Free range meat chickens?

[chicken pickin]

I raise Cornish cross meat chickens and have had wonderful results. If tended to properly with lots of space and scheduled feeding they shouldn't be lazy stinky or gross. After 3 weeks of age you feed 12hrs on 12hrs off never leave afull feeder in front of them all day long. I give my CX enough food to eat in about 15-30 mins then they forage for food all day until the afternoon feeding and then the same thing enough for them to eat for about 15-30 mins and then back to foraging until bedtime. ALso make sure they always have full waterers they drink a lot which is good for them. My CX were fully free ranged and they wandered everywhere ALL over my yard. They are not lazy or gross. It all has to do with how each individual cares for them. My CX only slept in a tractor at night and every morning they were let out and the tractor moved a spot to fresh grass. They are sweet friendly birds. This year I processed 29 CX at 8weeks old. Here are some pics of my non lazy and non gross birds.

 

[Petty]

We have laying hens, but this year we tried the cornish cross for meat. I will never do that again. They have been so genetically screwed up to create huge breasts and rapid growth that they are just disgusting. They hardly moved even though they were in a coop with free access to outside. They would never go out, and after about 6 weeks old they were huge, but a couple of them could hardly walk because they were so big.

Next year we are going to take in "spare" roosters and just eat them. We ended up with 12 roosters this year when we bought 100 laying hens. We butchered the roosters at about 15 weeks and they were perfect for eating. The had nice large thighs and smaller breasts, and they were very tasty

I think if you want to avoid rapid growth, you'll have to restrict feeding and supplement their feed with extra calcium.

 

[Petty]

I raise Cornish cross meat chickens and have had wonderful results. If tended to properly with lots of space and scheduled feeding they shouldn't be lazy stinky or gross. After 3 weeks of age you feed 12hrs on 12hrs off never leave afull feeder in front of them all day long. I give my CX enough food to eat in about 15-30 mins then they forage for food all day until the afternoon feeding and then the same thing enough for them to eat for about 15-30 mins and then back to foraging until bedtime. ALso make sure they always have full waterers they drink a lot which is good for them. My CX were fully free ranged and they wandered everywhere ALL over my yard. They are not lazy or gross. It all has to do with how each individual cares for them. My CX only slept in a tractor at night and every morning they were let out and the tractor moved a spot to fresh grass. They are sweet friendly birds. This year I processed 29 CX at 8weeks old. Here are some pics of my non lazy and non gross birds.

They all look nice and healthy. That's exactly how to rear broilers if you want them to look healthy and active. Did you give them extra calcium?

 

[chicken pickin]

They all look nice and healthy. That's exactly how to rear broilers if you want them to look healthy and active. Did you give them extra calcium?

No I did not give them extra calcium, only laying hens need extra calcium. Extra calcium in not good for young birds or rooster.

I did give them a higher protein feed.

 

[Petty]

No I did not give them extra calcium, only laying hens need extra calcium. Extra calcium in not good for young birds or rooster.

I did give them a higher protein feed.

I know farmers that do give their broilers extra calcium to prevent leg problem. But that is when the birds have limited space to exercise. Yours will not need it.