Been there Jim. Loss to predators that is.
I was thinking of raising them in the fall, same reason, cooler weather. Then I went to the auction on Friday. Omg. It's like a KFC nightmare all over again. He called them white rocks, my understanding is the same thing? I managed to talk to the guy about them when he was done unloading. i tell ya, I'm so worried I'll get them, be horrified and never eat chicken again. These birds are a GMO nightmare. Freaking nightmare. Now with that said, I've heard people free ranging them and it not being as bad, but regardless they struggle to stand at the end.
I have a friend who attempted to raise them by the 100's. He bought 100 day olds. By week 5 I think he had somewhere around 10 standing. By week 8 he had zero. He ordered another 100. Twenty Five made it to processing. He retired his hopes of raising chickens for a profit. He kept them in a barn and wasn't in a position to let them free range. He does not know how they survive in factory settings to market.
The ones at the auction. Ok, first of all, the whole front and underneath is covered in
. COVERED! Why? Because they can't stand for long periods of time so they lie in their own crap and eat. Their legs are like tree stumps. Huge thick tree stumps. The feathering on these ones weren't as bad as previous ones I've seen there. And the breast area. MASSIVE! I mean, 95% of the bird is breast.
I know that's what people want, breast meat, but do people really need to get everything they ask for at the expense of an animal? They have a difficult time breathing towards the end, if they make it to 8 weeks. 8 weeks!
Ok, I feel like I'm going off the deep end.
I'm not sure why, but when someone says a Cornish X I always think of a brown bird and not the white rocks.
and i always have to go and check too if its OC or KB-you arent alone. Lol. 
Pet quality wheaten/blue wheaten ameraucanas, welsummers, barred rocks, light brown leghorns; Projects on the go: rhodebars, welbars
