Also, we found that the Cornish X variety out-gained the heritage breeds by a factor of 2:1 regardless of diet. This played a critical role in the profitability of the venture from the farming end, suggesting that heritage breeds may need to be priced differently next year. However, the heritage breeds we raised were happy and active, with a full growth of feathers during their tenure versus the Cornish X who appeared as absurdly fat with few feathers and little desire to forage or exhibit normal chicken behaviors.
Here are the numbers for the different sets of chickens grown this summer:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p
Note that the numbers in this spreadsheet were gained far from scientifically and any definitive answers on growth rates and responses to feed would need to be gained in a controlled experiment. We would welcome anybody to work with us on this next year, perhaps raising several varieties of chickens on two different types of feed in identical pastured conditions.
3 comments:
Thanks for sharing, I would never have imagined the difference in gain would be so large (as someone who doesn't raise poultry).
Great read! My girls and I are raising cornish x for our freezer. Awesome growth, but as far as "chicken behavior", I think it's been bread out of them. These birds are nly interested in eating and have shown very little interest in anythig else...we tried to free range them but they had no clue and just followed my daughters around waiting for their grain.
We raised 5 Le Poulet and 2 Cornish Cross this year. Two of each were lame, but the others were all between 3.8 and 4.0 pounds (the Cornish Cross was the heaviest). All were outside all day. I've recently switched to a homemade non-soy feed and my hens are laying more eggs!
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