If using Method B, allow them to eat all they want only for the first three weeks; after that time, they are changed to a twelve-hour on, twelve-hours off food cycle. We feed high-quality high protein feed that we acquired from our local feed mill. Like our laying hens, we feed fresh fruits, veggies, and treats daily.

chick starter
A chick starter of 20-22% protein is an ideal feed for feeding the birds for the first 5 weeks of age. When the birds are between the ages of 2-4 weeks, or when they have completely grown in their feathers, they can go into a grow out pen. Make sure they have shelter and proper fencing to prevent predator problems.

Cornish Cross will consume about 15 lbs/bird of feed to reach harvest weight, and slow-growing birds will consume ~16 lbs/bird.

Although Cornish hens have less fat and fewer calories, you can reduce the fats in the regular chicken by not eating the skin and by only eating the white meat. Cornish hens are perfect if you’re feeling luxurious and have only a few people to feed. Share with us what you prefer between Cornish hens and chickens.

It’s not really possible to overfeed chickens as they naturally stop eating once they have consumed enough to sustain them. However, it’s wise not to provide any more feed than necessary as this may attract vermin to the coop.

8-10 weeks
They Grow Fast On average, you need 8-10 weeks to raise a batch of Cornish Cross chickens from chicks to butchering size. This makes them an ideal source of protein for a homestead, even for small homesteaders!

Birds fed only prepared feeds do not require grit. These days, most producers of small flocks of meat chickens allow their chickens access to pasture. While this practice is not necessary, there is some benefit to the chickens having access to insects and exercise.

The United States Department of Agriculture describes the Rock Cornish Game Hen or Cornish Game Hen as “a young immature chicken (less than five weeks of age), weighing not more than two pounds ready-to-cook weight, which was prepared from a Cornish chicken or the progeny of a Cornish chicken crossed with another breed …

It is illegal to feed mealworms to chickens because they are a health risk to both the birds and the people consuming the meat and eggs produced by insect fed chickens. Mealworms may be contaminated with bacteria, viruses, fungi, pesticides, heavy metals and toxins.

Unlike layers, broilers are typically larger and bulkier breeds and come with more muscle tone. Another difference between layers and broilers is that chickens raised for meat can be both female and male. Now, female broilers are able to produce eggs, but they will produce about half of what layers do a year.

The Cornish chicken will produce a minimal amount of eggs over their lifetime because they weren’t bred for breakfast—they are a dinner bird for sure. However, the eggs they do lay are small and light brown. So, if you decide to add this breed to your flock, don’t plan on more than 160 eggs or so a year.

Feed and water your chicks daily. Because the Cornish crosses grow so rapidly, special care must be taken regarding their feeding schedule. For the first five days, give them free choice of food. At the end of the 5th day, remove their feed. 12 hours later, put their feedback and allow them to eat at will…

She is a rough and tough, mighty gal that can feed the family dinner with some leftovers for chicken noodle soup the next day. The Cornish chicken was bred as a meat bird and a game bird, which is the reason for the intense weight of her body.

Size These meaty chickens can weigh in at around 9 lbs., thus the source of our modern day Cornish Cross. Their size is certainly large enough to feed the entire family. So, while they appear slim and sleek, they are actually quite muscular and hefty.

So, let’s sort that out right off the bat—the Cornish chicken is not the same as the Cornish Cross broiler. The Cornish Cross is a hybrid of the Cornish and the Plymouth White chicken, which we bred to produce the meat you see in the grocery store.