Had it to here with Cornish X !

I got my day-old CCs on April 1st. Took them to be processed on August 4th, so they had 4 full months to grow. They free ranged in a big pen and were fed a good grain mix we blended for them ourselves by following the recommendations for growing meat chickens. I bought a couple bags of grower pellets to add in with the ground grain for good measure. I also added vitamins to the water. They never lacked for food, except when they went in to sleep at night. But they sure packed away a pile of feed!!

I'm not new to cornish cross - been growing them off and on for years. These should have had everything they needed to grow fast and put on good weight.

Well, I was pretty darn disappointed when they weighed in at an average of 1.8 kg or just under 4 lbs. I would have expected to AVERAGE 5 - 6 pounds! Not the little 4 pounders I ended up with, considering the amount of growing time they got. A couple were as big as 2.5 kg, but lots of puny ones to bring the average down. (this was packaged weight with no giblets or neck).

One thing that interested me was a comment made by the owner of Messinger meats in mirror where I took them for processing. He said "Chickens have been a pain this year. So many people are cancelling their booked butcher dates asking for an extension to grow them longer."

I am convinced this lack of performance is due to the quality of the birds. They grew much more slowly this year, much like my Orpingtons or Chanteclers.

Well, I've had it with meat hybrids. I'm tired of lame birds and stupid birds that die for no reason. I've put up with it in the past for the convenience of fast growth. But now I'm not even getting a fast growing chicken any more!! This year was the final straw thats convinced me to abandon commercial chickens entirely. Nothing for me now but heritage breed chickens. (and maybe, just maybe a few heritage turkeys for special occasions when you need a really big bird on the platter!!)

Ours put on weight quite nicely this year. They ended up being about 12 weeks old. We started with 52 CGs and ended with around 27 or 28. Just not good enough as we lost nearly half and not really for known causes. We butchered them ourselves because taking only 27 to be butchered meant none to sell and only barely enough for us. They are a bit tough because they didn't let them sit long enough before freezing.

Hi KathyS, our meat processor told us that us 'small producers' are getting the junk and that the 'large producers' are getting the quality birds. I don't know if this is a fact or not but I do know that my meat birds have steadily declined for the past three years in size and vigor. Our first year as newbies our average bird was around 7 lbs, the next year around 5.5 lbs and last year they weighed in at a whopping 4ish lbs with some as small as 3ish. we did not change anything at all, maybe fewer birds in the batches so that it was easier on us but thats it!! I too am sooo disappointed with the whole meat bird dilemma. I am going out to my friends acerage on Tuesday to check out her Freedom Rangers weight and do some chicken nerding with her. I am very curious as to what they will weigh. She has been very happy with the way they look and their more 'chicken like' behavior so far. I haven't even done a batch of meat birds this year but its slim pickings in my freezer for home grown meat birds so I may just have to do one batch of something....

XOX Monika

I am only doing my own heritage birds this year - my roosters from my replacement hatch. I'm sorry to hear this. It's really sad to think that we're getting the dregs, and I wonder how that could be when chicks are sold as day-olds, but believe me nothing would surprise me when it comes to big factory industry vs. the small farmer/us.

I wonder if weather could have played any factor in this?? It was a much cooler spring in our end of the country at least.

I'm interested to learn again about the Freedom Rangers. I know it was discussed on ACE but I don't go there anymore. Any one here sell chicks? I've certainly heard nothing but good about them.

hmmm i had 50 to start lost 5 and average butchered weight after 11 weeks was 6.7 lbs got chicks from millers i think called cornish giants but cant really remember

i have large fowl white cornish rooster is a year and i bet only weighs 7 lbs live

I bought the cornish Giants from Rochester this year, it has been my best year yet! I did not loose 1 to leg problems or heart problems. I bought them in the first week of May, and butchered them at 10 or 11 weeks, the smalled was 6.5lbs, and my largest was 8.5 lbs
I started them on chick grower for a month, and then moved them to 16%, and only let them eat for half hr in the morning and at night, I was very happy

We have had good and bad years with CGs. All of them with the exception of 2003 when there was no northern transportation into Barriere have been from Millers. We also ordered 25 Cornish crosses from McMurrays one year with an order of Brahmas and Wyandottes. We raised 5 to butchering age. We had one batch where we ordered 25 and butchered 27 because they put in 2 extras. They are too unpredictable for my liking. I ordered 25 Isabrowns this spring and with the couple extras I have very close to 25. I lost one or two to crowding and a bunch of CGs flattened one other as I had them in together for lack of facilities. The Isabrowns are predictable: the CGs are not.

YOu have to wonder about the feed.

WIth the price of corn going up, can feed factories change their recipe without telling us? Perhaps what they used to use to attain their 16% protein isn't what they use anymore. Perhaps not all proteins are as easily available to the chicken's system. SO while it might be the truth that your grower pellets are 16% protein, maybe it is from ground up pavement instead of corn, and maybe chickens don't grow so well on ground up pavement as they do on corn.

I know that the hen scratch I buy now is a far cry from the hen scratch I bought 4 years ago. At one point one company quit putting in any corn at all and tossed in peas. There was almost a revolt in the hen yard! And the other company, instead of the generous amount of flattened corn kernels now throws in a measley hanful of cracked corn. This keeps the price reasonable but it is not the same product!

Rosewood, you're not that far away. You should consider a drive to Armstrong to pick up some chicks from the hatchery. I have been buying from them for years now, no mail stress for my babies, right from egg to my waiting hands. THey always toss in extra...for me up to 12 extra! They need homes for those few chicks that hatch with a few black feathers, the larger producers don't want to take them, they get picked on apparently. Theirs are called a cob.

uno wrote:YOu have to wonder about the feed.

WIth the price of corn going up, can feed factories change their recipe without telling us? Perhaps what they used to use to attain their 16% protein isn't what they use anymore. Perhaps not all proteins are as easily available to the chicken's system. SO while it might be the truth that your grower pellets are 16% protein, maybe it is from ground up pavement instead of corn, and maybe chickens don't grow so well on ground up pavement as they do on corn.

I know that the hen scratch I buy now is a far cry from the hen scratch I bought 4 years ago. At one point one company quit putting in any corn at all and tossed in peas. There was almost a revolt in the hen yard! And the other company, instead of the generous amount of flattened corn kernels now throws in a measley hanful of cracked corn. This keeps the price reasonable but it is not the same product!

Wouldn't surprise me. Given that they are doing it with groceries right now (increased prices, smaller packages), I wouldn't be at all surprised if they were using cheaper ingredients in the livestock feed.

Another possibility is that the are always tinkering with their genetics. I know that brown layers have changed from what they were just a few years ago. Maybe they have been working with the breeding and the small producers are getting the chaff (so to speak).

Given the two possibilities, I'm thinking the feed is more likely.

There has been a lot of issues with the cornish in the past and although they are a fast growing bird they don't come without here problems .I quit raising them after the last batch a few years ago actually canibilised them selves ? Fifty to start with and when there were two left .........one ate the other ?? Very skitish and although I questioned the supplier they had no answers ! and they were feed a comercial feed ( I also talked to that supplier )I might order in some Rangers this spring as well , heard a lot of people switching over .Just a question ...........are you sure that you got "" your "" birds back ?? You would have had a fairly good idea of there weight when you loaded them ?? Just asking because I have known a few people who this has happened to , somehow they got switched with someone else's order ??

Prairie Dog, that is just horrible, were you sure it was the others eating the others, smiling. Guess that cannibalism can happen in any breed of living thing, but oh, to think that sweet chickens would do that is awful. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

uno wrote:YOu have to wonder about the feed.

WIth the price of corn going up, can feed factories change their recipe without telling us? Perhaps what they used to use to attain their 16% protein isn't what they use anymore. Perhaps not all proteins are as easily available to the chicken's system. SO while it might be the truth that your grower pellets are 16% protein, maybe it is from ground up pavement instead of corn, and maybe chickens don't grow so well on ground up pavement as they do on corn.

I know that the hen scratch I buy now is a far cry from the hen scratch I bought 4 years ago. At one point one company quit putting in any corn at all and tossed in peas. There was almost a revolt in the hen yard! And the other company, instead of the generous amount of flattened corn kernels now throws in a measley hanful of cracked corn. This keeps the price reasonable but it is not the same product!

Rosewood, you're not that far away. You should consider a drive to Armstrong to pick up some chicks from the hatchery. I have been buying from them for years now, no mail stress for my babies, right from egg to my waiting hands. THey always toss in extra...for me up to 12 extra! They need homes for those few chicks that hatch with a few black feathers, the larger producers don't want to take them, they get picked on apparently. Theirs are called a cob.

Actually, corn isn't much of a quality feed source at all. Corn is used as a filler and just puts fat on the birds. It has little nutrients as compared to other grains. The birds like it because it is sweet tasting. I would much rather have a bag of scratch filled with peas over corn any day! Very little protein in corn but lots in peas!

At Master Feeds, Their Hen Scratch is so inconsistent, I have started blending my own scratch for my birds. One day a bag will have mostly wheat, then a few weeks later another bag will be mostly barley, Then another will be mostly oats. In fact, I have even had bags that had pellets of some sorts in the mix. I've asked them why the inconsistency and they said there shouldn't be. They've said to just bring the bag back and they will give me my money back. Like I'm going to go through that bother! I just don't buy it from them!

I appreciate all the comments here. Seems like mixed results with the meat birds this year. I know I was using a better feed mix than previous years with my Dad's almost-organic, number 1 grade wheat being the main ingredient, along with some oats and barley. I honestly do not believe the feed was at fault in my situation, although the weather certainly could have played a part. We did have an unusually cold, wet spring and the chickens may have put more energy into staying warm...energy that they might otherwise have put into growth.

I'm also interested in the Freedom Rangers. Even though they are also a meat hybrid, from what I've heard they are less prone to the leg and heart weaknesses that plague the cornish giants/cornish cross. They are more expensive to buy, which makes me think I'd be farther ahead butchering my own heritage roos. I have quite a few this year, so will be interested to compare thier dressed weights with the so-called meat chickens I just got processed.

*edited because the wheat I used wasn't certified organic and didn't want to mislead anyone. But it was grown on newly broken land without fertilizer or weed sprays, so close enough to organic to make me happy.

Cathyjk wrote:hmmm i had 50 to start lost 5 and average butchered weight after 11 weeks was 6.7 lbs got chicks from millers i think called cornish giants but cant really remember

i have large fowl white cornish rooster is a year and i bet only weighs 7 lbs live

Last year our Miller Hatchery's "fat chicks" finished out at average weight of 6 1/2 lbs. at 9 weeks old. We had a few that dressed out over 8 lbs. and a few at 5 1/2 lbs., but over all they were very good!!!

Since the Edmonton store was closed down this year, I didn't bother with Miller's or Rochester's. I can't be bothered to drive that far to their store in Westlock to get the chicks and I definitely will not pay Canada Post to screw things up for me! Instead, I got 64 day olds from a colony close by here who buys their birds from Maple Leaf Hatchery in Wetaskewin.

Over the last few years I have heard good things about Maple Leaf's birds and I was very glad to finally get a chance to try these birds out for my self! They are just over two weeks old now and so far, knock on wood, I haven't had any issues at all with them. They do seem to be a bit slower growing, but I will see by how much in another week or so. Over all, so far I am happy. Especially since there are still 64 peepers running around!

That's interesting Dark Wing Duck. I had no idea there was a hatchery in Wetaskiwin. I wonder where they get thier hatching eggs from, and if they will sell chicks to the general public.
It's always good to know of other alternatives out there.

KathyS wrote:That's interesting Dark Wing Duck. I had no idea there was a hatchery in Wetaskiwin. I wonder where they get thier hatching eggs from, and if they will sell chicks to the general public.
It's always good to know of other alternatives out there.

As far as I know, there are only a few egg suppliers in all of Canada. Again, only what I have been told, Millers / Rochesters get their eggs from a different place that Maple Leaf gets theirs from.

As far as Maple Leaf selling to the public, I don't know.

Someone on the island here has red rangers - he slaughtered a few at 8 weeks and they dressed out at 3 lbs. We do the corninsh giants (mailed in from Rochester), but are very careful about their feed and exercise regime; we had some mortality this spring, but not unacceptable, and very good growth.

I have heard of lots of people out here having problems this year with huge losses and all the birds came from millers.

I lost about 15 out of 79 that came. They were all doing well then we had a couple days where it got cold again ( they were almost 2 weeks old at this point) then got quite warm. I went out in the evening to do their night feed and in the 5 hours since I had last been out there 8 were dead 3 more were on there way and 2 more died the next day. It was so strange. Only one looked like flip over which is apparently really early to happen the rest looked like ascities. So far we have only had a couple more drop.

They go for processing on friday and will be almost 9 weeks. Some of them are huge - almost like small turkeys. So we will see.

Anne

Good Post KathyS!! I will let you know more about my friends Freedom Rangers age/weights etc. ipf, only 3 lbs at 8 weeks, that is awful! I am in the process of butchering my spare BLRW roos. We did coq au vin and it was absolutely delicious! We have 8 more to butcher in a few months but I also want to have some nice roasting birds aka meat birds.

XOX Monika

prairie dog wrote:Just a question ...........are you sure that you got "" your "" birds back ?? You would have had a fairly good idea of there weight when you loaded them ?? Just asking because I have known a few people who this has happened to , somehow they got switched with someone else's order ??

I am confident they were my own birds. I knew they were going to dress out smaller than previous years and I had weighed some live ones a couple of weeks earlier, but I was still quite surprised at the final results.

Its usually around 30% -40% less weight after processing. So for a bird that weighs 10 lbs. live, it should dress out at 6 - 7lbs.