In the event you’re a homesteader, you most likely already know that elevating chickens for meat is among the best issues you are able to do to make sure that you’ve loads of contemporary meat in your freezer annually.
However, it might take a very long time to boost a standard breed, like a Rhode Island Purple or perhaps a Freedom Ranger, to a large enough dimension to butcher.
Enter – the Cornish Cross rooster. These birds are specifically bred to provide a number of tender, flavorful meat in as little time as doable (as little as six weeks, the truth is).
So is elevating Cornish Cross chickens best for you – and most significantly, what else is there to find out about this distinctive breed? Preserve studying to be taught extra on this full information on Cornish Crosses…
What Are Cornish Cross Chickens?
Cornish Cross chickens are the results of breeding a Cornish rooster with a White Rock rooster.
The Cornish rooster is understood for its muscular construct and tender meat, whereas the White Rock rooster is legendary for its environment friendly feed conversion and egg-laying talents.
By crossing the 2, farmers have been capable of produce a rooster that had the very best of each worlds – a hen that grew shortly and had high-quality meat (however sorry – no luck on the egg entrance. Extra on this facet later).
Cornish Cross chickens are straightforward to identify due to their white feathers and yellow pores and skin, a results of their Cornish genetics. They’ve a broad, muscular chest and legs, and may develop fairly massive – as much as eight kilos for roosters and 6 for hens.
What’s So Particular About Them?
Once more, Cornish Cross chickens are recognized for his or her fast development, reaching market weight in simply six to 10 weeks. This makes them best for homesteaders who wish to elevate chickens for meat shortly and successfully.
Early on in my household’s farming journey, we raised Rhode Island Reds for meat on our farm. We cherished that Rhode Island Reds are dual-purpose birds, offering us with each eggs and meat, however hated how lengthy it took for them to be prepared for the dinner desk.
As a result of you need to wait so lengthy for these birds, together with different sorts of heritage rooster breeds, to be prepared for slaughter, the meat is commonly powerful and never very flavorful. It’s nice for the stew pot, however if you would like a pleasant, juicy rooster breast, Cornish Cross chickens are the best way to go.
Not solely that, however they don’t get as massive, and it prices much more to feed them – you’re rising them out longer, so the inputs are increased. Basic math!
After just a few years of elevating Rhode Islands, we switched to Cornish Crosses and haven’t seemed again.
Regardless of their dimension and fast development, Cornish Cross chickens are literally fairly straightforward to boost. In my expertise, they don’t require quite a lot of area or particular care, and they’re very docile and pleasant.
When raised correctly, they’re additionally hardy and may tolerate a variety of temperatures and situations (supplied that it doesn’t get too scorching.
Residing within the Northeast US, we don’t have an issue with warmth most summers, but it surely’s vital to notice that they don’t do properly in excessive warmth)…
Are Cornish Cross Chickens Good Egg Layers?
Cornish Cross chickens should not recognized for his or her egg-laying talents. There are just a few explanation why.
Let’s begin by mentioning that Cornish Cross hens may technically lay eggs, if allowed to get sufficiently old. Like some other breed, hens would start to put eggs at round 20 weeks of age.
That mentioned, Cornish Cross chickens are particularly bred to develop in a short time, to a really massive dimension. Letting them to stay previous the really useful eight or ten weeks is dangerous…
They’re prone to develop leg points (together with legs that spontaneously snap and break beneath the strain of their heavy our bodies) and coronary heart issues.
In actual fact, just a few years in the past, I had a good friend who allowed her Cornish Cross chickens to stay previous the really useful ten weeks due to time constraints associated to butchering.
We visited them when the chickens have been round sixteen weeks previous, and issues weren’t going properly. A lot of the birds had died of coronary heart assaults, and those that have been nonetheless alive have been barely hobbling round.
From an animal welfare standpoint, I actually don’t advocate permitting Cornish Crosses to stay to egg-laying age.
Widespread Issues With Them
Whereas it’s true that Cornish Crosses develop shortly, there are additionally some points you would possibly run into earlier than they get there…
1. Respiratory Issues
Respiratory points could also be the results of poor air flow, dusty bedding, or bacterial infections. Whereas this may occur with nearly any breed of rooster, it’s extra widespread in Cornish Crosses – there’s quite a lot of stress being positioned on these tiny lungs by their large our bodies.
Signs of respiratory issues embrace wheezing, coughing, and runny noses. To stop them, ensure that your rooster coop is correctly ventilated, clear the bedding commonly, and preserve your chickens’ feed and water clear.
Or, higher but, do what we do and lift your birds in a rooster tractor as soon as they’re sufficiently old to be exterior. This may remove respiratory points altogether.
2. Leg Issues
As anticipated, leg points could come up as a consequence of their fast development, which places quite a lot of pressure on their legs and joints. You’ll discover issues like lameness, problem standing and strolling, and swollen joints.
Sometimes, these issues could cause a Cornish Cross to change into fully lame. We’ve virtually at all times discovered that on this case, the hen will have to be culled early.
To stop these issues, ensure that your rooster’s weight loss program is well-balanced with the correct amount of protein, calcium, and nutritional vitamins.
Additionally, offering your birds with ample area to maneuver round will assist them stretch these legs – once more, rooster tractors might help, and I’ll provide you with extra information on that in a bit.
3. Coronary heart Assaults
You most likely didn’t wish to hear this, however sure, Cornish Cross chickens are additionally vulnerable to coronary heart assaults.
We’ve had this occur just a few instances as properly, however have gotten fairly good at timing our slaughtering now in order that it hardly ever ever occurs.
However, to keep away from coronary heart points, it’s important to maintain your chickens on a constant feeding schedule with a balanced weight loss program, loads of water, and sufficient room to maneuver round. The identical issues we people ought to do, too!
4. Warmth Stress
This breed of chickens is delicate to excessive temperatures, which might trigger heatstroke, dehydration, and even demise in extreme circumstances.
Preserve your coop well-ventilated with correct shade,. Give them cool water, and feed them through the cooler components of the day. Some frozen treats may work, too.
In the event you stay in a cooler local weather, as I do, you possibly can most likely get away with elevating your meat birds in the summertime.
Nevertheless, I’ve heard from of us in hotter climates that they like to boost their Cornish Crosses within the spring, fall, and even winter to keep away from warmth stress altogether.
Recommendations on Caring for Cornish Cross Chickens
Feed the Proper Meals
Cornish Crosses are recognized for his or her fast development, and deciding on the precise feed for them is essential for his or her general well being and to ensure they acquire weight at an affordable tempo.
For the primary 4 weeks, I like to recommend you feed them a 23% protein starter.
Afterward, swap to a 20% protein grocer for the rest of the time. With their fast development patterns, these birds could really feel the stress of fast weight acquire, so that you must be aware of this.
It’s additionally a good suggestion so as to add a vitamin stress pack to your feeding routine to scale back stress in your birds.
Suppose In regards to the Time of the 12 months
The time of the 12 months is, once more, additionally an important issue to think about when caring for these smart chickens.
Through the summer time, these birds could wrestle within the warmth, as we’ve simply talked about, so at all times be aware of the local weather and the way the climate exterior modifications from week to week.
Take into account Elevating Them in Hen Tractors…
A rooster tractor is a movable coop that enables chickens to forage and graze on contemporary grass, which might be extremely useful to their well being.
Elevating Cornish Crosses in rooster tractors helps present them with sufficient area and contemporary air to run, scratch, and discover bugs. Furthermore, it permits them to have entry to contemporary grass and bugs that can complement their weight loss program.
The largest profit we’ve present in elevating these birds in rooster tractors is that it dramatically improves their lifespan and reduces well being points.
We hardly ever have birds succumb to points like leg issues or coronary heart assaults as a result of they’ve sufficient room to maneuver round. Incidences of aggression among the many birds are few and much between, too.
…Or Plan to Clear the Coop Typically
In the event you do resolve to maintain your chickens in a stationary coop, plan to scrub it commonly. The fast accumulation of rooster droppings can result in the expansion of micro organism and trigger the respiratory issues I discussed above.
Within the image above, you’ll see how soiled the coop flooring is after simply someday. There should not that many birds on this brooder barn – possibly 40 – and this image was taken only a day after cleansing.
Luckily, we don’t preserve our chicks indoors for that lengthy (they’ll be going exterior for 3 weeks), however you possibly can see why it’s so vital to scrub usually.
Have a Plan for Butchering
Bear in mind, these birds develop fast – so I like to recommend having a tentative butcher date penciled in your calendar earlier than your chicks even arrive in your homestead.
Shoot for eight weeks, and you’ll at all times add just a few extra weeks if you would like your birds to get a bit larger.
In the event you’re having another person course of them for you, guide a date far forward of time to be sure you can get them in earlier than they begin to succumb to weight-related well being issues.
Breeding and Brooding Cornish Cross Chickens
I don’t advocate making an attempt to breed Cornish Cross chickens your self. The chicks gained’t hatch true to the mother and father, since these are hybrid birds, and also you’re most likely going to be disenchanted.
As an alternative, purchase your child chicks from a good hatchery, both by doing a mail order or by checking along with your native farm provide retailer.
Search for breeders who’ve been within the enterprise for a very long time and have a confirmed observe report of manufacturing wholesome, sturdy chicks.
As soon as they arrive, normally at a day previous, be fast to supply them with a secure and cozy brooder. It ought to have a warmth lamp, water supply, feeder, and clear bedding.
Cornish Cross chicks are infamous for consuming and ingesting loads, so be sure you give them with sufficient meals and water. Feed them a starter feed that incorporates a minimum of 20% protein, and make it possible for the feeder is at all times full.
I’ve heard some individuals advocate not protecting the feeder full always, as this may result in overeating. I’ve experimented with it each methods, and located that by not protecting the meals provide topped off on a regular basis, it led to the demise of quite a lot of chicks.
My concept is that the bigger chicks will bully the smaller ones away from the feeder at prime feeding time, and the smaller ones will ultimately die as a result of they don’t get sufficient to eat.
You may strive it both method, however I like to recommend protecting the meals topped off always.
Bear in mind, you’ll want a warmth supply. We use warmth plates to supply constant, even warmth to our chicks…
When your chicks are sufficiently old, that you must transfer them to a bigger coop or rooster tractor. We normally transfer ours at round three weeks, relying on the climate and the way feathered out the birds are.
Cornish Cross chickens could develop sooner than most breeds, however they nonetheless want ample area to maneuver round and train.
A normal rule of thumb is to supply a minimum of two sq. ft of flooring area per hen. In the event you’re elevating them in confinement, ensure that the coop is well-ventilated and has sufficient gentle.
Lifespan
Usually, Cornish Crosses usually stay round 5 to 9 weeks, or as much as 12 weeks if you happen to feed them a low-protein weight loss program. This breed’s sole objective is meat manufacturing, so their genetics are engineered for fast development and quick maturity. Once more, I like to recommend butchering your chickens when they’re no older than 10 weeks.
Monitor their weight and use your greatest judgment. Generally, you could possibly stretch out your time to slaughter a bit longer, to 12 weeks or so, as I discussed, however more often than not, they’re going to be at an excellent weight at 10, and also you aren’t going to realize a lot by protecting them any longer.
Bear in mind, these birds are particularly bred to succeed in market dimension in a brief period of time, leading to a shorter lifespan. As soon as they attain the specified weight, they have to be processed for meat.
Are There Any Options to Cornish Cross Chickens?
Certainly there are… The Freedom Ranger is a well-liked various. These birds have a slower development fee, taking 10-14 weeks to succeed in processing weight. Whereas they’ve smaller breasts than the Cornish Cross, they’ve extra darkish meat.
The Freedom Ranger is understood for being a really energetic hen, which might be good for homesteaders who need extra self-sufficient chickens that may forage and seek for their very own meals. They’re additionally a hardy hen breed that may do properly in quite a lot of climates.
Another choice for homesteaders is to decide on a dual-purpose breed that can be utilized for each meat and egg manufacturing. Some examples of dual-purpose breeds embrace the Rhode Island Purple, Plymouth Rock, and Sussex.
Whereas these breeds could not develop as shortly or produce as a lot meat because the Cornish Cross, they’re good sources for each meat and egg manufacturing. Additionally they permit for extra self-sufficiency since you possibly can hatch your individual eggs.
All that mentioned, I do choose Cornish Cross chickens for meat alone farm. They develop shortly, and to a good dimension, so it’s straightforward to get massive portions of meat with minimal inputs. We get our rooster manufacturing executed and over with, so we will get on with the remainder of our summer time!
These birds may not be the only option for everybody, however for us – and for a lot of homesteaders – they simply take advantage of sense. Give them a strive, and also you’re positive to be amazed!
