4 Keys to Raising Cornish Cross
It’s a common misconception that Cornish Cross chickens are Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), however, their DNA has only been altered through natural means.
Cornish Cross are the result of many years of selective breeding of White Rock and Cornish chicken breeds and a very specific cross between the two, creating a bird that will mature in 6-8 weeks with a very meaty carcass.
Overall, they eat and drink less during growth than a heritage chicken while maturing in one-third of the time with several pounds more meat.
Here are four keys to help you successfully raise your own Cornish Cross for the table!
It’s important to start with the Right Feed. Cornish Cross chicks need chick starter for the first couple weeks of their life just like any other chick. But after about 3 weeks, they’ll need a meat bird feed with at least 20% protein. A pellet or crumble is recommended, as they are easier to digest than whole grain. Extra corn is unnecessary as it will pack on extra fat and can further heat up the bird’s body temperature. Each bird will eat around 15 pounds of feed in its 8-week lifetime.
A Cornish Cross chicken’s most important daily priority is to eat. They often lie around the feeder within east pecking distance to keep fueling their rocket speed growth. There are a number of different feed options out there and cheaper isn’t necessarily the best option. Grocery stores are full of cheap chicken so if you’re raising your own meat it's likely you care about quality. Spending a little more money on healthy feed can equate to better meat. If your chickens are free-range or have access to grass, this can help supplement feed costs slightly.
It’s good to keep in mind a chicken’s feed conversion to meat ratio is worse in the winter as the bird’s body is using energy to keep themselves warm in the cold. Cornish Cross also take longer to pack on meat in the winter yielding smaller birds than in spring in the same time frame. It’s best not to grow out these birds past 10 weeks as health issues start catching up to their speedy development.
Cornish Cross drink Lots of Water every day to support their rapid growth. This is important to keep in mind in the warm season when they will drink even more and also in winter when it’s odd for chickens to be drinking that much liquid. A Cornish cross will drink at least 3.5 gallons of water in 8 weeks, so it doesn’t take long for a dozen large birds to drain a 5-gallon waterer. It’s recommended to check your Cornish Cross’s water daily.
Proper Housing can make or break your meat bird raising project. Outside temperature and protection against the weather are critical factors in raising meat birds. Cornish Cross are neither heat nor cold-tolerant. They easily overheat in the hot summer but do better in cooler weather between 65 and 85 degrees. If they get cold and wet they can die.
The season you choose to raise meat birds and the weather your farm experiences will strongly influence how your meat bird coop is built. You can keep them in a coop or a mobile chicken tractor. It’s important to build Cornish Cross housing to be very predator-proof as they are unable to get away or defend themselves in any way.
They only need 2 square ft of space per bird but a little more is fine. If you are keeping them in a chicken tractor make sure to move them often, probably every day as they tend to gobble up all the grass floor very quickly with their voracious appetites. In a stationary coop, you can use a variety of substances on the floor for your meat birds like straw, pine shavings, or sand. Cornish Cross do not need roosting bars since they are heavy and cannot get off the ground.
The more you learn about Cornish Cross, the more apparent it is they are Unique Needs chickens. Since they constantly eat and drink they poop a lot and the poops are huge for their size. You will need to clean out the coop often or turn the bedding daily if you are using a deep litter method. If they are in a chicken tractor moving them daily also helps refresh their bedding.
There is some debate if you can raise Cornish Cross with other breeds of chickens. Some people say their Cornish Cross got bigger faster and bullied the other ones, aggressively attacking the food and injuring their smaller coop mates. Other people have had no issues raising Cornish Cross with heritage chicks of a similar age. Space is a big factor as well as the amount of food provided and general bird temperament.
Cornish Cross are susceptible to vitamin deficiencies, such as a B vitamin deficiency, that causes them to have trouble walking and can be mistaken for Marek’s disease. Putting Rooster Booster Poultry Cell in their water periodically can help with this condition. Cornish Cross also struggle with organ failure, which can be aggravated by excessive heat, temperature change, or other sources of stress. It’s important to butcher your Cornish Cross no later than 10 weeks to minimize the chances of losing birds to death before they can be processed and put in the freezer for dinner.
While Cornish Cross are one of the most efficient and common meat chickens on the market, there are a number of other breed options such as Cornish Broilers, Freedom Rangers, etc. Research all options to find out which type of meat bird is right for you.
Looking to expand your flock? Check out the Roobeez Online Farmers Market!
