Yet another Jumbo Cornish Cross Thread

[bluto in mo]

I only lost 1 prolly due to piling. When they were 2 wks old.

 

[j-ro]

I don't mean to hijack your thread but I'm trying to decide when to put my Cornish X rocks outside. My temps are high in 80s and low in 60-70s. The birds are a little over a week old. I lost one yesterday to what I believe to be heat exhaustion. I didn't have a fan on them and they preside in the garage. I placed a fan today with some diffused light and hopefully the rest will survive. I also noticed they were panting. I'm thinking of putting the broader outside for an hour or two after work for a few days before turning them loose into the coop. Thoughts?

 

[slingshotandLAR]

I don't mean to hijack your thread but I'm trying to decide when to put my Cornish X rocks outside. My temps are high in 80s and low in 60-70s. The birds are a little over a week old. I lost one yesterday to what I believe to be heat exhaustion. I didn't have a fan on them and they preside in the garage. I placed a fan today with some diffused light and hopefully the rest will survive. I also noticed they were panting. I'm thinking of putting the broader outside for an hour or two after work for a few days before turning them loose into the coop. Thoughts?

If you do it right the magic number is 3 weeks...

You need to start changing the amount of heat they get after week one. By the end of week 3 they don't need light and can take 40° temps easy.

I just but a batch out that were exactly 3 weeks old and they are doing great

 

[crealbilly]

I don't mean to hijack your thread but I'm trying to decide when to put my Cornish X rocks outside. My temps are high in 80s and low in 60-70s. The birds are a little over a week old. I lost one yesterday to what I believe to be heat exhaustion. I didn't have a fan on them and they preside in the garage. I placed a fan today with some diffused light and hopefully the rest will survive. I also noticed they were panting. I'm thinking of putting the broader outside for an hour or two after work for a few days before turning them loose into the coop. Thoughts?

Your not hijacking please by all means ask away. This is my first ever batch of cornish X but I cut mine loose in-between week 3 and 4 was really because they grew so big there was hardly any room left in the brooder. I hung a heat lamp out there for them and they used it frequently to get warm. I turn it back on if the temp is going to be in the 40s at night and they will use it still.

 

[j-ro]

Thanks I'm in Louisiana. Temps will not go below 60 or 70 at least until October. Plus high humidity haha

 

[crealbilly]

In Southern Illinois here so yea - big difference there

 

[crealbilly]

Wanted to give a update on my CCX - they are delicious

 

[spoikey]

Thanks - 3 weeks can not come soon enough... these chickens are fixing to eat me out of house and home. Never seen a chicken in all my days eat like these things do -Whoo-wee...

Just wait till they are bigger. It's cheap right now. Next time I'll do it different even though I cut corners last year. I won't ever try raising 100 again, ever! We supplemented last year with produce left overs from a fruit and veggie stand which helped a lot. I only fed them growers mash twice a day and they grew just fine. Next time I won't be spending as much on the growers mash since they don't fully digest their food anyway. I have access to something called corn distillers. It's normally for cattle but my regular chickens love it and it's 28% protein. They will still get the veggie scraps and scratch but will get limited growers mash. I'd rather keep them away from so much soy anyway. Bet their poop won't stink as bad either.

 

[spoikey]

I have a 12'x14' (168 sqft) fenced in area for them. I'm going to throw together a 4x8 lean-to with closed in sides and back so they can get out of the weather. Honestly I think I'm just going sink four 4x4s in the ground and build the lean-to around the 4x4s. The perfect chicken shantee - :lol

I need to get them off the screened in porch pretty soon.

They need a completely enclosed area to sleep in at night. Predators can and will climb fences or do anything possible to get at them.

 

[spoikey]

Guess I need to read dates before responding to posts. LOL