FunClucks
Crowing
I'm trying to grow and process some meat chickens for the first time. Would like recommendations for which Cornish Cross strain to purchase, and from where. I've heard that different strains have different qualities. If this goes well, I'll probably do it again. If it goes poorly, I may not. The options I'm considering and my management plan are below.
I have (will have) a 10ft by 30 ft by 6ft tall fixed enclosure (covered combination open-air coop/run) that I can subdivide as/if needed. Space will open up in the coop around mid-May to mid-June. I live in north Alabama, so from May-Aug or June-Sept is when I'd be raising the Cornish X. Temps will be in the high 80s-90s for most of the time, and may occasionally reach 100F. Humidity is generally high. I have transparent tarp for the entire run, and will add a dark tarp to provide plenty of shade as needed (moderate tree cover). Ventilation is excellent, as it's basically a large dog kennel completely covered in hardware cloth with a 3 ft apron. I plan to provide 12 hrs of food a day (put it out in the morning, bring it in in the evening), and I can vary the food location to encourage them to walk around. Water will be in 5 gallon buckets with horizontal nipple drinkers set up on cinderblocks. I plan to feed the Purina Meat Bird non-medicated crumbles. ~6" deep of tree service wood chips for the run floor, I will scatter a small amount of scratch each day to encourage them to mix the poop into the bedding, and to walk around. Occasional treats like cut up apples or garden veggies on hanging chicken skewers.
I like the flavor of grocery store chickens, but wouldn't mind something with more flavor. I don't like anything gamey. I'm interested in Cornish Cross because the birth to harvest time is the shortest, and I might be able to do more than one batch this year if this first attempt goes well. I don't free range my eggers (in a separate coop), and I won't free range these guys due to the high predator load. I also don't have enough open flat ground to move around a chicken tractor that would be large enough for ~20-25 chicks.
I plan to process them by hand (no plucker) by myself around 8-10 weeks, and I estimate I'd process about 4-5 a day? It would take about two weekends to get a batch processed.
- Rural King (sources from Hoovers Hatchery) - day old chicks off the shop floor.
- Purchasing shipped day old chicks or hatching eggs from a hatchery - I've checked out several hatcheries but am confused about which strain of Cornish X would be best for me to try.
I have (will have) a 10ft by 30 ft by 6ft tall fixed enclosure (covered combination open-air coop/run) that I can subdivide as/if needed. Space will open up in the coop around mid-May to mid-June. I live in north Alabama, so from May-Aug or June-Sept is when I'd be raising the Cornish X. Temps will be in the high 80s-90s for most of the time, and may occasionally reach 100F. Humidity is generally high. I have transparent tarp for the entire run, and will add a dark tarp to provide plenty of shade as needed (moderate tree cover). Ventilation is excellent, as it's basically a large dog kennel completely covered in hardware cloth with a 3 ft apron. I plan to provide 12 hrs of food a day (put it out in the morning, bring it in in the evening), and I can vary the food location to encourage them to walk around. Water will be in 5 gallon buckets with horizontal nipple drinkers set up on cinderblocks. I plan to feed the Purina Meat Bird non-medicated crumbles. ~6" deep of tree service wood chips for the run floor, I will scatter a small amount of scratch each day to encourage them to mix the poop into the bedding, and to walk around. Occasional treats like cut up apples or garden veggies on hanging chicken skewers.
I like the flavor of grocery store chickens, but wouldn't mind something with more flavor. I don't like anything gamey. I'm interested in Cornish Cross because the birth to harvest time is the shortest, and I might be able to do more than one batch this year if this first attempt goes well. I don't free range my eggers (in a separate coop), and I won't free range these guys due to the high predator load. I also don't have enough open flat ground to move around a chicken tractor that would be large enough for ~20-25 chicks.
I plan to process them by hand (no plucker) by myself around 8-10 weeks, and I estimate I'd process about 4-5 a day? It would take about two weekends to get a batch processed.