The Surprising Truth Behind Cornish X Meaties

I love Cornish X Meatings and What I learned about them through experience contradicts what the books have to say about them and their care.

We are told that they are stupid, nasty, smelly, lazy, cannot mate, will not/ cannot forage and die of heart attacks so you better kill them quickly.

This is what I've learned about these awesome pet like birds.

1) They are intelligent. My meaties know when feed time is and they stalk me until I feed them. They are also friendly and follow me around like mother hen.
2) They do not have to be fed around the clock. I currently feed my flock of 13 about half a 10 gallon pail once a day. During the winter months I fed them a whole pail once a day.
3) I can feed them layer food.
4) They are winter hardy! I fed my birds (then 24 before processing some) a whole 10 gallon pail only once a day, gave them one heat lamp and did not insulate the coop apart from stopping air leeks. I only lost one and she was at the bottom of the pecking order.
5) My birds LOVE to free range and their good at it on the contrary to what you read about x rocks.
6) They are decent egg layers. I have between two to five eggs everyday with the average being three. I believe that they lay eggs every other day which would make sense.
7) They do other things than poop and eat. They forage, they mate, they chase each other and they explore.
8) The hens are a little broody. At least one hen out of ten is "trying" to build a clutch and she sits on them. She keeps laying eggs in the tall grass of my old garden and she defends it. Almost hate to take them from her.
9) My eggs are fertilizing, yet to master incubation but I'm experimenting with hatching.
10) The roosters don't mate well and can cause the hens massive injury and death. I've lost three hens while they were mating. The roosters are just too heavy and awkward to mate safely. I'm killing off the rest of the roosters this weekend apart from my non meaty rooster who will hopefully continue to service the hens.
11) They mate with my Chantecler rooster. They love him better than the fatty "men".
12) They do grow slower, but slowing down their growth rate allows them to reach maturity and lay eggs. My birds reached processing size only two months ago when they were five months old.

I raised them like layers and I got healthy birds. When I process them I find that their hearts are in perfect condition. There is no fluid around the heart, nor fatty tissue around it. It was not enlarged or too small, and the color was right on for a heart. My flocks I kept last summer and process were treated like the "manual" said too and their hearts were unhealthy compared to the firm, strong hearts my birds have now and are going on eight months old. Very old for a x rock but healthy as can be.

What have you discovered about meaties that contradict the experts?

Well , I agree with most of what you say, but also have a little of my opinion to add, I will answer as to your numbers.
1. I agree they are just as intelligent as the rest of chickens.
2.. Of course you don't have to constantly feed them. Reason peeps do is to have a finished product in 7 or 8 weeks. They are young big and TENDER. Remember that peeps raise chickens to make a living from their sales.
3. Layer feed can be fed to any chicken as long as you don't expect them to live long, enough to wipe out their kidneys and liver. It is the higher percentage of calcium that does it.
4. Winter hardy, Sure they are large mass birds.
5. All chickens will free range. Your chickens are in good physical shape so they are able. If bird is overweight, well that speaks for itself.
6. All chickens lay eggs. Some better than others. The White leghorn kicks everyones record. They eat less and produce more. Reason it is the most common chicken worldwide.
7 The ones that only poop and eat are battery chickens raised for quick sale.
8. All chickens can be broody, but some more than others. Reason many use different hens to hatch other chickens eggs.
9. Why should they not be fertilizing,??? except for the big boys not being too good at it. =D=D=D
10. THE BIG GUYS GET THE HATCHET.
11. The handsome,muscular, trim guys get all the chicks.
12. 7 or 8 week versus 21. You do the math.

It all depends how you want your chickens to turn out and how soon. I do not keep any of these because I only keep pets. They start to break legs before they reach 1 year. ( this I have read ) I would for my pet to do that. I dont eat my pets.




OH. ALMOST FORGOT.

Ha ha, I have no problem killing what's for meat and my big guys are getting the hatchet this weekend. Plus our freezer is a bit low so I have to part with my big guys.

I'm getting a new flock of meaties in the next couple of weeks!!!!!!! I hope this batch will be good. If the girls from this flock are anything like my old girls I'll be keeping some for possibly mating too. Really want to produce my own meat birds but I also know they don't breed true so I'll have to wait to see what hatches out.

What do you keep for feathered children?

Almost forgot to add that you're right about the leg problem but I've noticed between my flocks from last year and my eight month old flock is how strong their legs are! When it comes to legs I don't waste time. If It limps its dinner! I haven't had any leg problems for four months though. They run and run fast for their size!

Leg problems don't start until about 1 year. We do eat a lot of chicken,... grocery store;;; the choice 7 week old premium ..... just not my pets. We eat their eggs for sure. Currently I have 7 pets. 2 RIR 1 year old and laying well. 1 EE 9 years old and of course retired from laying for some years. 1 Japanese bantam, about 6 or 7 and non laying. 1 Serama-cochin, 6 or 7 , that lays an egg once a month or less. and 2 Old English game hens bantam. about 4 years and both on strike laying. LOL.