[happy larry]

Hi all,i seem to have another question for you.I have done a search but havent found any relevant answers,so down to the experienced now.I have some ross cobb chicks that will be 2 weeks old this friday BUT i cant find any info as to how long they stay on chick starter crumbs for.I am after taste quality rather than massive birds,and they will be free range as soon as the nights warm up a bit more,many thanks.

[Fowlman]

Normally chicks are kept on chick crumb for roughly 6 weeks but the meat hybrids grow so quickly i would be inclined to move them onto growers or whatever your choice of feed is a week or two earlier. If they were my birds i would be introducing them to wheat around 4-5 weeks this will slow the growth and taste better with little fat.
Others may do it differently and offer other options.

[hughesy]

The hybrids reared in commercial production are slaughtered at about 6 weeks.

[Fowlman]

Some are hughesy but not all, some strains reach kill weight at different ages, anything from 6-12 weeks.

[hughesy]

I'm told the ones produced at the processing works down the road from here go at 42 days.

[Fowlman]

I'm told the ones produced at the processing works down the road from here go at 42 days.

A lot of them do mate, it depends on the strain and the contract with the customer. Some require larger birds so takes longer. Those by you will be the cheap ones you see in the likes of tesco i suspect.

[hughesy]

I think they go mostly to asda and tesco. I see lorry loads of them going past where I work every day on their way into the factory. If the weather's hot and there's already a lorry unloading the wagon's have to keep going up and down the industrial estate to keep the birds cool or they'll all be dead when they arrive at the abatoir. Ironic or what?
I normally give my traditional breeds crumb for about 4 or 5 weeks but I would imagine faster growing hybrids could go on to pellets a fair bit sooner.

[SallyintNorth]

Ross Cobbs aren't hybrids are they?  Anyways, I worked on an organic farm that reared them and they went off at 14 weeks, having been free range on grass with ad lib milled oats and grower pellets.  Sorry I can't remember how old they were when they came off crumbs and onto pellets, but I think it may have been 4 weeks.

They were really lovely friendly big strong birds.  Didn't do much, very laid back, but I liked them.

[Fowlman]

Afraid so sally, they are hybrids. I crossed some with a leghorn once the offspring were useful dual purpose birds.

[bigchicken]

Ross and Cobb are two different breeding companies who are in compitition with each other They breed pedigree birds which are then crossed to make the hybrid which then make your chicken for the table. Asda Tesco cheepos usually

[SallyintNorth]

Ross and Cobb are two different breeding companies who are in compitition with each other They breed pedigree birds which are then crossed to make the hybrid which then make your chicken for the table. Asda Tesco cheepos usually

Daaaaaaaahhhhaaaaannnn - please  pretty please  could we have a light bulb emotiwotsit?

[manian]

Afraid so sally, they are hybrids. I crossed some with a leghorn once the offspring were useful dual purpose birds.

oooohwe have some that we got locally, they were all going off the next day. we feed ours mixed corn and they are doing well. 2 weren't walking well but soon got the idea of what outdoor life is like.
we have culled 4 and 8 to go.........
OH was thinking of keeping on and crossing them we have a speckled sussex, although we were thinking ofkeeping a boy and crossing with flavourelles,what do you think
Mx

[Fowlman]

I worked for Ross poultry for a while on one of their farms down here in wiltshire. We were rearing layers.