Recent content by Morrigan

  1. Morrigan

    Meat bird question

    That is a really good point. When I raised the CX, I would turn them out of the shed they slept in every morning and lock them out. Then I'd shovel out the dirty straw and lay down fresh straw before they were let back in for the night. The last couple of weeks before butchering it was a lot...
  2. Morrigan

    Meat bird question

    I live on a sloped, rocky lot where tractors are not possible. I've raised meat birds using an old shed for them to sleep in and a fenced yard in the daytime. I've also raised small numbers (4 to 6) meat birds mixed in with my regular heritage flock. They are still chickens and can be raised...
  3. Morrigan

    My experience killing and cooking young heritage breed cockerels

    Thanks for sharing all the details of experience. I really enjoyed hearing how you cooked the various cockerels depending on age. I need to try that Thai curry recipe. I've been raising and butchering excess cockerels for many years now. I always label my bags with the type and age when I...
  4. Morrigan

    How Young is Too Young to Join the Flock

    I usually introduce chicks to my flock on a similar timeline to what you propose. At 2 1/2 to 3 weeks, I move them to a sectioned off part of the coop (with a heating plate), and let everyone get used to each other for a few days. I than open a small door in the brooding area that is big...
  5. Morrigan

    Favorite Meat Bird besides Cornish X

    I think you found the secret to success.
  6. Morrigan

    Favorite Meat Bird besides Cornish X

    I like the ranger type meat birds -- sometimes called red rangers, freedoms rangers or even slow broilers. We generally butcher in the 10 to 14 week ranger depending on gender and how they are growing out. I prefer raising them to CX, as I like the extra flavor that slower growth imparts, and...
  7. Morrigan

    Processing Cornish X at 6 weeks?

    Great report! Thanks for sharing. Yes, CX do drink a TON of water, so a bigger waterer is a great idea.
  8. Morrigan

    A Cornish Cross (Breeding?) Journey

    I hope the hatch goes well for you. Broody hens are the best. Very curious to see what you get.
  9. Morrigan

    Question on Sussex chickens and heat

    Sussex tend to be pretty hardy. I've raised mine in (dry heat) temperatures into the 110+ degrees, and haven't lost one yet to the heat. When it gets over 100, I put misters out, which probably wouldn't work in high humidity situations. But, I've also noticed that my Sussex are really good at...
  10. Morrigan

    Processing Cornish X at 6 weeks?

    I hope is all goes well for you! If you think about it, please report back and let us know what the final weights were and whether you were satisfied with the process. A lot of people have similar questions and it's really helpful if they can hear how things turned out.
  11. Morrigan

    Processing Cornish X at 6 weeks?

    I kind of did mine in reverse in terms of protein. They got chick starter for the first 2 or 3 weeks, which is at 18% protein. There were a few heritage chicks in the brooder with them, so I wanted to give a more conventional feed. After they were with the main flock they got purina flock...
  12. Morrigan

    Processing Cornish X at 6 weeks?

    Starting at around 3 weeks, they only had access to feed during the daylight hours (they had to leave the coop for it). Days were long in May when I was raising them, so basically they had access to the outside and the feeders from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  13. Morrigan

    Processing Cornish X at 6 weeks?

    I think you will be fine. They do grow fast near the end. Caveat: it depends a bit on how they are fed/keep, the strain of CX you have, as well as your goals. Some strains grow faster than others, but in my experience they are breeding for faster and faster growth. To relate my own...
  14. Morrigan

    How much meat am I losing if I cull a cockerel at 14 weeks?

    I personally butcher any heritage type cockerels between 13 and 16 weeks old. It depends a bit on how you plan on cooking them, but that to me is the sweet spot. They are not yet creating total havoc in the flock (fighting, chasing hens), yet they are big enough to be worth the butcher, plus...
  15. Morrigan

    The end is always so hard.

    Morrigan is now at peace. We looked in on her around 8 last night and her head was still up, she was alert and she looked comfortable. This morning she was in the same spot but her head was down and she was no longer with us. It looked like a peaceful end. I’m very sad, but also very...
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