Cornish Cross Chickens

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Harry
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Cornish Cross Chickens

Post by Harry »

We didnt raise any meat birds last year and tired of what you get in the grocery store so I ordered 75 chicks tonight. I do have some more coming from a neighbor who needed some lumber and did a trade for a half dozen packaged and ready for the freezer but my Wife and I probably eat 40 or 50 chickens a year. Of course our dogs get a lot of that also but the point is we need to stock the freezer back up.

If you have never seen these birds it is an eye opener as to the wonders of nature or maybe better said the tinkering of nature. From day old chick to 3lbs in the freezer takes just 42 days, I swear you can feed in the AM and in the PM you are thinking "damn, they got bigger". Its not always easy to translate in your head a small animal like chicken to larger like pigs or cows but 75 chickens will be 250 to 300 lbs in the freezer. Thats bigger than a hog and nearly half a cow. I figure total cost should be around $700 give or take, the chicks were $240 so depending on how well they convert and what feed cost is the end total could come in south of my guess.

All they do is eat and shit with a conversion ration that can come in under 2:1 feed to meat. IIRC the only greater efficiency is in insects and so far thats been a non starter with the Wife.

Going to get piglets are May/June and a neighbor is gonna raise them. We are trying a bit of a co-op where we each raise what works well for us and offer at cost to each other. Also working on getting a couple of calves to have ready next year, those I will raise.

Will add some pictures to this once the chicks get here. April 17th is the hatch date so we are looking at end of May start of June for chicken killin day.
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
Muller
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Harry
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Re: Cornish Cross Chickens

Post by Harry »

Hatch date for chicks is 17th so 6 days from now.

Also have White Midget Turkeys coming next month.

Pictures coming :-)
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
Muller
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Harry
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Re: Cornish Cross Chickens

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Next week for chicks to arrive.

Got the coop they will spend thier first month in cleaned out and fresh wood chips down. Will build a low wall in the corner to keep them confined until they feather out. There will be 2 heat lamps for plenty of room for them stay warm and space to get away from the lamps when they need to.
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I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
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Jammer
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Re: Cornish Cross Chickens

Post by Jammer »

I thought about getting some chickens, I used to raise them about every year. Just checked and chicks are crazy, anywhere from $5 to $15 each. I could get a half dozen eggs and hatch them for about $7.
quando omni flunkus moritati 8-)
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Harry
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Re: Cornish Cross Chickens

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Got everything ready, Cornish Cross chickens supposed to be here tomorrow and turkeys Friday
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Harry
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Re: Cornish Cross Chickens

Post by Harry »

Look around Jerry, those prices are crazy. I think we paid around $3 for the Rock Cross chicks. Now the Turkey chicks were $15 but they are always high.

Hatching eggs is a good way to go too as long as shipping isnt involved, have had poor luck with shipped eggs.
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Jammer
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Re: Cornish Cross Chickens

Post by Jammer »

That looks like the set up I had about 40 years ago. Little areas for all the birds. I had 2 dozen Rhode Island Reds, a half dozen each of Turkeys, Ducks and pheasants. My dog couldn't stand the pheasants and ended up killing all of them when I wasn't looking. She was a bird dog and must have smelled the wild bird or something, she never bothered anything else.
quando omni flunkus moritati 8-)
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Harry
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Re: Cornish Cross Chickens

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This is a 10x12 coop, there is another at the other end of this building thats 40' long and a 10x16 room in the middle. There is another coop on the other side of the runs that opens into the middle run. The outdoor runs for each coop is 24' long with a compost bin in each that I try and keep filled with weeds and garden excess.
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Harry
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Re: Cornish Cross Chickens

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Chickens have been very active and staying warm enough in their first night here. Some losses but thats inevitable. We do our best and leave the rest to fate.
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Re: Cornish Cross Chickens

Post by Harry »

The Turkeys look almost identical but their personality even as day olds is far different. When you reach in the Chickens scatter but the Turkeys come running to you.
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I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
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