New addition of meat chickens

[CoM]

For a long time we had talked about adding some meat chickens (Rock-Cornish hybrids) to our small flock of egg layers. I had kind of decided against it based on all I had read about them.

 

However someone on Craigslist in our area had 23 chicks for sale as they were moving and could not bring them. We kept 13 and a friend took 10 of them. We decided to "try them" hoping that we would be some of the very satisfied people who raise them without severe health problems.

 

We have 5 chicken tractors that hubby built and were only using 3 so we had the space for the new additions.

 

Here is the "temporary set up we built for them. The chicks are 4 wks old. We will only be keeping them about another 8 wks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Same type of tractor just raised for the other chickens.

[themartianchick]

Very nice setup you have there! I think I smell fried chicken wafting from my computer speakers...

[Cat]

You may have some problems with their feet, they can tend to get crooked and lame or hobbling because they grow SO fast. But having them on real grass will help that a lot.

 

They will be *UGLY*, as they grow faster than their feathers can cover the skin.

 

But you will never have a better-tasting chicken.

 

They are well worth the trouble.

 

[Ambergris]

Oh, yum!

[motherearth]

cornish cross chickens are great....but over the years we have done a lot of studying them, found you let them have all the feed they want for the first couple of weeks and then feed once a day and a lot of water and have less problems with their legs breaking down....because you are feeding less protein.....also some hatcheries are carrying red cornish cross and they grow somewhat slower and have less problems and they still grow big.....i can't let mine run , because of crows as they carry off the little ones and then we have turkey buzzards sometimes during the day and eagles......we have a big brooder house and only keep the cornish cross for 6 weeks for fryers and 10-14 weeks for roasters.....have had them get to 14 lbs slaughter weight...taker care and keep the faith

[Cat]

Thanks for the feeding info, motherearth! It hurts to be raising animals, even for food, and watch them appear to suffer from poorly shaped legs that hobble them.

[Lisa in GA]

Just processed 50 three weeks ago and 20 more this week. I have 8 more to go next week. i cannot tell you how good they are. i tried them last year and find it hard to go back to store bought ever again. i did get a whiz bang type chicken plucker this year and love it.

 

All my Cornish Rock crosses I left whole for broilers and the biggers as Roasters/baking chickens but I am raising about 50 RIR and Buff roosters to cut up for frying chickens this year as well.

 

Lisa in GA