# Raising Cornish hens - tips?



## TheFurTrapper

Hey, I've done chickens before but only ever a few egg layers. I'm looking at ordering in the next week or two about 2 dozen Cornish hens. I'm going to butcher about 10 for myself and the rest I will sell to neighbours. 

I've heard that growing them to quickly can result in tough meat? 
And I've also heard that they can grow too fast and easily have heart attacks? 

So my question is, what's the best way to grow them from basically day old's too butcher ready? Looking for how much feed they should be allowed to consume (Once they're off chick starter I wanna stick to mainly feeding crushed barley like I do my pigs) 

Thanks for any help in advance!


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## Fiere

In order to maintain good growth, they need protein. So barley won't fill them out much at all. If they are fed free choice and have restricted movement they will be quite tender, but they will grow very fast and this could lead to heart attacks, failed organs, legs failing, etc. 

I feed mine as much as they eat within 30 minutes, 3 times a day from two weeks one. For the first two weeks they're free fed. At 4 weeks they are given access to the outside. After 6 weeks I allow them to free range and do whatever they like. I have a couple that like to run around and their drumsticks can get a little tough but I cook them on low heat slowly and don't find them much different than a grocery store bird. 

I butcher between 12-14 weeks and each bird is 7-9 lbs when they go in the freezer. This is a 10-13 lb live bird.


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## robin416

Are you both talking about pure Cornish or Cornish crosses?


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## Fiere

I am talking the Cornish broilers. When someone says "Cornish hens" to me I instantly assume the little 4 week old Cornish broilers you get around Christmas time in the super market that are like a pound or two.


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## robin416

Trying to find info on Cornish Game Hens is almost impossible. But I found this: http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Cornish-B39.aspx

See the dark Cornish in the upper right? Is that what the OP is referring to or to the broilers/crosses.

I've seen the pure Cornish in shows. Love the bird. If I hadn't gotten out, I'd probably have a few of those hanging around here.


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## Fiere

Look up red laced white Cornish, Robin. I have a trio of them coming this weekend, hoping they are actually going to be a trio! I hate straight run birds!


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## Fiere

They also come in bantam


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## robin416

Love that lacing. But what a pain in the behind. I found pics, some were obviously pure Cornish. Others it was obvious they were crosses but were being called pure Cornish.


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## Fiere

I'm hoping mine are more to standard. I *love* them. Should have gotten more than 3 to increase my odds, but I played the "three of this and two of this and five of this" game to the point of no return and hubby caught on.


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## robin416

Fiere said:


> I'm hoping mine are more to standard. I *love* them. Should have gotten more than 3 to increase my odds, but I played the "three of this and two of this and five of this" game to the point of no return and hubby caught on.


LOL Hate to burst your bubble but I had a really bad year just before I sold out. I had 15 paint chicks hatch. 13 were males. No exaggeration. I was ready to pull my hair out. Luckily paints were so new everybody wanted one so it worked out OK.

I hope what you get are the pure Cornish. They are a charming little bird.

Now if Trapper would just get back here so we'll know what they are referring to more specifically.


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## Fiere

That was my luck last year. 70% roosters and that's including the straight run pullets! Oh boy I was fit to be tied.

At least Trapper will have a nice discussion to come back to.


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## hellofromtexas

First tip for meat birds. Prepare for poop. What goes in must come out and most meat birds can eat.


2nd tip. Butchering age depends on personal preference of flavor. You could butcher them young and get really tender tasteless meat or butcher them later and get more flavorful meant

3rd tip. Meat flavor also depends on how you feed them and their are multiple ways to do that but fat chickens are tender when it comes to meat.

4th tip yes growing them too fast can lead to problems


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## TheFurTrapper

Hey guys sorry was chasing cattle... they're the all white in colour Cornish hens. 
They look like these: 
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/...f5k0WRA7i_FOZvxuUblwKJBNUkvq3Mgn9NUnd2BKZsF-C

So that was a good conversation to go over haha. What is the best way to feed them then? I don't have any issues with butchering in say early to mid October, even late October if need be.. just don't wanna keep over the winter.

Taste is good in chicken... and one neighbour I know will want them in her freezer weighing around 6 ibs, some want the bigger 10 pounders, we like ours at about 8 or 9 around there.


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## TheFurTrapper

And they will be restricted I guess you could say, they will be given access to a pen outside the coop to get fresh air and stretch their legs etc, just not around the yard as my hunting dog likes to play with anything that's alive a little to much sometimes, as well as the fact that if they ever fly into the pig pen they're gonna have a bad day.


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## Fiere

Those are Cornish X Broilers, Trapper 

After 16-18 weeks they start to lose weight and will reduce in size till they are just "normal" chickens, so best to kill them before that. They're peak feed conversion (2 lbs of feed for every lb of weight) is until 8-10 weeks, after which it drops. They will happily over winter but you won't have more than a 5lb table bird then.

When I say restricted, I mean like 1-2 square feet per bird, like they do on poultry farms. Free choice feed and no movement makes for a very big bird and you'll cut a lb of fat off it, I personally rather I rather meat, not fat, on my birds. A set up where they are restricted from running but still can move freely is a great set-up for big, flavourful birds.
For a 6 lb dressed bird, you want the do them when they're about 8lb, which in a set up like yours being fed enough should be 8-9 weeks. A 10 lb dressed bird being fed like that you'll want to leave go till they're 13-14lbs live about 14-16 weeks.


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## TheFurTrapper

So what kind of feeding program should I set up for them? It'll be about 2 dozen birds in a 8x10 building with a 10x10 pen outside of the building for them. Is it best to free feed for the first two weeks following hatching and then switch to feeding them only a couple times a day (give them a good feed in morning and again at night as I'm gone all day most days) 

Thanks for everyone's help again.


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## Fiere

That's what I do and it works for me. They put on weight quickly during those first two weeks in the brooder which makes them strong enough to go outside. I then put them in their enclosure with the heat lamp for another 2 weeks (I wean them off he heat lamp during this time), and I feed 3 times a day, but you can feed twice, just make sure you give them more. After 4 weeks they are hard fathered and can go outside. Now, I also live in a cold climate. You might be able to wean them off a heat lamp by 3 weeks and just fire them out into both pens. I leave them in the outside building for a little longer as sometimes they're a bit dumb and sleep outside, we can get a chill and dew cover that's cold enough to kill a young bird, here. 

You can even free feed them during the day if you want, but they will likely just sit near the food dish and get fat. They are designed to have insatiable appetites for the first three months, and by giving them all that they need to grow and thrive, without access, they will be "hungry" and roam around, scratching for bugs and grass like a normal chicken would. The movement is what keeps their legs and organs strong. They will still grow, but just slower and with a leaner meat (still very juicy!). It's when they get hugely fat that the meat has little flavour and you are cutting a pound of fat off the chest and rear of the bird. 

I've raised them both ways: restricted movement/free fed, and unrestricted movement/ration fed. At 12 weeks the ration fed birds with room to move will be loping around the yard, dust bathing in the spruce thicket, taking frequent cat naps, and dress out at 6-8 lbs. Whereas the free fed ones will be laying on their bellies next to the feeders, panting, only getting up to walk a few steps before having to rest (even just to go for water it. Ought take them 4 tries to get there) and they are dressing out at 8-10 lbs. the difference isn't that huge in the amount of meat, the difference is in the bird and the quality of life. The obese birds will be a heavier live bird, but you're losing carcass weight with the fat. I choose to let them do what they want and be happier and healthier for it. I have never lost a bird to organ failure or leg failure.
The obese birds will also get a crusty fat pad on their chests from lying in their own crap all day and it's really quite nasty. It scalds pretty clean and a bit of scrubbing during plucking has it looking normal, but it's still fairly gross, IMO lol.

I also ferment my feed which gives a really rich flavour to the meat. I notice a huge difference in the taste and it is lovely. 

As for quantity, it depends, I feed 3x a day, all the birds will eat in 30 minutes. So the amount increases with age. At 4 weeks they're eating about 2lbs of dry food per week per bird, and at 10 weeks on when their appetites level out they're eating about 4lb per week per bird. The fermented feed is heavier per volume and the birds get more out of it, so you end up feeding less and having it do more.


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## TheFurTrapper

That was super thanks! 
What exactly are you feeding if you say they likely won't benefit much from just straight barley?


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## Fiere

Straight barely doesn't have much protein in it. Meat birds need protein to get that big muscle load set on them, if they can't it from their feed they won't grow it. 
I feed chick grower, but a game bird mix works well. Layer doesn't have the protein in it for good muscle growth.


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## TheFurTrapper

So do you feed the chick grower to them through out the entire time you have to feed them? Start to finish I mean.


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## Fiere

I do the chick starter for the first couple weeks with all my birds, then I feed grower exclusively, again for all my birds lol. But the meat birds are pretty basic. Starter for 2-3 weeks, then a high protein feed such as grower or game bird mix for the rest of their lives.


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## TheFurTrapper

So would this be the grower then? 
"Tradition 38% AV Layer Pullet Grower Supp 200"


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## hellofromtexas

Meat birds need a high protein diet rich with nurtrients and attempt to keep them fat. (or at least this is how I like them)

They go on a feeding schedule of starter, grower, and finisher dependent on preference. Some will keep them on solely grower and others will do other things. Broilers are very flexible on feedinghttp://www.homesteadorganics.ca/meat-chickens.aspx

Starter feed is kinda the same as for laying bird. It's the newborn baby food.

Grower feed has a higher protein and at certain points they need high protein. The usual goal of this is to give a high protein high nutrient feed so they grow up with good healthy muscle.

Finisher feed fattens them up and gets them ready for slaughter. It is mostly just for fattening and can be skipped depending on your desired result.

Broilers feed program are very flexible depending on birds and the desired end result. The link has an example of a feed program but you may need to adjust or change things about it.

Another thing, if it's too cold and if it's too hot, they grow slower in a bad way. I don't know why but they just do. So be sure to keep the temp just right.

I'd slaughter them between 8 weeks to 16 weeks but this is also dependent on preference of flavor and weight. I like bland juicy meat so I'd slaughter them as soon as they reach peak. If you want more flavor the older is the way to go. Beyond 16 weeks you won't get much. At a certain point they peak and then they go down hill when it comes to slaughtering, like fierce said.


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## TheFurTrapper

Thank's guys! Last question I think I have for now is what age to Roosters reach age where they're gonna start beating the hens up? 

Not planning to breed or anything just have a good deal on getting the chicks unsexed and curious if it's worth it to take advantage of?


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## Fiere

Yes, it is worth it to get mixed sex. They will be long since put in the freezer before they're sexually mature. While the birds' bodies grow at an exceptionally quick rate and they look like adults at 10 weeks, they're still 10 week old babies. I get straight run and in all the years I've raised them only three ever crowed and they've never mounted a hen.


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## TheFurTrapper

Okay great thanks!


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## TheFurTrapper

Ordered my chicks today! Should be here Tuesday! Finishing last reno's on chicken coop Saturday.


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## Fiere

Wonderful. Enjoy them. With socialization they're the friendliest birds I own and a pleasure to keep around. When their time nips up, they're pretty tasty too lol


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## TheFurTrapper

They will definetly be socialized with!


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## Fiere

My birds came when I called from where ever they were on the property and begged to be picked up. It's kind of sad to call them over to the killing cone but it makes for a much less stressful death if the birds trust you 100%. They don't make a noise throughout the whole thing and I just rub their cheeks and tell them what good chickens they are until they pass out. It's kind of morbid but I'd much rather that relationship with my food animals Han some. I killed chickens for someone last year and they poor things were beating themselves into a frenzy the whole time and terrified. Made it a lot harder to get a good clean cut and it was very stressful for me and the birds. Never again!


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