Raising free range Cornish Cross or Cornish X chickens, can it be done? The first time I helped process Cornish X meat birds I didn’t eat chicken again for 2 weeks. Not because of the death, plucking or gutting but how they looked and lived in their life. My friend raised them in her backyard just as she had been instructed; and I believe as humanely as possible for her space. But these frankenchickens were just icky. Too big to take more than a few steps, covered in mud or poo, stinking beyond description and missing most of the chest feathers from being down so much. In other words, though these animals were not changed up, they weren’t something I felt comfortable eating.
Over the years I’ve looked into raising meat birds but either it was waiting for months (not feasible with my space) or going to the Cornish Cross. Neither seemed viable. But the search continued to look for free range Cornish Cross chickens. That’s how I found Justine and her experience with free range Cornish cross chickens.
While I still lean to raising all heritage birds, I hope her experience will give you a different perspective on CX, even if you don’t ultimately raise them.
I’ll let Justine take over from here…
If you do not want to read about chickens used for meat, you may want to skip over this post. We are omnivores here, so we eat meat, and enjoy eating meat. If I am going to eat it, I am going to raise it if possible, and know that what is on my plate has had a wonderful life full of adventures and fresh air. I will not send my birds to the butcher either. I want them to spend their very best and the one bad moment here at our farm. It is less stress on the birds in the end, and those are my feelings on the subject.
I feel a very strong urge to be an advocate against the misinformation about the common broiler chickens and their apparent disturbing behavior everyone seems to go on about.
Here are some of the many labels I often see associated with the Cornish Cross:
- Disgusting
- Ugly
- Smelly
- Lazy
- Can’t walk (leg issues)
- Won’t forage
- Lays in their own filth
- Organ failure – heart attacks common
- Stupid
- Tasty (*this one is true*)
What you don’t know is that all of this has to do with improper management! If your Cornish Cross are disgusting, smelly, lazy, spending much of the day sleeping in their own filth before dying of heart failure, it is improper husbandry that is the issue, not the Cornish Cross! The feeding guides shown online make my jaw drop. No wonder these birds are laying around, pooping every 5 seconds and sleeping in it. It’s not your fault. The instructions on raising the Cornish Cross are misleading. All the falsity is overwhelming. Threads on backyard chickens with the titles like: Cornish Cross’s = Nastiest birds EVER, does not help their case.
Last year I had written off the Cornish Cross as a Frankenchicken based on all the info I read about online. I was dead-set against raising them on my free range only farm. I didn’t want to have birds penned up for their entire life. I heard that they can’t/won’t free range… I put my foot down. That is until I saw a video that made me second guess everything I’ve read about them prior. Maybe they can free range and be chickens after all? I might as well give it a shot; if they don’t pan out, I can at least say I tried, right?
This is MY experience with the broiler better known as the Cornish Cross, Cornish X, CX or Meat Kings.
Free Range Cornish Cross – Week One and Two (Days 1 – 13)
I had a rough time with them from day 1 to 14 It was extremely humid and incredibly hot.. we had a run in with Cocci and lost 7 Cornish X and 10 Red Sex Link chicks. We did not treat for cocci, but offered electrolytes (Stress Aid) the day after we noticed low movement and puffiness despite the heat. They went quickly. Here, in Canada, you can not get Amprol without a vet’s prescription. It took me 48 hours to get my hands on some, and by that time the electrolytes really perked them up. The strong survived. After they were on grass, the birds were golden. No more illness (save one) who I moved back in and gave Amprol (the only one that was ever dosed). That chick was fine within 2 days and back out with everyone.
Free Range Cornish Cross – Two Weeks (Day 14-20)
I opened the pop door. I continued to offer electrolyte water because of the heat being so stressful on the chicks. I found the first week they really didn’t go very far. They could not understand the concept of going BACK INSIDE at night. I had to pick each chick up and place inside the pop door (this includes the Red Sex Link chicks).
Free Range Cornish Cross – Three Weeks (Day 21-27)
Finally the CX are spreading out and returning to the pen at night on their own. Real feathers coming in. They are a good 3 times the size of their hatch mates (the RSL layers).
Free Range Cornish Cross – Four Weeks (day 28-34)
They are really good at foraging now. They run as soon as they hear the back screen door slam shut. They want treats. They are getting closer and closer to my neighbor’s property line.
Free Range Cornish Cross – Five Weeks(day 34-40)
They are now almost 100% feathered out. They are passing our property lines and ranging two acres now. I do not like to watch them eat. They inhale food. I do love watching them forage, and they are very active. As soon as the pop door is open they are off.
Free Range Cornish Cross – Six weeks (day 40-46)
Not much change since week five for experience. They have grown some. They are ranging exceptionally well. No leg injuries save one I jammed in the sliding door of the barn. She will be the first processed. Haven’t lost a single one since cocci outbreak.
Free Range Cornish Cross – Seven weeks (day 47-53)
I processed the girl with the injured leg. She was limping, but still got around. I didn’t want it to get any worse so she was processed along with three others. They were too small at this age. Roughly 3 pounds. We were going to do ten, but after seeing the first four gutted and weighed, we decided against it.
Free Range Cornish Cross – Eight weeks (day 54 – 60)
This is when most would start processing the Cornish Cross. I figured they are still getting around very well, so I’ll give them a little longer. May do the boys at 9 weeks.
Free Range Cornish Cross – Nine Weeks (day 61-67)
They were hogging all the food at feeding time from EVERYONE, so we processed the largest 10 boys at 9 weeks old. Each one averaged out about 4.5 pounds; the largest was 5 pounds and the smallest was just under 4. Much more breast meat seen than at 7 weeks.
Free Range Cornish Cross – 10-11 Weeks (day 68-81)
This picture is at almost 11 weeks – I have 28 left to process, 4 are boys, 24 girls. Two of the girls look very small. I think I may keep them to laying age. A strict feeding regime is important to do this. I want to see what they will give out when bred to a Heritage Plymouth Rock. I know they don’t breed true.
Free Range Cornish Cross – A final word.
At 12 weeks of age (88 days old) we processed 26 chickens. 22 pullets and 4 cockerels. You can see them in this video at that age. They were still extremely active and a good size. After they were processed (neck, feet and wing tips off) they averaged 5.5 pounds each; the smallest over 5 pounds and the largest over 6 pounds. One chicken can feed 8 no problem (unless you are feeding teenage boys) ?
All in all I loved my experience with the CX. They are not the monsters you read about throughout the meat bird forum on BYC.
What they are:
- Active
- Intelligent
- Healthy
- Friendly
They are just chickens who just happen to be extremely food motivated, and were bred to gain weight at a 50:50 feed conversion ratio.
The poop smells like poop. The smell is not indistinguishable between any other breed of chicken I have raised. It smells like poop. Keeping the litter dry and practicing the deep litter method surely helps. If it is very humid out, I find Stable Boy helps greatly with the smell. They do poop bigger than other chickens their age because they EAT more.
If they are not allowed access to full feeders at all hours of the day, they will go on a mission, searching high and low for all of the food that our beautiful mother nature has to offer them. They are among the best foragers I have ever witnessed.
The only negatives I have noted is that they are food aggressive, so ample feeder space is required. They also do eat extremely fast and to watch them is not pleasant. It’s like watching a starving animal inhale their offerings twice a day. No matter what, they always seem to be hungry. They are not starving. Don’t let them trick you into feeding them at all hours because they INSIST they are starving. I don’t buy it.
Books For Your Consideration:
Les Farms was founded by Justine Lewis and her former partner in 2008. Over the years they had great success and over came many obstacles such as a barn fire that left them with very little of their flock surviving. After an amazing effort made by the farming community they where able to build a baby barn for the surviving flock as they built a new barn to house them in. In 2015 Ben Milmine joined the farm as co-owner and manager of operations. In 2016 Justine and Ben welcomed their son Greyson into the world and look forward to passing it down to him to run.
I want them . Where do i get them in Botswana
I wish I had the answer for you there.
well, i’ve officially been inspired. Like this post, i strongly disagree with a bird never seeing the light of day, never knowing what grass is, and never being able to fully extend their legs or wings.
to contest anyone who may argue with this theory, i can say personally, i’ve had a similar experience to the story spoken here.
let me start out by saying the sad truth about how degrading people typically are towards he cornish x. Prior to this theory, about the only thing i have heard to help their “genetically poor health” is taking their food at night to help the bones catch up with the rest of their body. however, ultimately the “no food at night” fix was though to only last until harvesting time. after that, they “Deteriorate” have heart & lung, bone & joint problems that time cannot avoid, no matter how much you limit their food intake or space. though this particular cite did not fully test how long a cornish x can live without health problems, i’d like to think somewhere under the stars there’s a place for them as pets with longer lives, say at least 2-3 yrs. but most say it simply can’t be done. the majority from the byc and beyond also stressed never to place in with other breeds which i couldn’t wrap my head around.
i began a rather hopeless search thought to be in vain for proof otherwise to all of the above. but then, i saw a photo of a very healthy, active & uninjured 3 year old free range cornish x rooster. this is supposed to be impossible, but there he stood all proud and tall as if to pose for the picture. i gave the free range broliers a go once before i knew about the over-feeding issue. let me tell you, it was not pretty. they all got injured barely running around. though i was deterred (as the author of this website had been) i’d seen some major contradictions, already to the cornish x breed. despite joint problems from going by what the bag said for me to do, they were VERY docile, calm, intelligent, extraordinary scavengers, and had kept themselves very clean. they were amongst many other breeds i had ordered in an “adoption” pack.
Thank you for your love and kindness. These birds are beautiful and so much like a highly intelligent dog, they are as clean as you help them to be.
We love e our girls and are praying for a few years with these ornery little angels!
I love Chicken TV! Give me a glass of wine and I’ll sit out there for hours. I have a flock of banty crosses and last year was the first time I dispatched most of the roosters. They were old and tough so I cooked them down to cat food with black beans and rice. They all love their treats.
My questions are on feed. Whole grains, fermented grains and how much. It sounds like your success is due to a great feeding program. Can you share your feeding schedule/feeds?
Do you have any tips for processing them? I got my first chickens, meant to be pets for eggs. They were in the same bin as the red sex links at tractor supply. We got two yellow chicks, 2 brown, never thinking they were meat chicks!! They are HUGE compared to the red ones. I never dreamed I was accidentally buying Cornish cross, but now I’m certain that’s what I have. They are almost 8 weeks and struggling to walk and won’t roost, generally don’t act like the red chickens.
A cone and a sharp knife. If you’ve never processed a chicken before I’d ask a friend to help you that has. If not there are some great videos on YouTube to walk you through it step by step.
I am trying Cornish X for the first time as well! I have had zero problems and I am also raising in Canada on pasture. I’m wondering how you decided how much to feed per day? I am struggling with this currently. I feel like I’m not feeding enough but at the same
Time at 3 weeks I have had none die and they are all healthy and active. Any tips would be great!
It is interesting to see that you don’t use the typical feeding schedule for your Cornish X. Can you tell me what your feeding schedule is for them? I am trying to free range my Cornish X’s, we have our feeders outside. They are just sitting at the feeders all day instead of roaming about. I would like to figure out a way to get them back into the coop without having to pick them up every evening.
Stephanie – this article was submitted from an outside author. You can find her contact info at the bottom for more information.
Hi there! We’re trying to pasture raise our Cx as we have done for a few years. But this year we are trying to use Faba beans for the main protein and then wheat and oats too and the chickens almost don’t seem that interested in this grain mixture. We were hoping not to buy and use the grower that we’d usually did. Can you please tell me what you feed your Cx chicken so that they gain weight?
You know, this was a guest post, you should try contacting the author. You’ll find the author’s bio at the bottom of the article. Best of luck to you Gloria!
Love this. I have 4 crosses and have been only feeding once a day. I can’t wait to put them out for a walk on the wild side.
Hi there,
Glad to have come across your blog! I have a couple questions for you.
We have an 12 ft by 4 ft brooder that is sectioned off currently for 36 cornish cross chicks, they are about 1.5 weeks old I am guessing. They have wing feathers present. We also raise turkeys, geese, and many types of layers. Did you let your cornish cross chicks free range that young without a heat lamp? It is pretty chilly in the morning and at night, I am afraid to let them wonder too far yet with very few feathers, and I am also concerned about the bigger birds hurting them. All of our birds free range and get very little feed, so they are usually out and about once the coop door is open.
Also, did you feed yours 24/7 for the first few weeks of life, or did you only feed them 1-2x a day? I want to ensure they are active in their little area, and I was going to try feeding them only in the evening, but I didn’t know if that was not enough feed since they are not allowed to free range yet? I just want to keep them healthy until it warms up more and they get a little bigger to navigate the steps in and out of our coop.
Any tips are appreciated.
Thank you and God bless!
This post was written by a guest. I have not personally raised cornish. I have always free fed chicks.