Best hatchery to buy Cornish X ?

[JRast]

looking to buy 125, quality is more important than price.
Any experiences? recommendations?

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I've bought all my Jumbo Cornish Cross chicks from Cackle Hatchery (near Springfield, MO), via mail-order. They always send a few extra, never had one die in transit, and they are healthy. I was once warned to check out the hatchery you choose, to be sure they do their own breeding and not just a middle-man sending you chicks that are actually sourced from somewhere else.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

looking to buy 125, quality is more important than price.
Any experiences? recommendations?

But 125? Seriously??? They will reach full fryer/broiler size in 7-8 weeks. And they are voracious eating/pooping machines! OMG the horrible smelly muddy poopy fly-infested mess they can make! And they get so heavy that they spend much time just laying on their bellies - so they'll rub all the feathers off. If you don't want birds laying tender bare skin on wet bedding (and getting sick), be ready to clean that coop two-three times a week. Better yet, raise them in a chicken tractor so you can just move them around to fresh grass every day.
I've raised four batches 25 each of CornishX over a period of months. Considered trying 50, but my family and I can only process so many in one day! Then considering the mess, I've limited the number to no more than 25 at a time. I've done it in stages, moving 25 to the outdoor coop/run at 4-5 weeks, just days prior to receiving another batch of 25 for the brooder. When they're ready, it allows time to butcher the first 25, clean and re-stock, move the next group of 4-5 wk chicks to the coop, clean the brooder, and ready to receive the next batch of babies.
But be ready..... they grow VERY FAST and are susceptible to obesity causing heart attacks, strokes, and leg deformities. Cackle Hatchery sells a booklet ($5?) with specified feeding instructions and schedule. ***STICK TO THAT SCHEDULE*** like glue, and resist the temptation to give them any extra or supplement with treats.
I've raised four successful batches with this schedule. First batch I had one chick that wasn't thriving and couldn't compete for food, so I separated her with her own feed. She grew so fast the skin on her rump split and I almost lost her again. Second batch produced three chicks with splayed legs and four deaths, I believe due to rough handling in shipment or as hubby brought them home. (I kept them in a separate brooder once I saw they weren't thriving with the others, and tended them several times a day. Still brought them successfully to near-fryer size.) Third or fourth batch, I forget which, produced one chick with splayed legs - but she recovered well enough with treatment to make it to the frypan. My neighbors, on the other hand, tried only one batch - didn't stick to any sort of feeding schedule, and lost them all to deformities and illness.

 

[Rainwing]

But 125? Seriously??? They will reach full fryer/broiler size in 7-8 weeks. And they are voracious eating/pooping machines! OMG the horrible smelly muddy poopy fly-infested mess they can make! And they get so heavy that they spend much time just laying on their bellies - so they'll rub all the feathers off. If you don't want birds laying tender bare skin on wet bedding (and getting sick), be ready to clean that coop two-three times a week. Better yet, raise them in a chicken tractor so you can just move them around to fresh grass every day.
I've raised four batches 25 each of CornishX over a period of months. Considered trying 50, but my family and I can only process so many in one day! Then considering the mess, I've limited the number to no more than 25 at a time. I've done it in stages, moving 25 to the outdoor coop/run at 4-5 weeks, just days prior to receiving another batch of 25 for the brooder. When they're ready, it allows time to butcher the first 25, clean and re-stock, move the next group of 4-5 wk chicks to the coop, clean the brooder, and ready to receive the next batch of babies.
But be ready..... they grow VERY FAST and are susceptible to obesity causing heart attacks, strokes, and leg deformities. Cackle Hatchery sells a booklet ($5?) with specified feeding instructions and schedule. ***STICK TO THAT SCHEDULE*** like glue, and resist the temptation to give them any extra or supplement with treats.
I've raised four successful batches with this schedule. First batch I had one chick that wasn't thriving and couldn't compete for food, so I separated her with her own feed. She grew so fast the skin on her rump split and I almost lost her again. Second batch produced three chicks with splayed legs and four deaths, I believe due to rough handling in shipment or as hubby brought them home. (I kept them in a separate brooder once I saw they weren't thriving with the others, and tended them several times a day. Still brought them successfully to near-fryer size.) Third or fourth batch, I forget which, produced one chick with splayed legs - but she recovered well enough with treatment to make it to the frypan. My neighbors, on the other hand, tried only one batch - didn't stick to any sort of feeding schedule, and lost them all to deformities and illness.

this, i never raised broilers intentionally, but two snuck into a batch of egglayers I had, and I couldn't believe how much weight they put on. first time i ever had to put a chicken on a diet and exercise regimen because the hen was getting obese in the winter and had difficulty standing. we had to process the rooster because he'd take the feathers off of hens as a cockerel and just... eat them. plucking entire hens bare. i've never had a chicken do that before. they love eating so much. it's crazy.

 

[ShrekDawg]

this, i never raised broilers intentionally, but two snuck into a batch of egglayers I had, and I couldn't believe how much weight they put on. first time i ever had to put a chicken on a diet and exercise regimen because the hen was getting obese in the winter and had difficulty standing. we had to process the rooster because he'd take the feathers off of hens as a cockerel and just... eat them. plucking entire hens bare. i've never had a chicken do that before. they love eating so much. it's crazy.

What were you feeding him? Sometimes birds do that if they’re not getting enough protein.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

What were you feeding him? Sometimes birds do that if they’re not getting enough protein.

Cornish X never think they're getting enough to eat. Ever. They'll act like they're starving to death even if they have a full crop. BTW, good point, though - Cornish X need 21-22% protein while growing, not your typical chick or layer feed.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Cornish X never think they're getting enough to eat. Ever. They'll act like they're starving to death even if they have a full crop. BTW, good point, though - Cornish X need 21-22% protein while growing, not your typical chick or layer feed.

Yeah, that makes sense!! Still though, even for them the feather eating behavior seems odd, especially so many/that extreme, which is why I wondered about the protein. If they snuck in with a batch of layers they may have just been eating layer feed which wouldn’t have been nearly enough protein for them.

 

[JRast]

I've bought all my Jumbo Cornish Cross chicks from Cackle Hatchery (near Springfield, MO), via mail-order. They always send a few extra, never had one die in transit, and they are healthy. I was once warned to check out the hatchery you choose, to be sure they do their own breeding and not just a middle-man sending you chicks that are actually sourced from somewhere else.

Are they indeed breeders at Cackle?

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Are they indeed breeders at Cackle?

Yes, they are.

 

[NorthernMIFlock]

I have had excellent experiences with Townline hatchery in Zealand MI. Let me know if you need more info.