Will Cornish cross need a roosting area?

[DreamsInPink]

Do they want to roost? I have 6 that are 6 weeks old. I'll be moving them to the coop this weekend.

Also, will they go back to the coop in the evenings once I start letting them outside?

 

[blucoondawg]

Roosts aren't a good idea for meat birds they are so heavy they could break a leg or hip jumping down, you could put very low bars in, I mean a couple inches high, but roost bars also will create breast blisters. I feel you are best off without them, my meat birds don't really roost much anyways maybe half the batch will try to roost the others don't bother

 

[DreamsInPink]

Yeah, I was thinking maybe 6 or 8 inches for them.... as long as they don't try to get up on the regular roosts. That would be a problem.

What about them going up and down the ramp out of the coop everyday? Do they typically do that? My ramp is going to be a lot wider than most I've seen. Probably at least a foot wide.

 

[blucoondawg]

I don't keep meat birds in my coop they make a mess and eat different feed than the layers and they'd eat it all. My meat birds are raised on the ground in a hoop coop and allowed to wander around the yard if they want

 

[DreamsInPink]

Well that raises even more questions for me... if I need separate quarters for the meat birds, but I really don't anticipate a problem. I may or may not change their feed to a higher % protein. If I don't, then they are fine with the hens. It depends on what kind of weights I get out of this first run. I don't have any problem with them eating all the food. They are in with 5 Isa Browns now, and they get their share. My Cornish Cross don't eat constantly, like a lot of people make it sound. I mean, they eat! For sure... but they do their fair share of laying around being lazy and resting those poor legs as well. More than ample time for the girls to eat.

 

[blucoondawg]

When you only have 6 you won't have so many issues but the more they grow the more they'll eat, it's hard to restrict feed from a meat bird and supply feed to a lying flock in the same coop. I have 40 birds in my laying coop as it is, last year I ordered 50 meat birds and 25 layers to replace some of my flock with the hens and butcher the roosters for fryers, I can't be having that many meat birds in my coop. Also having them in a hoop coop I can simply move the coop when I'm done and scrape the mess away with my tractor, much less labor intensive to keep clean than my shed coop which needs to be shoveled out by hand

 

[DreamsInPink]

Well yeah... 6 is a much more do-able number. But, in the future, I plan on having more at a time. Maybe not 50. lol I'd rather have a continuous rotation of 15-20 maybe, than have them all at once. I've actually grown rather fond of my 6. They are sweet and calm. And very inquisitive. I feel they get a very bad rap because they do exactly what they were bred to do. Lay around and pack on the pounds.

 

[blucoondawg]

How big is your coop? Are you out in the country or in town?

 

[DreamsInPink]

Coop is 10x20 and will have a very large run and also free range once I trust them enough to stay home. We are in the country. I have about 10 acres.

 

[blucoondawg]

You've got a pretty large coop then AI doing a few meat birds should be good just know they are far messier than layers, once you expand you may want to do a separate enclosure, the hoop coop works well and it's cheap all they need is basic shelter from rain and sun. You shouldn't have a problem with them staying home chickens won't usually wander very far from the coop