cornish crosses next to a naked neck chick whos the same age as them.

Of of the cornish crosses next to a naked neck roo and a moulting rir

 

[Kr1spy_dreamz]

Heres the cornish cross rooster that i mentioned

 

[Wezdin]

Pretty, soon, I wouldn't wait any more than 2 weeks, 1 would be better. If you wait much longer they will develop leg and heart problems.

 

[Acre4Me]

Its great that they are moving around well. Usually 8 weeks is a very typical age to butcher. Some people wait longer, some a little less time. They look to be a good size now - have you picked them up to assess their body mass, and size of the breast?

 

[Kr1spy_dreamz]

Its great that they are moving around well. Usually 8 weeks is a very typical age to butcher. Some people wait longer, some a little less time. They look to be a good size now - have you picked them up to assess their body mass, and size of the breast?

They feel sorta heavy, not sure about the breast though we havent be able to weight these chickens sadly since we dont have anything to weigh them with

 

[Acre4Me]

You don’t need to weigh them. A chicken is edible at any size. What type of feed have they been eating? What is the protein content?

 

[RUNuts]

Agree. 8 weeks is usual target. If you are happy with the weight, now is a good time. You can try to wait longer, but watch them for signs of slowing down. I have heard of CX, not sure of strain, getting to 15 pounds live weight. 5-8 pounds is a good size.

 

[Kr1spy_dreamz]

You don’t need to weigh them. A chicken is edible at any size. What type of feed have they been eating? What is the protein content?

Last time i checked it was 16% i believe

 

[Acre4Me]

Last time i checked it was 16% i believe

Ok. Normally meat chicks get a meat bird feed (crumble) from hatch to processing that is often approx 22%. Since they are bred to create muscle very efficiently/quickly from feed, that is where people get the huge carcass at 8 weeks. While yours look big, they do not look as big as mine do at 8 weeks. So, you could keep them as they are being fed 16% and process sometime in the next 2 months when convenient (or just let them live if you didn’t want to process). OR you can get some meat bird feed and separate them to feed them their feed (they only eat that feed), so the bulk up more before processing if you want.

since they did not grow as fast bc their feed was minimum protein, they will not be nearly as likely to have health issues.

good luck!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

8 weeks and 12 weeks are typical dates. I've raised Cornish Cross to 12.8# live weight at 24 weeks using a combination of restricted diet and free ranging (documented in a thread here). Yield was 9.5#, processed. Good for stews, stocks, other long wet cooking methods. NOT a roaster or a fryer. He'd have gone longer still, but for a lot of reasons, he was allowed to free feed near the end, and suddenly his health went into decline - so off with the head.

My second CornishX I took to 30 weeks, then processed. He was heavier still, yielded 3.5# of boneless skinless breast. I combined with pork fat from a shoulder roast and turned it into sausage. Looked like bratwurst, tasted a lot like a hot dog you would actually want to eat. We plowed through them, and I don't actually much like hot dogs. The thighs made a lovely stew for the wife and I. Legs are bringing to be smoked tomorrow.

Neither was remotely cost effective, but at the time, they were my only Roos and I was hoping to get a second batch of birds of any genetics whatsoever, rather than start again come spring...