Worried :(

[gritsar]

Thanks for all the reassurances. Tipsy, you're right. I have been overthinking this, as usual.
They have plenty of room, plenty of feeders and waterers. There's no loud distress peeping going on. Everyone seems content. When I just now checked on them, I found three of the broilers outside of the brooder laying in a patch of sunshine, wings spread, sunning themselves. Too cute.
Don't know why I even bother to have a brooder at this point. Nobody stays in it, except the two silkies. The entire porch has become their playground.
I keep meaning to point out that the whole reason these cornish Xs ended up on my doorstep is that they weren't growing to the standard expected of Tyson chicks. Perhaps that will weigh in their favor later on, perhaps not. I sure hope so.
All but two of the cornish chicks now have totally clean and "normal" looking bottoms. No more yucky runny poo. The other two will come around soon I hope.

 

[shadowpaints]

i wanted to say that our first batch of cornish cross (30 last year) did just lay around and get fat.. they were in a small pen by them selves. the batch we did this year, (50) let them free range the back yard with the other chooks. they did great together! we did pen them up the last 2 weeks tho. this last batch didnt hang out at the feeder all day, they grazed on the grass, ate bugs and got treats. they really did ok with the layers (50+ of them!)

i dont really see an issue about raising cornishcross with layers we did and they did ok!

 

[SkyWarrior]

I had 6 Cornish x that I raised with the layers. Not a problem, except everyone scrambled to eat!

Cornish Xs eat a lot. Beyond that, they're mild birds.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
That's what I'm going back and forth on right now. Only way any of them can free range all day is if they go to the coop. Only room for the layer chicks or the broiler chicks in the segregated section of the coop; not both. I'm tempted to put the layer chicks out to the coop this week, as previously planned, but the broiler chicks need to be out there more so they can free range. The layer chicks will most likely stay in the brooder awhile longer.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
Sounds like someone needs to build another fenced area (hint, hint)

 

[redhen]

Just keep an eye on them. I think they will be fine!!!!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Sounds like someone needs to build another fenced area (hint, hint)

Our list of needs grows every day. DH is now approaching four months on workmans comp. and of course that doesn't pay nearly as much as a regular paycheck.

We need a better fence around the yard for the dogs, we need a better fence around the chicken yard/garden area to keep the cows out, we need another coop...............

There's got to be a solution for keeping both the meaties and the layer chicks happy and well, I just haven't thought of it yet. I added two more feeders tonight. I hesitate to buy any more quart waterers when I'll need to buy some bigger (1 or 3 gal.) ones soon, but I can't take a chance on the silkie falling into a big waterer. BTW, the silkie still thinks he's a meatie. Two big sleeping piles in the brooder tonight. One is mostly layer chicks, with a few meaties mixed in. On the other side of the brooder is one big pile of meaties with one little bitty grey spot (the silkie) on top.