My journey with chicken farming started two years ago after I read The Omnivore’s Dilemmia by Michael Pollan. The first year we raised 35 cornish cross rock chickens for the freezer. Last year we raised 50 freedom ranger chickens. Today we begin year three with the arrival of these 50 cornish cross rock chicks.
They’re terribly cute. My only saving grace is that they won’t stay that way. Unlike the girls who provide us with eggs, the cornish cross rocks are not particularly lovable when they grow up. For now we’ll have fun and enjoy the cutie-patooties.
e’ proprio divertente vedere tutto quello che realizzate e come vivete nella vostra bella fattoria a contatto con la natura……..saluti dall’Italia
Hello,
I just stumbled across your blog as I am looking to make more nest boxes and thought instructions would make it a less painful project this time. Thank you for posting them.
You’ve got a beautiful website and it looks like a great farm underway. I have similar farm/family aspirations and have recently been inspired to jump back in with gusto. A hectic summer, long winter and a new baby left me wondering where I’d find time to revive the dream. But I’m back! So, my question, we’ve raised Freedom Rangers the past 3 years, I am curious why you switched back to the Cornish Crosses? Any benefits?
Thanks so much and happy mud season!
christina
Christina, we’re still in the learning phase of this and experimenting. We were unimpressed with the size of our cornish X the first year so thought we’d try the Freedom Rangers during year two. I like the personality of the Freedom Rangers a bit more (they’re more chicken-like). We’re coming to learn that raising the meat birds is a science – how much to feed each bird, what to feed, when to feed, etc. We got a very good deal on the cornish X this year so we’re going to give them another shot with our vast two years of experience!
Susan,
Thank you for your answers. I’ll be ordering our broilers soon and I’ll check back for updates on your Cornish X. Good luck!
Christina
I hope I can help a little to enlighten you on raising cross rock chickens.a few years ago when we had some property ,we decided to raise our own meat chickens. I know chickens ,being a farm boy. But I did not know what type of chicken. I figured if I was in it i was going to talk to the best. I contacted the professor of poultry science at Ohio U.his advise first use cross rock birds they were bred specifically for meat.second keep them in somewhat of a confined space ” remember your raising meat birds and you do not want them running around and not growing fast”make sure there is plenty of ventation , water.and last but not least plenty of feed. Feed twice daily with a feed that he told me to use but unfortunately I have forgotten the name. I do know it is specially formulated for meat birds it has no chemicals to increase there growth.he said that when you order the chicks have the tips of the beaks clipped off and inoculated against diseases.the clipping of 5he beaks is so they can pick up more grain with less waist.suggestion,put down 3 inches of sawdust because in 2 weeks or so there will be alto of droppings on the floor. It makes it easier. To shovel out and put new sawdust down. Take the hens out at 6 to 7 weeks for frying chickens and 5he males 10 to 12 weeks for roasters.the cross rock when fed the proper grain came out with nice white skin and white fat.the chicken you get at the store is usually yellow skin and fat,that is the growth hormones being used by the commercial farms. My fryers turned out beautify as did the roasters. The roasters weighed out dressed at 1
0 to
12 pounds.the reason for keeping the males is that they have larger breast meat so therefore they make juicier meat.if you want the name of the grain I would call the same man at Ohio U.
Good luck and I wish you the best!!!!