A new chicken to our flock

[gmendoza]

I sell chicken coops,and one guy who was going to buy one,but didn't,gave us a Jumbo Cornish X Rock Hen.She is 2 months old from this years easter and wieghts like 8-9 lbs.

I know she is a meat bird,but I have rehabilitated chickens in my flock.Some unwanted and were for free,some were sick and I have cured them to great healthy levels.

I want to keep her to breed,lay eggs,and when her young come out,sell them or eat them.She doesn't have and feathers on her undersides due to engorging herself at her former home and sitting and doing nothing.

Will my chickens run her to lose alot of that fat?
will she lose fat now being free range with us?
Can I breed her?
Should I eat her?

All comments accepted,but might not be used.

I do desperatly want to keep her,but to put her weight down,and breed her.she deserves better to live than die.

I know that the last 60 years science has bred her kind for the freezer,but I know my nature ways can defeat science.I just need sound solid,and true advice.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

I hate to tell you, but Cornish X are not bred for a long life, no matter how well nurtured. Best of luck giving her the best quality life you can with whatever time she has.

 

[mcharles13]

You may not want to do that to her.

Growing up we experimented with meat birds. Prior to that we had only RiR and wanted to try something new. Before we understood what they were truly bred for, we treated them like normal chickens. We successfully kept them alive long enough to start laying. These chickens were the size of small turkeys. They were HUGE. When they finally started laying eggs the eggs were double the size of normal chicken eggs, sometimes larger. They very often would have 2 -3 yolks in them. Also the eggs were so large that they'd tear the chicken on the way out. They almost always were covered in blood. Hearing the chickens screaming while laying eggs was so not cool. One of them would lay eggs w/o the shell. It was just a thick membrane. Eventually they started dying left and right of heart attacks. Some of them got so big they could barely use their legs. Their bellies were rubbed raw from dragging. We knew what we had to do.

Meat birds are meat birds, they can't really be adapted for any other use. Not in a humane way.

,mike

 

[TipsyDog]

Sorry, but I'd eat her before she has a heart attack - and she probably will! Good luck!

 

[Dogfish]

I sense a roasted chicken dinner in your future. It will be kinder to the bird. The next set of CX I have are 7.5 weeks, and it is painful to watch them walk, but they'll eat well.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

The path less chosen . . . my 1 year old 20 lb cornish cross hens, who I now have 15 chicks out of.

Dorri & Gloria, they were not bred for a long life, but they sure are enjoying the one they got!

 

[SteveH]

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[gmendoza]

Well she has adapted to the new flock.She isnt gorging herself to heart attack alley,and some of the flock likes her.I;m going to take the path less chosen and have her til she crokes naturally.Thank you for everyones advice.I am a naturalist and i detest science getting their way upon any animal regardless if its for meat.

Ill let you know her update weekly.Right now the hens are gathered around her as she is one of thier own

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Quote:
That's great - I bet she'll be a sweet addition to your flock.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I just lost one of mine, she lived about 15 months and died in her sleep. Her happy full life was my payback to science