Tyson chicken question....

[EggHunter_66]

I wasnt sure where to post this question so I am sorry if I picked the wrong thread and please feel free to move it to the appropriate area!
I friend of mine just dropped off a chicken that is roughly 5-8 weeks old and the bird excaped from someone who raises Tyson chickens and once one leaves the "chicken house" they can not be put back in and they are suppose to be killed but this person didnt have the heart to do it so she brought her home. Now she does dog rescue so she really had no place for this bird to go so she called me because she knows my husband & I love our chickens & turkeys!
When we 1st moved out to the county our 1st chickens were Tyson chickens that were left behind from a pick up so they were given to us. They were 4 of them and they grew VERY fast and had bad leg problems and they didnt live very long. less then a year. I know those birds are bred to grow fast & heavy at a very fast rate, now my question is....Is there anything I can do now to prevent leg problems which I know she will have just like the others?
She is such a sweet bird and loves to be patted and held so I want to give her the best life she could have and a good quality of life.
If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them!
Thank you so much

 

[birdonerous]

If you are inclined to keep the chicken I would limit the amount of food it can eat to slow the weight gain, but overall I think it will follow it's predetermined course.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm afraid that is the problem. They are specifically bred to grow real fast, to be harvested at a very young age, an convert a whole lot of what they eat into meat.

The only way you can keep that chicken to an older age is to severey limit what it eats or it will eat itself to death. Either its body breaks down like the leg problems or its heart gives out. How can you limit what it eats and let it interact with your other chickens?

The merciful thing may be to let it fulfill its destiny in someone's kitchen so it does not suffer. Trying to save it may actually be more cruel.

 

[EggHunter_66]

Thank you both for your advice! RIght now I have her isolated in my quarantine coop and that is where she will stay for atleast 2 weeks, I can control the amount of food she eats while she is there but like what "Ridgerunner" said once she is with the others there is no way I can then because the others free range <sigh>

why did I say I would take her!!!