Raising Cornish Crosses For Meat!

[9SpiceyChickens]

Why hello there!
(This is my new discussion post, so feel free to drop a tip or two!)

I'm raising 4 cx for meat this year in 4h. We are doing the market trio and the birds need to be in between 3.5 and 6 pounds for fair!

I am only raising 4, because we aren't going to raising 185 chicks (read: 20 chicks) and then only use 3.

So, give me some input on what I should do!

(Chick Pix coming soon!)

 

[Newyorkrita]

Well if your only going to need 3 for the fair it sure would help to have extras so that you can choose the best to actually bring to enter.

 

[Parront]

Why hello there!
(This is my new discussion post, so feel free to drop a tip or two!)

I'm raising 4 cx for meat this year in 4h. We are doing the market trio and the birds need to be in between 3.5 and 6 pounds for fair!

I am only raising 4, because we aren't going to raising 185 chicks (read: 20 chicks) and then only use 3.

So, give me some input on what I should do!

(Chick Pix coming soon!)

Do you have to weigh them in (or buy the chicks) on a particular date? Our fair requires the birds to be bought from a local vendor at a certain time to be eligible. If it were my project, I would get twice as many as I needed.

 

[newbie645]

I usually raise small batches and tend to lose about 5% most times so you should definitely raise more than 4. Also as mentioned above, you can chose the best quality as some of them tend to grow a bit larger/smaller than the others.

 

[9SpiceyChickens]

Sorry, about not responding!
10 Days from fair, and we are doing... Okay I guess?
1 Bird is 6 LBs, she's a lost cause. (Chick-Fil-A aka CFA)
1 Bird is 4 LBs 12 oz, so he is awesome! (Chicken Nugget aka CN)
1 Bird is 5 LBs 4 oz, so I think he will be good! (Buffalo Wild Wings aka BWW)
Then 1 is 5 LBs 10 oz. (Popeyes or P)

So, I am asking about Popeyes, the 5 LB 10 oz one. We are going to limit his food and separate him from the others during feeding time. I'm also going to be walking him. What else could/should I do?



(Also, the reason I don't have 10 or 15 is because we do not have room for 10/15.

 

[Parront]

Sorry, about not responding!
10 Days from fair, and we are doing... Okay I guess?
1 Bird is 6 LBs, she's a lost cause. (Chick-Fil-A aka CFA)
1 Bird is 4 LBs 12 oz, so he is awesome! (Chicken Nugget aka CN)
1 Bird is 5 LBs 4 oz, so I think he will be good! (Buffalo Wild Wings aka BWW)
Then 1 is 5 LBs 10 oz. (Popeyes or P)

So, I am asking about Popeyes, the 5 LB 10 oz one. We are going to limit his food and separate him from the others during feeding time. I'm also going to be walking him. What else could/should I do?



(Also, the reason I don't have 10 or 15 is because we do not have room for 10/15.

Sounds like you are worried that Popeyes will get too heavy to go to the fair, am I right? Is he having trouble walking? Do the bigger ones keep the others away from the feeder? Have you been giving them some green food? If you can't pen them on the lawn, you could give them some good quality alfalfa hay, may be wet it first and hang it up in their cage with a little wire basket. Just don't let it lay on the floor. Greenery from the grocery store produce section works well and is sometimes free for the asking. To limit weight gain you can give all the food they will eat for 15 minutes, twice a day. Feed in a trough feeder all that they can eat, remove in 15 min, but give greens instead if they will still eat. They will fill up on less-fatening greens if they are really hungry. (They are)!

 

[9SpiceyChickens]

Sounds like you are worried that Popeyes will get too heavy to go to the fair, am I right? Is he having trouble walking? Do the bigger ones keep the others away from the feeder? Have you been giving them some green food? If you can't pen them on the lawn, you could give them some good quality alfalfa hay, may be wet it first and hang it up in their cage with a little wire basket. Just don't let it lay on the floor. Greenery from the grocery store produce section works well and is sometimes free for the asking. To limit weight gain you can give all the food they will eat for 15 minutes, twice a day. Feed in a trough feeder all that they can eat, remove in 15 min, but give greens instead if they will still eat. They will fill up on less-fatening greens if they are really hungry. (They are)!

Yes I am worried about him!
He is walking fine. They don't roost, but they can all run around the coop fine!
When they were fed together they all ate, not keeping food from each other.
We have a garden by were they are, do you think tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce would work?

UPDATE: Popeyes, the almost overweight one, just pushed over the screen to separate them! Luckily I was just about to take it out (the screen) and he didn't smash the other chickens (which is good).

 

[Parront]

Yes I am worried about him!
He is walking fine. They don't roost, but they can all run around the coop fine!
When they were fed together they all ate, not keeping food from each other.
We have a garden by were they are, do you think tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce would work?

UPDATE: Popeyes, the almost overweight one, just pushed over the screen to separate them! Luckily I was just about to take it out (the screen) and he didn't smash the other chickens (which is good).

Extra produce from your garden is perfect. Less fattening, still tasty and filling & healthy for them. You want nice shiny feathers! Another trick is to place the water and food on opposite sides of their enclosure, to make them move more. In 10 days your big guy could go over 6lbs. Try to make him work for his food, not just sit by the feeder like they like. The trick is to not make them hot, early mornings let them "forage" for those extra garden goodies, before the regular feed. Give the smallest one a little extra, you want them to be "matched" looking. Good luck!

 

[9SpiceyChickens]

Extra produce from your garden is perfect. Less fattening, still tasty and filling & healthy for them. You want nice shiny feathers! Another trick is to place the water and food on opposite sides of their enclosure, to make them move more. In 10 days your big guy could go over 6lbs. Try to make him work for his food, not just sit by the feeder like they like. The trick is to not make them hot, early mornings let them "forage" for those extra garden goodies, before the regular feed. Give the smallest one a little extra, you want them to be "matched" looking. Good luck!

Okay, thank you!

 

[Parront]

Okay, thank you!

One of the guys on here only feeds his Cornish-X once, in the evening, to keep their weight down. They free-range all day pretty well. Does not sound like you have that much space. Also, raise up the feeders so they have to stand up and streach to get to the food. They like to just sit by a feeder and eat, not even standing up.