Four to seven weeks is
my favorite chick age. They’re just barely starting to get into
trouble — hopping up on the porch, scratching mulch — but mostly
are simply growing like crazy and rustling up lots of their own grub.
Each morning, the flock
has to make a hard decision — which delicious morsel to eat first!
Oilseed radishes and
asparagus berries are favorites right now.
After breakfast, it’s
time for a short siesta. The raspberry
patch makes a safe
haven for napping.
Then they’re back to
work!
The straw I used for
this kill mulch clearly had more seeds in it than it should have.
“No problem,” said my chicks. “We’re on it!”
They forage until dusk,
then put themselves to bed.
All I have to do is
close the door.
(If you were looking for
a little more substance, you might want to read this
post about the advantages of free range chickens, and this
one about the flip side of the coin. For more fun chick
photos, check out this post
from a month ago.)
flock healthy with lots of clean water.
Do you think this “slow growing” Cornish Cross is any different than the regular CC?
http://www.strombergschickens.com/product/Cornish-Rock-Cross-Slow-Growing-Chicks/Meat-Producing-Chickens
Emily — I think I’ve heard of a few people trying slow-growing Cornish Cross (perhaps the same as that or perhaps from another supplier). I can’t recall the exact results — I think their survivability in rough conditions was better but the meat was a lot like run-of-the-mill Cornish Cross. (That last can be good or bad depending on what you want. I really love the flavor of our heirloom chickens, but the meat is a little tougher and it’s not everyone’s favorite.)
We are looking to grow broilers for the commercial market and I am not sure how well the average consumer will accept a broiler that isn’t a Cornish Cross, but yet I am painfully aware of all of their drawbacks!