Wonderful video. As I'm about to get into meat bird processing. I've watched a lot of videos about it, that included the albeit necessary but grizzly part. Plenty with detailed descriptions and advice. Yours describes your process so well that I am confident that if I follow it, I will be successful. Thankyou.
So easy and so fun. They are a blessing from beginning to end. We raised our first 22 chics during June/July and last week we grabbed 17 more on a whim. Thanks for the information
I just got mines today, all 8 of them are 1 week old! Lol! My granny used to have over 50 chickens and a turkey lol. And I’m keeping the tradition going!
Excellent video! Thank you so much for it. I hope to add meat chickens to our egg production and I like your indoor/outdoor approach. It’s such a short time commitment for a long meat return.
Withhold feed up to 2 hours after the chicks arrive just water them.. reduces mortality rate Beautiful chickens btw!!! New subbie here & please keep the videos coming
This video was so very helpful. We have just got our meat chickens. We don’t have a defeatherer but my husband knows how to do these things by hand (longer process I know). Hoping to get one soon though!. Thanks so much for this! So so helpful for us.
My first flock given to me I had big 4 white hens over weight guy told me they were mystery chickens! Then one day one died out of no where from egg block doing a little research I found i had been given 8 chickens 4 of which were Cornish cross 2 have died of egg block other 2 are 2 years old and kinda thriving! I feed them all flock so they don’t over produce eggs but they are cool chickens! Living on borrowed time
That’s so neat to hear that they’ll love that long. I always consider it but don’t know how they’ll do with the other chickens. They’re such sweet, calm birds. Thanks for sharing and watching!
what kind of shrink wrap do you use, we have one of those little ones that you have to wait for a minute or two before it gets hot enough to do another bag?
Thank you very much for posting this very informative video. I am hoping to get some animals on our farmland this year and meat chickens are high on the list. I’m off grid so the power needed to keep them warm is a consideration. I’m in cedar city Utah, where are you located? Also, how much did it cost to feed those 31 chickens for the 7 weeks it took to grow them?
I’m in northwest Indiana. I don’t know how much it cost in feed. The last time I figured it out, the total cost to raise and package one was around $10 total. That was chick price, feed, bedding, and packaging.
Cornish cross is a god given chicken breed. Any regular chicken will not be this big in 7 weeks. These chickens are packed with meat with small bones that's why they can hardly move.
Thanks for your video. I was given 4 supposed hens- turns out 3 are meat birds. They are going on 10 weeks and the males look like they won’t last long so I need to butcher them. Working up the courage as I won’t have any help.
😮 I'm with you, by myself. I hatched eggs from my first ever chickens, of 8, 4 or 5 are roosters and I bought 6 more chicks, and 1 is a rooster. I'm giving myself to 22 weeks before taking that step (8/10 ish). Got all the tools but have to hand pluck😅
Thanks for the video, quick question. When watch the video, heard some crowing 9:25. Was wondering if those were the chickens or do you have a rooster? Trying to see if I get them in my subdivision. Only thing i read so far is they can't be a nuisance. thanks for the info.
I have roosters that you heard. We have had Cornish Cross that start crowing but it’s pretty rare if you butcher at 6-7 weeks. It usually isn’t very loud early on anyway.
@@ChickenHues1st time getting courage to harvest several young roosters, I was wondering about the rigor factor. So wait at least 24 hrs before freezing or cooking?
Great video. We've got a bunch of laying hens and they sure move elegantly versus the meat birds. Your birds sure look big and happy. I saw your tower base in one shot. Is the tower for TV or a ham radio tower? Cheers!
That’s a good way to put it - the laying hens move elegantly versus the meat bird waddle! 😂. Our huge tower is actually for our internet. The signal is blocked by trees so we have to have it.
I start them on a 23% starter for the first week or 2. Then a 20-22% starter until the last week or so. At that point I finish them by adding cracked corn to their starter feed. I don’t remember how much feed I went through. I’m sorry because that’s something that would be good to know.
One silly question: I have a daughter and I refuse to let her eat all the crap that is in the supermarkets. I am starting a garden and I want to start a little flock for my family consumption. I am thinking of meatbirds and hens for laying (I do have quite a lot of experience with laying hens, but not meatbirds). I wanted to get some fertilized meatbird eggs, and the question is what to do with the meatbird hens. Do I keep them for eggs? Can I harvest them the same as the boys? I was thinking on keeping maybe 2 to 3 hens and a rooster so I can hatch my own meatbirds, but I don't know if its worth to harvest the hens too, for family consumtion. I am from spain and traditionally hens are used mostly for stewing and chicken for almost everything else.
Hello! It depends on what strain of meat birds you have there. We have Cornish Cross hybrids and they don’t breed naturally and may not reproduce true. They tend to not live long, either. We raise them and process the hens and roosters at the same time.
Did you “rest” the meat by letting it sit for 24-72 hours in refrigeration temperatures? It may also have to do with the age of the chickens at it her or how it was cooked? If the chicken is eaten right after butchering it can be like that.
Wow your birds looked amazing! I'm raising Cornish cross for the first time, I've only raised dual purpose heritage meat birds and the two are very different so far (going on to week 3). What type of feed did you use for this flock?
I fed them a 23% starter for the first 3 weeks. Then they switch to an 18% all flock pellet. The last week or two I start adding in some corn until they get to almost half pellet and half corn the last few days.
These are a mix of males and females. They don't look very different at such a young age. You can't keep them for breeding, generally, since they are made with a special mix. Their parents were two different breeds, and when they're crossed they make these very fast growing chickens. Breeding these ones together wouldn't have the same result, even if it was possible to keep them healthy long enough. A few people have done it, but it's not generally worth the effort.
@@afanwinchotu5960 originally, the cornish and the Plymouth, but they've since been developed onto two proprietary lines that are essentially their own separate copyrighted breeds now. Private owners can't get them. Those two hyper specialized, basically lab developed, lines have to be crossed to produce the rapid growing cornish cross, and then those chicks are sold to the public.
Hi. One of my chickens is this breed. For the last 2 days she cannot walk. We thought it is because of its size. But for the last couple of days it is also cold outside, around 35-45 degrees (We are in Memphis area). Could the cold weather be the reason? Any ideas about what we should do to make her walk again? Thank you.
They can usually handle the cold if they have shelter. Unfortunately, they are prone to having leg issues. For us that is a time to cull. Once they have leg issues they usually don’t get better. I’m sorry.
@@ChickenHues Thanks for the reply. My daughter is attached to the chicken. Without knowing it is this breed, we bought it and other three from tractor supply when they were chicks.
They were intentionally bred to gain weight very rapidly, it's an extremely unnatural man made design that's flawed 🥺. I saved the very last 3 meat chicks (broilers) from Royal King last month in January, they're Rudd Rangers.... my sweet girls will NEVER have to worry about winding up on my plate for dinner or in a grocery store!!! I have some Blue Andalusian's and Sapphire Gems but unlike them my Rudd Rangers are the tamest, most loving, friendly, affectionate, and enjoy being picked up, petted, and even love sleeping on my lap.... people kill them off and don't give meat chickens a chance to show and prove how truly sweet and human oriented they are💔😢🥺.
@@guinealumps8736 my chickens have never trusted me to hop in my lap, closet I can get to them is letting them eat out of my hand. Looking for friendly bird that would let me handle without freaking out lol
@@johnnywishbone1349 I'm sorry to hear that because my Rudd Rangers are a Godsend and you have no idea how amazing and truly wholesome it is to have chickens that are like lap dogs🥰❤. My meat chickies took to me the day I got them... my other girls not so much😑 but still enjoy being around me but aren't the cuddling people type. All I did to get my Rudd Rangers extra tame and love being around and on me is I petted and handled them daily the moment I got them at a young age (mine were 2 days old), I hung out in their setup with them daily as well for at least 20 min- to an hour so they can get used to my presence, voice, and so they see me as one of them/their momma lol, and of course I hand fed them often so they see my hands as a good rewarding thing. If you're ever looking for friendly laying chickens chicks then here are a few that might be what you're looking for! Rudd Ranger aka Red Ranger- There's hardly anything at all on their breed temperament on Google besides them being docile and get along with most other breeds. So I'll just tell you their temperament based off my experience with them! They're soooo people oriented, friendly, affectionate, of course docile, tame very quickly with their owner/s, are good with small children, they are pretty peaceful birds that aren't very vocal but can get vocal with excitement when they see you🥰, (if started early at young age like a day old-few days old) they don't mind being petted, handled, and will happily sleep/lay on your lap!! Brahma - Brahmas are known for being very friendly and approachable chickens. They are calm and gentle. This makes them very easy to handle. They make great backyard pets including for those with children. Barred Rocks - In terms of their temperament, Barred Rocks are mellow birds. They are not known for bad attitudes or picking at flock mates, and they seem to get along with everyone. They are described by their owners as sweet, calm, and docile - yes even the roosters! Black Australorps - Australorps are a very gentle natured, docile breed that become attached to their owners as much as you will to them! They are egg-stremely calm and are a delight in any urban or acreage backyard - they are also great for families with children, because they are so tame. Orpington - Orpingtons are gentle, docile birds that are easily tamed and make extraordinary pet chickens. With regular contact that builds trust and familiarity, they become affectionate and enjoy human contact. Some even become lap chickens. They get on well with other flock members and are not known for bullying. Araucana - Araucanas are great characters, they are a very friendly breed, inquisitive and easily tamed to come to hand for pets. The cock birds don't tend to be aggressive. Easter Egger - They usually assertive, friendly, and comical. Cochin - Cochins are calm, friendly birds. Even the roosters are known for being fairly mellow. The boys rarely get aggressive, mean, or quarrelsome. Cochins are gentle, quiet and docile. The bantam variety reportedly make excellent pets for kids and are apparently the easiest of chickens to tame. They are approachable and get along with people well. Silkies - Silkies don't mind getting up close and personal with their human friends, in fact, they quite like being cuddled, kissed and groomed, making them eggcellent pets for young children.
Thank you very much for this video. I’m researching on meat birds for the 1st time. I can’t believe they got so big so fast. Thank you for a detailed video. I noticed they don’t roost... do they try to get out of your pen? I value for your “peaceful to the end” statement. Thank you again.
I’m glad this was helpful! No, they do not roost. Some may try when smaller, but it’s better if they don’t because of their weight. Occasionally, there may be one that is able to jump over but it’s rare. They aren’t very agile. 😂 I’d love to hear an update if you decide to raise some. I really enjoy raising them!
Our third time raising meat birds! Twice in Alaska and now in SW Washington. We’ve had layers for years. I need to find a plucker or build one. Thanks for the chronology of your process.
Thanks for the video. I'm getting my first 8 meat hens next week. Lots to learn! I'm building a mobile outdoor coop and an indoor pen. We have a lot of predators around here, so we're being careful. When do you start giving them stones?
As soon as I start giving them cracked corn or when they have grass. I use chick grit at the beginning when they’re small if needed. Best of luck with your meat birds! I hope it goes well and I’d love to hear an update.
Wow, that sure is interesting and nice to see the growing phases, Stacie. I was wondering processedthe processed birds. How long did the harvesting process take? Was it an entire day for 31 birds? Nice staging set-up you guys have. We just had hurricane Isaias (pronounced (Eee-sa-Eee-us ) pass through. Did not have any major damage nor loss of power, this time around. Sine I've been on UA-cam, we've had hurricanes Irma, Michael, Florence, and now Isaias. We were blessed with no damage. Power for houses in town went off 0100 (am) and restored around 0900 (am). Full-watch and hope you guys have a fine week.. Enjoyed the video. 👍🏽
Hi there! I’m so glad you didn’t have damage. That’s a lot of hurricanes you’ve had recently! 😳 It took about 5 hours from set up to clean up. We weren’t trying to hurry. Thanks for watching and glad you’re safe!
I used to keep really good records when we sold them. I haven’t done that the last few years. A rough estimate on the ones we’re raising now will be $10 a chicken (which doesn’t include any time costs or electricity). Each chick was roughly $2.50, $1.70 in shavings, .75 in electrolytes and freezer bag, at least $5 in feed. I hope that helps!
I don’t have enough time to make a full comment. But as a chicken farmer, you need to keep their food off the ground like that. Even as chicks I hang it off the ground. First dirty fecal matter and then they can die from infection. I can tell you don’t have a farm. Either way they sure taste good!
@@michiganwoodsman2199 No need to apologize! Your comment respectfully stated your points. I appreciate you calling out things that need to be done differently for the best results. Everything you said was correct. Regardless, thank you for apologizing and please always share those things - I want to keep learning better ways to do things! (Just don’t bother telling me I talk too much like some people comment - there’s no hope for that one! 😂)
The chickens show signs of leg problems. They waddle walk and they seem unstable like they are top heavy and have leg joint problems they lay unnatural for chickens their legs sticking out from beside and behind them instead of under them. I see it in almost all of them.
I’m not exactly sure on all of what you’re trying to say. Cornish cross are too heavy and waddle when they walk. It’s how they’re built. They aren’t like laying breeds. By design, they should be butchered at 6-7 weeks.
@@ChickenHues sorry there were some typos in my comment. I fixed them. You commented in the video that they had no walking problems and I see that they do show that. It seems this breed does and I'm quite sure that God didn't create these things. The seem to be a true cross, a genetic manipulation of things God made. That's wrong to do and it means they suffer because their DNA isn't exactly like God intended animals or humans to be. He isn't cruel and He created things to live and reproduce, though our food too. These, like other manipulated things don't have a good quality of life and have illness. I don't mean because of your care of them because I think you seemed good to them 💕. Thanks for your video and comment 💕 God bless 🙏
@@SherriP ok- I see what you mean and see the corrections. Yes, they have walking “problems” when compared to our current laying breeds. I was referring to people that will say their legs break and they can’t walk at all. Management mistakes and delaying butchering contribute to that. We likely disagree on some of what you say. My opinion (for what it’s worth 😉) is that God gave us the ability to work with His creation to make life better. This breed allows more people access to quality protein because of their quick growth and large size. They can be managed in a way that causes them to suffer - not unlike people under unjust rulers or cruel parents. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the problem lies within the breeding. Finally, man has always experimented with animal breeding to improve and magnify qualities to help us. The original chickens likely didn’t feed many people. Thanks for you comment! I absolutely understand your point and agree with you in certain aspects of it. 😊
They don’t know. Since they’re processed here, they don’t even know what’s going on until it’s their turn. They sit peacefully in their large pen in comfort with no stress or drama.
This breed (cornish cross) cannot fly or jump to a perch. They're too heavy. They have that uncomfortable way of walking because of their wide body shape and weight. It's part of how they're designed.
Not necessarily. We often raise them to 7-8 weeks and they’re still getting around fine. They definitely aren’t made for the long haul, though. Eventually, their legs will go out without careful management.
What does that mean? The chickens’ parents? They are unvaccinated chicks from a hatchery. The parent’s immunity for anything they would get a vaccine for won’t transfer to the chicks.
@@pusongaming9860 chicken vaccinations do not pass immunity to the chicks from the parents, and it wouldn't affect the issues that are common to well maintained meat birds like this anyway.
Love your processing set up and full explanation of how you grow-care for your bird-meats! ❤
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!
@@ChickenHues Totally inspired to work with a neighbor or venture on my own to set up as y’all! : ). Cornish hen is the yummiest!
@@CBReal1290 Awesome! I hope it works as well for you as it does for us! I’d love to hear an update!
at least they have good life 😿❤️ Thanks, for the humane way of raising them
I feel they have a nice life. That’s important to us. Thank you for watching.
Not only did they have a good life, but they never would have existed if it wasn’t for raising them for this purpose.
Wonderful video. As I'm about to get into meat bird processing. I've watched a lot of videos about it, that included the albeit necessary but grizzly part. Plenty with detailed descriptions and advice. Yours describes your process so well that I am confident that if I follow it, I will be successful. Thankyou.
So glad I found this video. I am getting meat chickens for the first time and many of my concerns were addressed here. Thank you.
I’m so my glad you found it helpful! I hope your meat chickens do great for you! 😊
I am overjoyed with your video far better than mainstream
So easy and so fun. They are a blessing from beginning to end.
We raised our first 22 chics during June/July and last week we grabbed 17 more on a whim.
Thanks for the information
I agree! I enjoy them and they feed us all year!
I'm happy that the chickens are processed humanely. Great video
That’s important to us! Thank you for watching!
11:42 Very important step. I learned the hard way not to bake one the same day as processed (rigor mortis does not taste good)
I’ve heard that and it must be true if you had a tough one!
I think of my chickens as pets. I personally don't understand why one would raise an animal just to eat them.
@@lukew6657 I give my birds a good life. They only have one bad day.
@@lukew6657 raising your own is 100× better than factory farmed.
@@lukew6657 we should let someone else raise them? And sell them to us to eat?
I just got mines today, all 8 of them are 1 week old! Lol! My granny used to have over 50 chickens and a turkey lol. And I’m keeping the tradition going!
Enjoy them! I hope they do great for you!
Mines 😂
Terrific video on raising Cornish Cross. . . thank you
I’m glad you found it helpful! 😊
Excellent video! Thank you so much for it. I hope to add meat chickens to our egg production and I like your indoor/outdoor approach. It’s such a short time commitment for a long meat return.
I’m glad you found it helpful! It works for us! If you do meat birds, I’d love to hear how it goes. 😀
This is a great setup you have. And very informative to people interested in getting started. Thank you!
I’m glad you found it helpful! Your kids were VERY excited to tell me they saw this! 😂
Withhold feed up to 2 hours after the chicks arrive just water them.. reduces mortality rate
Beautiful chickens btw!!!
New subbie here & please keep the videos coming
That’s interesting and something I haven’t heard.
I Missed a live shame on me...lol. That was a nice looking plucker great find.
That plucker saved the day when we found it!! Thanks for watching Thomas!
Thank you for sharing nice video, you have good creative mind and love to see your working stay blessed and live happily 😊😊😊
Thank you so much for watching!
This is a great video. This is my 1st time raising meat chickens. I bought 65 from mount healthy hatchery and only lost 1. Your birds look so healthy!
I’m glad you enjoyed the video! That’s great that yours did well, too. I hope you enjoy raising them as much as we do.
This video was so very helpful. We have just got our meat chickens. We don’t have a defeatherer but my husband knows how to do these things by hand (longer process I know). Hoping to get one soon though!. Thanks so much for this! So so helpful for us.
I’m so glad it was helpful to you. Best of luck with your meat chickens!
Really good video! Very informative & well done. Thank you for sharing your experience & insights!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks so much for watching!
@@ChickenHues You're welcome!
My first flock given to me I had big 4 white hens over weight guy told me they were mystery chickens! Then one day one died out of no where from egg block doing a little research I found i had been given 8 chickens 4 of which were Cornish cross 2 have died of egg block other 2 are 2 years old and kinda thriving! I feed them all flock so they don’t over produce eggs but they are cool chickens! Living on borrowed time
That’s so neat to hear that they’ll love that long. I always consider it but don’t know how they’ll do with the other chickens. They’re such sweet, calm birds. Thanks for sharing and watching!
Great vid. My wife has decided that we’re going to do this.. lol very helpful.
Great! I’d love to hear how it goes. 😊
Really really liked your video from start to finish to processing!
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it!
Thanks for your video. We are planning to get about 25 soon.
I hope they do well for you! Fall is a great time to raise them!
what kind of shrink wrap do you use, we have one of those little ones that you have to wait for a minute or two before it gets hot enough to do another bag?
We buy shrink wrap bags that you dip in boiling water. They’re easy to use. We ordered them from Texas Poultry Shrink Bags and got them in a few days.
@@ChickenHues thanks, we'll check them out, that setup we have now it a real time killer.
I’m sure it is! Mine vacuum sealer does the same thing and I have to keep stopping. It would take forever to do chickens that way.
@@ChickenHues So a FoodSaver maybe not the best way to wrap the whole bird? It looks like you do use one for the parts though...?
Thank you very much for posting this very informative video. I am hoping to get some animals on our farmland this year and meat chickens are high on the list. I’m off grid so the power needed to keep them warm is a consideration. I’m in cedar city Utah, where are you located? Also, how much did it cost to feed those 31 chickens for the 7 weeks it took to grow them?
I’m in northwest Indiana. I don’t know how much it cost in feed. The last time I figured it out, the total cost to raise and package one was around $10 total. That was chick price, feed, bedding, and packaging.
Will the survive in a outdoor brooder with a heat lamp
If they can be kept warm enough, dry, and protected from drafts it should be fine.
Cornish cross is a god given chicken breed. Any regular chicken will not be this big in 7 weeks. These chickens are packed with meat with small bones that's why they can hardly move.
Where did you get your chill buckets?
I can’t remember. I think they’re big water barrels sawed in half.
Have you tried breeding them and seeing how the chicks turn out ?
Cornish can't breed, they get to big. They're solely for meat.
I have not! I’ve considered keeping a female to cross breed to a different rooster but never have.
Great video! Thank you for sharing
Thanks for watching! 😊
i would have love to see how that feather plucker work
It does a good job as long as the scald water is the right temp.
@joeyjones8432 I show the plucker in action in my "The Results Are In" video.
Thanks for the great video. How much feed would you say they go through in those 7 weeks? Of like 40# bags
I don’t keep records anymore like I used to. According to an internet search, each chicken will consume around 15 lbs of feed to harvest.
Thanks for your video. I was given 4 supposed hens- turns out 3 are meat birds. They are going on 10 weeks and the males look like they won’t last long so I need to butcher them. Working up the courage as I won’t have any help.
Oh no!! I hope it goes ok for you!
😮 I'm with you, by myself. I hatched eggs from my first ever chickens, of 8, 4 or 5 are roosters and I bought 6 more chicks, and 1 is a rooster. I'm giving myself to 22 weeks before taking that step (8/10 ish). Got all the tools but have to hand pluck😅
Thanks for the video, quick question. When watch the video, heard some crowing 9:25. Was wondering if those were the chickens or do you have a rooster? Trying to see if I get them in my subdivision. Only thing i read so far is they can't be a nuisance. thanks for the info.
I have roosters that you heard. We have had Cornish Cross that start crowing but it’s pretty rare if you butcher at 6-7 weeks. It usually isn’t very loud early on anyway.
Did you brine the whole chicken before you sorted them into thighs,wings etc?
Nope! I don’t brine. I do let them rest for 24-72 hours in the refrigerator (or in bags in ice water) before cutting them.
@@ChickenHues1st time getting courage to harvest several young roosters, I was wondering about the rigor factor. So wait at least 24 hrs before freezing or cooking?
Great video. We've got a bunch of laying hens and they sure move elegantly versus the meat birds. Your birds sure look big and happy. I saw your tower base in one shot. Is the tower for TV or a ham radio tower? Cheers!
That’s a good way to put it - the laying hens move elegantly versus the meat bird waddle! 😂. Our huge tower is actually for our internet. The signal is blocked by trees so we have to have it.
Hi Sir! Can Cornish cross Chickens be raised in Africa? Can it withstand hot weather?
They are not very heat tolerant, especially the bigger they get. I’m not sure if they do well in Africa or not.
Beautiful chickens and clean….when they like three weeks old we give them…mix their feed with…five grains…
Thank you and thank you for watching!
How much did it cost for all of em?
This year’s chicks were around $2.50 each. With the price of the chick, shavings and supplies, and feed, each will cost around $10 to raise.
Wow! This was very informative. Really big chickens.💕 NonnaGrace
Thanks NonnaGrace! Yes, they get so big, so quickly!
How many sacks of feed did you go through in 7 weeks, and what did you feed them?
I start them on a 23% starter for the first week or 2. Then a 20-22% starter until the last week or so. At that point I finish them by adding cracked corn to their starter feed. I don’t remember how much feed I went through. I’m sorry because that’s something that would be good to know.
@@ChickenHues Yea, i just got 50 of them on January 9.
@@ELEC_3N5P3C74R I hope
They do well for you!
One silly question: I have a daughter and I refuse to let her eat all the crap that is in the supermarkets.
I am starting a garden and I want to start a little flock for my family consumption. I am thinking of meatbirds and hens for laying (I do have quite a lot of experience with laying hens, but not meatbirds). I wanted to get some fertilized meatbird eggs, and the question is what to do with the meatbird hens. Do I keep them for eggs? Can I harvest them the same as the boys? I was thinking on keeping maybe 2 to 3 hens and a rooster so I can hatch my own meatbirds, but I don't know if its worth to harvest the hens too, for family consumtion.
I am from spain and traditionally hens are used mostly for stewing and chicken for almost everything else.
Hello! It depends on what strain of meat birds you have there. We have Cornish Cross hybrids and they don’t breed naturally and may not reproduce true. They tend to not live long, either. We raise them and process the hens and roosters at the same time.
Clean birds always thrive thats cool
by freezing them for a year, how do you keep them from getting freezer burned?
We use shrink wrap bags. They are amazing!
I meant besides the shrink wrap bag. Everything I put in shrink wrap bags gets freezer burned if it stays too long in freezer.
my expericed didint really follow a feeding schedule and meat came out chewy not the same texture are the store bought. Have you had that issue?
Did you “rest” the meat by letting it sit for 24-72 hours in refrigeration temperatures? It may also have to do with the age of the chickens at it her or how it was cooked? If the chicken is eaten right after butchering it can be like that.
Hello I love your Channel. Would you please let me know where I can get eggs for chicken meat for hatching? Or chicks
I don’t have eggs for hatching right now. Maybe in spring but I don’t sell them anymore.
@ChickenHues 🥺
@@ChickenHues maybe you know where I can buy
Are those chickens for whole year of consumption?
Yes, for our small family.
@@ChickenHues thanks for the reply. Glad to know those are enough for the whole year.
We also have a few hens that get butchered, too. We go through around 25 - 30 chickens a year for 2 of us now.
Very nice birds!!! Great video!!
Thank you!!
Wow your birds looked amazing! I'm raising Cornish cross for the first time, I've only raised dual purpose heritage meat birds and the two are very different so far (going on to week 3). What type of feed did you use for this flock?
I fed them a 23% starter for the first 3 weeks. Then they switch to an 18% all flock pellet. The last week or two I start adding in some corn until they get to almost half pellet and half corn the last few days.
Quite informative 👍!
I’m glad you found it helpful.
I have 3 of these guys 4weeks old, very hardy, non aggressive and too big already for most predators.
I’m from Iowa and your backyard looks very similar to my parts!
Hello! That mid-west farmland look, right? ❤️
Thank you, great information.
Thank you for watching!
very lovely so means you dont have roosters from that banch but if u keep on raising the can't u have roosters from there?
I’m not sure I understand, but we don’t keep any of these for breeding. They all are butchered.
These are a mix of males and females. They don't look very different at such a young age. You can't keep them for breeding, generally, since they are made with a special mix. Their parents were two different breeds, and when they're crossed they make these very fast growing chickens. Breeding these ones together wouldn't have the same result, even if it was possible to keep them healthy long enough. A few people have done it, but it's not generally worth the effort.
@@jasminecollins897 what two breeds produce them ??
@@afanwinchotu5960 originally, the cornish and the Plymouth, but they've since been developed onto two proprietary lines that are essentially their own separate copyrighted breeds now. Private owners can't get them.
Those two hyper specialized, basically lab developed, lines have to be crossed to produce the rapid growing cornish cross, and then those chicks are sold to the public.
Hi. One of my chickens is this breed. For the last 2 days she cannot walk. We thought it is because of its size. But for the last couple of days it is also cold outside, around 35-45 degrees (We are in Memphis area). Could the cold weather be the reason? Any ideas about what we should do to make her walk again? Thank you.
They can usually handle the cold if they have shelter. Unfortunately, they are prone to having leg issues. For us that is a time to cull. Once they have leg issues they usually don’t get better. I’m sorry.
@@ChickenHues Thanks for the reply. My daughter is attached to the chicken. Without knowing it is this breed, we bought it and other three from tractor supply when they were chicks.
How come they can’t walk?
They’re all walking. They’re meat chickens so they mostly waddle at the end.
They were intentionally bred to gain weight very rapidly, it's an extremely unnatural man made design that's flawed 🥺. I saved the very last 3 meat chicks (broilers) from Royal King last month in January, they're Rudd Rangers.... my sweet girls will NEVER have to worry about winding up on my plate for dinner or in a grocery store!!!
I have some Blue Andalusian's and Sapphire Gems but unlike them my Rudd Rangers are the tamest, most loving, friendly, affectionate, and enjoy being picked up, petted, and even love sleeping on my lap.... people kill them off and don't give meat chickens a chance to show and prove how truly sweet and human oriented they are💔😢🥺.
@@guinealumps8736 my chickens have never trusted me to hop in my lap, closet I can get to them is letting them eat out of my hand. Looking for friendly bird that would let me handle without freaking out lol
@@johnnywishbone1349 I'm sorry to hear that because my Rudd Rangers are a Godsend and you have no idea how amazing and truly wholesome it is to have chickens that are like lap dogs🥰❤. My meat chickies took to me the day I got them... my other girls not so much😑 but still enjoy being around me but aren't the cuddling people type. All I did to get my Rudd Rangers extra tame and love being around and on me is I petted and handled them daily the moment I got them at a young age (mine were 2 days old), I hung out in their setup with them daily as well for at least 20 min- to an hour so they can get used to my presence, voice, and so they see me as one of them/their momma lol, and of course I hand fed them often so they see my hands as a good rewarding thing.
If you're ever looking for friendly laying chickens chicks then here are a few that might be what you're looking for!
Rudd Ranger aka Red Ranger- There's hardly anything at all on their breed temperament on Google besides them being docile and get along with most other breeds. So I'll just tell you their temperament based off my experience with them! They're soooo people oriented, friendly, affectionate, of course docile, tame very quickly with their owner/s, are good with small children, they are pretty peaceful birds that aren't very vocal but can get vocal with excitement when they see you🥰, (if started early at young age like a day old-few days old) they don't mind being petted, handled, and will happily sleep/lay on your lap!!
Brahma - Brahmas are known for being very friendly and approachable chickens. They are calm and gentle. This makes them very easy to handle. They make great backyard pets including for those with children.
Barred Rocks - In terms of their temperament, Barred Rocks are mellow birds. They are not known for bad attitudes or picking at flock mates, and they seem to get along with everyone. They are described by their owners as sweet, calm, and docile - yes even the roosters!
Black Australorps - Australorps are a very gentle natured, docile breed that become attached to their owners as much as you will to them! They are egg-stremely calm and are a delight in any urban or acreage backyard - they are also great for families with children, because they are so tame.
Orpington - Orpingtons are gentle, docile birds that are easily tamed and make extraordinary pet chickens. With regular contact that builds trust and familiarity, they become affectionate and enjoy human contact. Some even become lap chickens. They get on well with other flock members and are not known for bullying.
Araucana - Araucanas are great characters, they are a very friendly breed, inquisitive and easily tamed to come to hand for pets. The cock birds don't tend to be aggressive.
Easter Egger - They usually assertive, friendly, and comical.
Cochin - Cochins are calm, friendly birds. Even the roosters are known for being fairly mellow. The boys rarely get aggressive, mean, or quarrelsome. Cochins are gentle, quiet and docile. The bantam variety reportedly make excellent pets for kids and are apparently the easiest of chickens to tame. They are approachable and get along with people well.
Silkies - Silkies don't mind getting up close and personal with their human friends, in fact, they quite like being cuddled, kissed and groomed, making them eggcellent pets for young children.
What kind of Rooster is needed to get eggs from a Cornish hen
Not sure!
Thank you very much for this video. I’m researching on meat birds for the 1st time. I can’t believe they got so big so fast. Thank you for a detailed video. I noticed they don’t roost... do they try to get out of your pen? I value for your “peaceful to the end” statement. Thank you again.
I’m glad this was helpful! No, they do not roost. Some may try when smaller, but it’s better if they don’t because of their weight. Occasionally, there may be one that is able to jump over but it’s rare. They aren’t very agile. 😂
I’d love to hear an update if you decide to raise some. I really enjoy raising them!
Our third time raising meat birds! Twice in Alaska and now in SW Washington. We’ve had layers for years. I need to find a plucker or build one. Thanks for the chronology of your process.
Where are you located
Indiana!
We bought 12 cornish cross chicks today to try.
I hope they do great for you!
informative..thank you!
Thanks for watching!
What is the average weight of seven week old?
Between 4-6 lbs. The males tend towards 5-6 pounds at 7 weeks and
The females at 4-5.
Can they eat carrot from juicing?
Sure!
Hi do u give them any vitamins or antibiotics.
No antibiotics! I do put electrolytes in their water.
where did you get them again? couldn’t grasp the name on the video.
Mt. Healthy Hatchery, I believe.
Thanks for the video. I'm getting my first 8 meat hens next week. Lots to learn! I'm building a mobile outdoor coop and an indoor pen. We have a lot of predators around here, so we're being careful. When do you start giving them stones?
As soon as I start giving them cracked corn or when they have grass. I use chick grit at the beginning when they’re small if needed. Best of luck with your meat birds! I hope it goes well and I’d love to hear an update.
@@ChickenHues Thanks!
@@ChickenHues You not
@@ChickensAndGardening how did it go?
Why did the video go black after a few minutes?
I’m not sure?
Man they looked great at the 6 week mark
This batch of meat birds did amazing for us!
These hens don’t lay eggs? Or did you say only females and no males ?
The females will lay eggs at maturity around 5-6 months. Mine are butchered around 6-7 weeks and don’t lay eggs.
Nice 👍 Thank you for sharing 🥰
Thank you for watching!
Good show, more grace in Jesus name.
I always wanted chickens but between the poop and them scratching the garden up it’s not feasible
And those two things are definitely reality with chickens! At least the poop is good for the garden. 😭
In india it's mainy vencobb is seen
Why Cornish corn chicken not found in india any idea
Very cool video
Thanks!
Wow, that sure is interesting and nice to see the growing phases, Stacie. I was wondering processedthe processed birds. How long did the harvesting process take? Was it an entire day for 31 birds? Nice staging set-up you guys have. We just had hurricane Isaias (pronounced (Eee-sa-Eee-us ) pass through. Did not have any major damage nor loss of power, this time around. Sine I've been on UA-cam, we've had hurricanes Irma, Michael, Florence, and now Isaias. We were blessed with no damage. Power for houses in town went off 0100 (am) and restored around 0900 (am). Full-watch and hope you guys have a fine week.. Enjoyed the video. 👍🏽
Hi there! I’m so glad you didn’t have damage. That’s a lot of hurricanes you’ve had recently! 😳 It took about 5 hours from set up to clean up. We weren’t trying to hurry. Thanks for watching and glad you’re safe!
❤ guessing that plucked saved 80% of the time?
Meat birds don't need to roost?
No. It’s better for them if they don’t. Their legs can’t handle jumping up and down because of how they’re built.
Great video, thank you!
Thank you for watching! 🙂
Can you do the math on how much would each bird cost you including feed to butcher?
I used to keep really good records when we sold them. I haven’t done that the last few years. A rough estimate on the ones we’re raising now will be $10 a chicken (which doesn’t include any time costs or electricity). Each chick was roughly $2.50, $1.70 in shavings, .75 in electrolytes and freezer bag, at least $5 in feed. I hope that helps!
WHEN BRINGING HOME NEW CHICKS, I WOULD USE STARTER MASH NOT STARTER CRUMBLES!
Did the chicks come vaccinated? Great job on the video and thanks.
They did not come vaccinated. Thanks for watching and I’m glad it was helpful.
how many chickens are there ?
We usually raise between 25-35. I can’t remember exactly how many, but in that range.
@@ChickenHues nice 👍
Great video thanks 😊
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it!
I don’t have enough time to make a full comment. But as a chicken farmer, you need to keep their food off the ground like that. Even as chicks I hang it off the ground. First dirty fecal matter and then they can die from infection. I can tell you don’t have a farm. Either way they sure taste good!
Thank you for the advice! You are correct - on all of your points. 🙂
@@ChickenHues I was rude and didn’t mean to be, I’m sorry about that!
@@michiganwoodsman2199 No need to apologize! Your comment respectfully stated your points. I appreciate you calling out things that need to be done differently for the best results. Everything you said was correct. Regardless, thank you for apologizing and please always share those things - I want to keep learning better ways to do things! (Just don’t bother telling me I talk too much like some people comment - there’s no hope for that one! 😂)
@@ChickenHues we’re on the same page I’m the same way!
Great video.
Thank you!
The chickens show signs of leg problems. They waddle walk and they seem unstable like they are top heavy and have leg joint problems they lay unnatural for chickens their legs sticking out from beside and behind them instead of under them. I see it in almost all of them.
I’m not exactly sure on all of what you’re trying to say. Cornish cross are too heavy and waddle when they walk. It’s how they’re built. They aren’t like laying breeds. By design, they should be butchered at 6-7 weeks.
@@ChickenHues sorry there were some typos in my comment. I fixed them. You commented in the video that they had no walking problems and I see that they do show that. It seems this breed does and I'm quite sure that God didn't create these things. The seem to be a true cross, a genetic manipulation of things God made. That's wrong to do and it means they suffer because their DNA isn't exactly like God intended animals or humans to be. He isn't cruel and He created things to live and reproduce, though our food too. These, like other manipulated things don't have a good quality of life and have illness. I don't mean because of your care of them because I think you seemed good to them 💕.
Thanks for your video and comment 💕 God bless 🙏
@@SherriP ok- I see what you mean and see the corrections. Yes, they have walking “problems” when compared to our current laying breeds. I was referring to people that will say their legs break and they can’t walk at all. Management mistakes and delaying butchering contribute to that.
We likely disagree on some of what you say. My opinion (for what it’s worth 😉) is that God gave us the ability to work with His creation to make life better. This breed allows more people access to quality protein because of their quick growth and large size. They can be managed in a way that causes them to suffer - not unlike people under unjust rulers or cruel parents. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the problem lies within the breeding. Finally, man has always experimented with animal breeding to improve and magnify qualities to help us. The original chickens likely didn’t feed many people.
Thanks for you comment! I absolutely understand your point and agree with you in certain aspects of it. 😊
ive hatched well over 300 chicks. I can say one thing. I never dipped any chicks beak in any water.
😂. The more I have chicks, the more I see that they can figure a lot out on their own. I still dip some of their beaks in, though.
Nice
Thank you!
What a good idea for kill cones! Way cheaper!
Yes, they are. They work well for us, but can be a bit small for the largest meat birds.
Tomorrow is processing day ,good thing they can't hear lol.
They don’t know. Since they’re processed here, they don’t even know what’s going on until it’s their turn. They sit peacefully in their large pen in comfort with no stress or drama.
Heat is opening up the pores in the meat and you are getting all those chems in the soap deep into your meat where its not washed off.
Thank you! That’s definitely something to think about.
@@ChickenHues You are welcome. I enjoyed the video.
Ive raised cornish cross before. They never made it to the processing phase because they became pets.
They are sweet and friendly chickens. I had some that almost became pets, too.
All ur chicken are limping bcz they have no where to perch. How do they even sleep?
I didn’t notice them limping. Meat chickens don’t perch.
This breed (cornish cross) cannot fly or jump to a perch. They're too heavy. They have that uncomfortable way of walking because of their wide body shape and weight. It's part of how they're designed.
LOL Chick was laying down and eating. That's some lazy poultry!
They can definitely be lazy! Lol
What sex is larger?
Males get bigger faster. The females can get also get big, but males are bigger.
@@ChickenHues i got female darn it!
Thought the finish was gonna be a cooked bird.
That would be the actual finish, wouldn’t it? 😂
Were they vaccinated?
No.
I think they liked getting butchered 🤣
😂. They weren’t as happy when Steve walked off with them. I’m a bleeding heart with them... let me believe what I want to.. 😂😂😂
Chickenssssssss 🐓
When they get 6 weeks old they start to have trouble walking because of there larger breasts.
Not necessarily. We often raise them to 7-8 weeks and they’re still getting around fine. They definitely aren’t made for the long haul, though. Eventually, their legs will go out without careful management.
How do they get breeded considering the weight issue
@@afanwinchotu5960 with great difficultly even obese individuals have children
Wow, you really think to believe, that we just saw vital animals. 🙄
Their parents are well vaccinated that's why they r doing good
What does that mean? The chickens’ parents? They are unvaccinated chicks from a hatchery. The parent’s immunity for anything they would get a vaccine for won’t transfer to the chicks.
@@ChickenHues I think u don't have good knowledge about poltry & genetic science.
Could be! 😉
@@pusongaming9860 chicken vaccinations do not pass immunity to the chicks from the parents, and it wouldn't affect the issues that are common to well maintained meat birds like this anyway.
@@pusongaming9860 the vaccinations would also have nothing to do with their genetics.