Backyard chicken keeping is an more and more pop pursuit that is experiencing a resurgence , and the Cornish Cross chicken is on the climb in popularity . More and more city are rolling back ordination that keep continue chickens on your place , moderate to an uptick in interest . Meat chickens are also becoming increasingly pop as the cost of food , meat and eggs in exceptional , proceed to uprise and more masses become concerned about what precisely is in their meat .
One of the type of chickens I personally grow for substance is the Cornish Cross chicken . It grow fast , produces undecomposed inwardness , is good - natured boilersuit , and is one of my favorites . allow ’s do a abstruse dive on this chicken .
What is a cornish cross chicken?
A Cornish Cross chicken , sometimes send for a broiler chicken , is a cross between a Cornish Gallus gallus and a Plymouth Rock volaille . This make it a hybrid . There is some misinformation about this breed of chicken being genetically modified in a science lab setting – relaxation assure , it is not . It is produce by get over two established , inheritance breeds of volaille .
This intercrossed chicken is extremely teachable , especially if you associate your mien with the presentation of yummy bite . Any time I chat my Cornish Cross chicken , I bring treats with me . It helps reinforce their lay back , favorable nature . Even though these are not friend raspberry , it ’s good to handle them well and progress that form of relationship .
At 6 - 8 week , your broiler chicken will be ready to process . At this age , your chickens should weigh 5 - 6 pounds . I ’ve pick up of some letting their chickens go to 12 - 14 week to get them to 10 or more hammer , but the retort on your investment is diminished after about 8 workweek as the provender monetary value to meat production ratio goes down .
Appearance
Cornish Cross chickens are an all - whitened chicken that speedily grows to around 6 pounds after 8 workweek . It is a stout , plump , and meaty bird .
Coop and run
Chickens tend to pick up bad behaviors when their coop and run are n’t up to their standards , so verify you have the appropriate coop and hightail it for your Cornish Cross chickens is vitally important .
This strain like to have muckle of hencoop and run outer space to go about the business of being a good crybaby , but more often than not , they stick comparatively tightlipped to wherever their solid food source is . These chickens maturate fast and have big appetites . Allowing them to free range will help reduce the cost of raising each hiss .
volaille runs and coop should be kept properly cleaned out and provide with bracing straw on a regular basis . Nest boxes are not needed for Cornish Cross chickens , as they will be process before their egg - laying years .
How long do Cornish Cross chickens live?
There is some debate about this . Some people with experience provoke Cornish Cross chickens argue that , under the correct care , a broiler volaille can live 5 - 8 years , the same as any other chicken . This might be reliable in some uttermost circumstances , but you have to consider the animate being ’s quality of life . It ’s awake , but is it in infliction ? Is it comfortable ? Is it enjoy its life ?
It ’s a hard truth to face , but these birds are meat birds , and the style they grow seals their fate from the moment they concoct . Cornish Cross chickens should probably be process between 6 and 12 hebdomad of age .
Common Cornish Cross chicken problems
The large breed - specific issue that I ’ve experienced with Cornish Cross chickens , and this seems to be support by the experience of other meat razz raisers , is their size . Their rapid increment assign a great passel of strain on the snort ’s organ and gaunt system . Periodically , you ’ll have a Cornish Cross chick that just fails to thrive . It ’s unfortunate when it happens , and they always get a right interment .
Viral diseases
Chickens are susceptible to a issue of viral illnesses , including Marek ’s disease , avian grippe , fowl lues , Newcastle disease , and bronchitis . Some of these conditions are more rough-cut than others . Signs of a viral transmission among your chickens admit sneezing , cough , reduced egg yield , reduced feeding , lassitude , complete around the heart and sinuses , sores , and palsy in the case of Newcastle disease .
Most bird adopt from a reputable breeder or hatchery are inoculate against the more unwashed viral infection , like Marek ’s . chick larn from low - scale sellers may not be vaccinate . Always ask if your chick have been vaccinated and what they ’re vaccinated for .
Bacterial illness
Bacterial infection are a real headache for chicken , as coops , run , and the open , in general , can be oasis for bacterium . The most uncouth bacterial infections for chickens are salmonellosis and colibacillosis . These infection can be fast spread and taint entire flocks .
Signs your chickens may be fight with a bacterial transmission admit cut ballock set , breathing problems , boil down appetite , and expiry . Salmonellosis does n’t always present symptom in chicken .
Fungal diseases
The two most coarse type of fungal disease are brooder pneumonia and ringworm . tinea can be spread to man as well , so if you suspect your chickens have ringworm , treat them carefully and wash your hands and wearing apparel immediately .
Brooder pneumonia tends to only taint unseasoned chicks expend their first few weeks in a brooder . roundworm usually top up on its own with sentence . Keeping brooders and coops clean is key to avoiding these fungal infection .
Parasitic infection
Like most of our pets , chickens can experience parasitic contagion . worm , ticks , lice , and mites are some of the more vulgar ones . symptom of these parasites admit loss of appetite , slackness , skin annoying , and unexpected loss of feathers outside of normal molting .
Be wary of used coops . Always disinfect them thoroughly before introducing your chicken . Replace coop bedding often and sporadically disinfect chicken coops to reduce the front of parasites .
Injuries
It can be a jolting and tumble life for chickens as they go about establishing pecking orders and scrounge for nutrient . Injuries , particularly foot injury , are n’t uncommon . Most surface - level hurt will realise up on their own , but invertebrate foot injuries are particularly concerning as the chicken ’ talon tend to come into contact with their own manure as well as other pathogens in the soil and on the earth .
plebeian signs of a invertebrate foot injury are difficulty walking or putting weight on the human foot as well as lethargy . In the case of bumblefoot , a type of staph infection , both the chickens ’ digits and sometimes intact feet can become swollen with pus - filled abscesses . Foot injury should be treat and bandaged as soon as they are noticed .
“Pasty butt”
Pasty buttocks , sometimes called mucilaginous vent , is a fairly common condition that afflicts bird . It can quickly become a life history - threatening issue if not addressed . Pasty blowhole be given to be make by stress and dehydration . It happens when thick stools close up the chick ’s vent , foreclose it from passing droppings .
finally , the biddy will become ill and decline to deplete . Signs of pasty posterior let in smaller chick sizing and a pasty matting of muck over the outlet . This condition is easy treat by cleaning the affected area and take out the stuck dung .
You can’t breed your own Cornish Cross chickens
If you ’ve raised this eccentric of crybaby for meat , chances are that you ’re overcharge . They are ready to be processed so tight , they ’re well-heeled to get quick for the freezer , and their core is crank and delicious . You might be thinking that you want to breed these Gallus gallus so you could have a sustainable source . lamentably , I have to tell you , this is n’t possible .
If you even managed to get a hen and a rooster to survive long enough to successfully pose egg , the dame they produce would n’t be true Cornish Crosses . They will hatch out some random combining of the grandparent razzing : a Cornish wimp and a Plymouth Rock wimp . You might get some luck with a few of them being loyal growers like their parents , it ’s not likely .
you’re able to attempt to get over your own Cornish chicken and a Plymouth Rock chickens , but it is n’t terribly likely that you ’ll get true Cornish Cross Gallus gallus that get as tight and efficiently as what you ’d get from a hatchery . The truth is , this hybrid has been worked on and perfected for decade and is a tightly preserve secret . Your best wager is to find them at a well price from a hatchery .
What to feed Cornish Cross chickens
Up until you work on them , your Cornish Cross chick should be fed a commercial pith chicken feed with 22 % protein . This added protein will help your young wench grow and develop into healthy birds . volaille bask being put out to pasture where they can exhaust pasture , bugs , and other plants . They will also lief run through some fruit , vegetables , grains , and leafy leafy vegetable . Free - ranging your birds will also cut down significantly on your provender cost .
For more information , turn back out ourcomprehensive guide on what foods chickens can and can not use up .
