A Cornish X and a ??

[Flycropper]

I posted the picture of the big white chicken on here about 3 weeks ago and everyone helped me figure out it was a cornish x. There is brooder mate that I just assumed was a cornish x meat bird too. They are both 7 weeks old and it's big but not as big as the one we know is a meat bird.

Can you tell me what I've got?

Cornish x meat bird is on the left. Brooder sibling is on the right. I got both of these out of a straight run assorment. They are both 7 weeks old.

Cornish X

Brooder mate.

 

[Jades Chickens]

It looks to me like you have two cornish cross chickens. 1 rooster and 1 a hen. That is what I think.

 

[Guitartists]

That's what I was thinking..... one hen and one roo. Could account for the size difference.

 

[MaransGuy]

To me, neither one looks like a meat bird unless you have been doing some serious feed restriction. By the time mine were that mature they were so heavy that they rarely stood up and walked around. When they did they would get short of breath and had to sit down and rest. Normally they would lay in front of the feeder and feed for a while. Then they would go get some water and return to the feeder, lay down and keep eating. They look like white rocks, in my opinion. I doubt any hatchery would put meat birds in an assortment unless it was a specific "meat and eggs" mix. Otherwise it might upset some customers to receive birds not meant to live longer than a few months.

Richard

 

[Vamp-A-Billy Princess]

Those are 100% not cornish X. I have one as a pet. He is 6 weeks old and at least twice as big as your birds. I do regulate his diet and exersize him alot too. Richard is right the feed store would not mix in birds that are expected to die of natural causes in a straight run. Neither would a hatchery. Could be white rocks. Leghorns maybe? I'm not positive what they look like. Check out the picture of my Bobo in his chicken sweater. That was taken a couple weeks ago.

 

[Flycropper]

Wow. Thanks for the replies. I am more puzzled now than earlier.

The biggest of the two does just lay around. He lays in front of the feeder and eats. When he goes outside he'll walk 4 feet lay down and peck the grass. I bet he lays around 90% of the day b/c he is so fat.

The other one I have no clue what it is.

So a leghorn or a white rock? I'll check those breeds out and compare.

 

[chicknhawaii]

Wow those 2 resemble but don't look exactly like my Cornish X...hmm...here she is for comparison

 

[MaransGuy]

One way you can tell if it is a meat bird is to weigh it. If you have not restricted feed, at 7 weeks old it should be somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-7 pounds. A rock or leghorn of the same age will not be anywhere close to that. I am assuming that you have never raised meat birds before or there would not be any confusion. Honestly, they are so non-chickenlike as they mature that it really seems to be doing them a favor by having them processed. By the time they are 3 months old it is difficult for them to be alive. It is an interesting experience and the birds are really delicious but it is a real eye-opener as well. Last year was my first time raising them and I had no idea what I was in for. The birds weighed over 2 pounds before they were even fully feathered.

Richard

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, if they are cornish x's... by now they should be easily in the 5-7 lb range. If they are not, I bet they are white rocks. The leg spacing seems very narrow to be a meat bird so maybe you lucked out!

 

[MaransGuy]

Quote:
I was thinking the same thing. It just does not seem to be proportioned like a meat bird. They tend to be WAY more round and butterball-like. I hope for your sake (and his!) that it is not a meat bird.

Richard