We received 50 new Jumbo Cornish Cross chickens from the post office this morning. The Cornish Cross chicks are raised specifically for their meat yield; these are not egg-layer chickens.
All 50 arrived happy and healthy. The weather has been great so we decided to brood these chicks on pasture rather than in our typical brooding pen. We’ve done this before and had fantastic results.
By putting the chicks out on pasture immediately, it allows them to have access to the grass, insects and bugs, and the natural grit that is found in nature. It’s amazing how quickly they begin to forage and act like a ‘regular’ chicken when given the opportunity.
We purchase all of our chickens and turkeys from Schlect Hatchery in Iowa. They’re one of the few hatcheries that doesn’t continually mess with the genetics of their birds. This ensures that you get the same results from one batch to the next, one year to the next. If you’re pre-selling animals before they’re even ready- this is critical.