Will my 6 week old Cornish Crosses / Rocks reach a weight of 9 pounds.

[johnscalido]

I know it sounds a bit of a cliche but I have been growing cornish crosses for 6 weeks now. The average weight is about 5.5 pounds currently. I have been weighing them every week now. I spoke to a someone last night on the phone and he told me that I will never reach a goal weight of 9 pounds. He said I will need a Plymouth Rock that will need to be fed for at least 62 weeks. Is this at all true. I have seen on feathersite.com Cornish crosses reach a weight of 20 pounds. Will my Cornish Crosses reach a goal weight of 9 pounds and by what age!

 

[danischi24]

Yes your cornish crosses will reach that weight easily. Just try to minimize the heart attacks as they get big by looking up tips in this section. I hear asprin is good. Cornish cross are bred to grow massive so if you look at how much they are gaining per week now, you should be able to calculate how long it will take them to get to your goal weight. Maybe also try the small turkeys if you want very big birds though cornish cross will easily go 9 pounds.

 

[johnscalido]

Thank you so much buddy. A quick question though. I am a bit more clued up with laying hens than with cornish crosses. I bought my Day olds a Pet Store in Alabama. They said they bought it from Aviagen. abd that They are Ross birds. So this means that they are Cornish Cross right. I need the birds to grow to 9 pounds. What can I use to prevent heart attacks.

 

[Winsor Woods]

5.5 lbs in 6 weeks is a cornish cross type of growth rate. I can't think of any other chicken that would grow that fast. My birds will reach 9 lbs live weight by about week 9 give or take. I don't do anything special to prevent heart attacks except to restrict their opportunity for feeding by the 12 hours on, 12 hours off method. Last year, I let part of my batch go to 11 and 12 weeks. I had some 15 lbs roos and some 12 lbs hens (live weight.) Don't worry about them, you'll have 9 lb birds before you know it. around week 5 they start a growth spurt that is unreal. You can actually get a pound/week/bird growth weight or even more during their spurt before it tapers off.

Dan

 

[johnscalido]

Quote:
Thanks buddy. It might come as a stupid question but what exactly do you mean by "I don't do anything special to prevent heart attacks except to restrict their opportunity for feeding by the 12 hours on, 12 hours off method". What is the 12 hours on, 12 hours off method. Do you feed the birds for 12 hours during the day and then take the feed away for 12 hours.

 

[johnscalido]

Another question. We had a very cold night last night in Alabama. I live in a farming community just south of Alabama. One of my Cornish Crosses got up this morning and looks very strange, his head is sort of twisted. Is this the dreaded "Newcastle" disease. Is his neck just stiff from the cold. He cannot keep his up up straight, it is sort of hanging to the side. He is feeding and drinking normally. Is there anything that I can do.

 

[danischi24]

Yes, they are cornish cross-no other chicken grows anything like them. 12 hours on-off is 12 hours food, 12 hours no food. Your bird may have an injury if he is acting normal apart from the twisted neck. Newcastles birds act sick.

 

[danischi24]

Repost X10!

 

[danischi24]

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[danischi24]

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