Chicken House Chickens

[Lickin Chicken]

So, my Dad brought home some chicken house birds, that are around 90 days old, but are the size of a full grown chicken. They don't act right though. They huddle together and don't move much. I let them out to scratch and move around, but they just stay layed down and huddled together. Is there any way I can make these chickens start acting like chickens?

 

[QueenMisha]

Are they white? Very big, probably around 10-12 pounds each? Short yellow legs? Docile?

Chances are you picked up Cornish Cross. These are not pets, they are meat birds. They should have been butchered around 8 weeks of age. They can be kept alive on a broiler breeder diet but it's not something I ever recommend unless you have a real runt of a CX. Even on a broiler breeder diet they won't likely live more than a few years, especially if they have to experience any kind of heat during the summer time. They aren't walking because their bodies grow far too fast for their joints and bones to catch up, meaning there's an extreme amount of weight on an immature frame and that makes walking very difficult. Their hearts and lungs are also far too small to be fully adequate for their internal functions and that's why when they do move, they tend to take breaks every few feet and breathe heavily, because their heart and lungs are racing to keep up with their movement.

 

[Lickin Chicken]

Thanks for the information. I really appreciate it.