Cornish Cross Spring 2020

[BarredBuff]

Here is a photo of mine. They are a little over four weeks I think.

 

[Chic Rustler]

It is a good and quick way to pack the freezer and canning jars with a lot of meat.

that's my plan as well. I dont think I'll have room to freeze them whole. probably have to quarter them

 

[Sassafras II]

We plan to get around 50 meat chickens this spring.. any suggestions on what breed is best?

 

[Chic Rustler]

View attachment 13825
Here is a photo of mine. They are a little over four weeks I think.

here's mine. maybe 4 days I think.

 

[Chic Rustler]

We plan to get around 50 meat chickens this spring.. any suggestions on what breed is best?

I'm not certain. this is my first time

 

[BarredBuff]

We plan to get around 50 meat chickens this spring.. any suggestions on what breed is best?

Cornish Rocks by far. They are fast growers and big producers. I have another batch coming in September.

 

[Sassafras II]

Ok thanks! That's what we'll order

 

[Beekissed]

Ok thanks! That's what we'll order

They can and will free range if you encourage them to do so. Fifty of those and I didn't lose a single one to predators nor leg issues or sudden death. Fed them once a day and they foraged for most of their food....best foragers I've ever raised, bar none. They ranged from one end of 3 acres to the other and into the woods beyond, clear up until butchering time of 10 wks. Would have kept them even longer but we were having a family reunion at our place and we didn't them mooching off the guests....very friendly,moochy birds.

 

[farmerjan]

Cornish cross will gain the fastest, have the best feed to meat conversion. They are also pretty dumb, don't forage near as good as some of the other "meat bird crosses". They also will get some leg problems if allowed to get too big. They are designed to grow fast. The ones that are grown in the commercial poultry houses are sent to processing at 42 days.... 6 weeks .... at about 4.5 lbs live weight.
I am like @baymule and like them "bigger" often in the 6 lb and bigger size when they go get killed. They are great to part out as there is a good amount of meat on all the parts even the wings. They will have a better flavor than the commercial house ones simply because you have them out on grass and they can eat something other than the bagged feed. They eat alot, but are raised and gone quickly.

Mine get a couple of acres and will come back to the pen for feed and water. They do a fair amount of foraging considering.

 

[Sassafras II]

They can and will free range if you encourage them to do so. Fifty of those and I didn't lose a single one to predators nor leg issues or sudden death. Fed them once a day and they foraged for most of their food....best foragers I've ever raised, bar none. They ranged from one end of 3 acres to the other and into the woods beyond, clear up until butchering time of 10 wks. Would have kept them even longer but we were having a family reunion at our place and we didn't them mooching off the guests....very friendly,moochy birds.

Awesome! That's exactly what I want! Thanks!