Nutritional Needs of Cornish Cross Meat Chickens with Gail Damerow

What are the nutritional needs of Cornish Cross meat chickens?

For their first three weeks of life, these chicks need a starter ration containing at least 20% protein. In some areas, you can get a specific broiler starter formula containing up to 24% protein.

After the first 3 weeks, gradually switch to a broiler grower ration containing 18% to 20% protein. Make the switch by initially mixing the two rations together. Then keep the birds on the grower ration until they’re ready to butcher.

Now, in some areas, all you can find is one all-purpose starter-grower ration. In that case, use the same feed from start to finish. Either way, be sure to always get fresh rations.

What’s so important about fresh rations?

From the time a commercial ration is milled, it starts losing nutritional value through oxidation, eventually becoming rancid. And rancid feed is both toxic and reduces growth rate.

Some feed tags might indicate the ration’s origin date. From there, add time for transportation and storage at the feed store. Turnover at the store depends on how busy the store is.

If turnover is fairly rapid, you can buy enough feed to last up to a month. If you aren’t sure, don’t get more than you will feed out within a couple of weeks.

You said something earlier about restricting feed intake.

Yes. Give your Cornish Cross meat chickens a good start by feeding them free choice for the first week to 10 days. After that, you can control their weight gain by removing the feed overnight. This is called limit feeding.