A small victory for the meaties (DH doesn't understand :( )

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Yes, I know I was just thinking about that today!

She is a real sweet heart!

I'll try to get a pic of her on her ..

 

[gritsar]

What I have noticed being out and around the coop today is that the one meatie that is so fussy in the nestbox is also very possessive of it. She comes out of the box after laying, but if any of the other chickens go in it to look around she has a fit.

 

[theoldchick]

How exciting! I always allowed my rescue to live a normal chicken life. They never failed to surprise me!

 

[maggiemooscluckers]

It's funny you posted this about your meatie. I was just wondering today about keeping a slow broiler for laying rather than butchering her. She will have to live along side my other hens which means unrestricted food. These are not cornish x but slow broilers and have only reached 2-5 lbs at 11 weeks. Do you think that she will outgrow her ability to be a "regular" hen? I was really hoping to keep her but I want her to be healthy.

 

[darkstarr]

well I have a cornish cross that has started layin ... she missed the butcher block ... she was mainly free range this year when I raised her ... but she is still a very large bird ..

but the size egg she laid ... it was the size of my palm with a double yolk.. I had a laugh ... so she has egg-caped for now ... although I think summer will just be too hard on her..

I had one a few years ago that laid an egg a day for a long time ...

so thank god for meaties ... it is funny when the food is thrown out .... they always make it there first ... like a chow-hound of a dog

 

[chillmiller]

lucky you im finding old free range eggs all over my property newest spot in the basket on my bucket truck i open the door for the basket and 5 old gernEGGs fall out and explode i swear if they ever lay in there nest box ill lay an egg

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Back in the day, before they really started messing around with the meat birds genetics, this farm was a commercial broiler farm. Now commercial broiler farmers are forbidden to have any other poultry on their property. However, since my DH late father was the "chicken doctor" for Lane Poultry (now Tyson), DH's mom bent the rules a little. She took her culls from the commercial houses and used them as her laying flock. They were kept in a stealth coop, as far away from the commercial houses as possible.
The broiler hens turned layers were excellent layers for her, although they had short lifespans (usually no more than two years).
I have noticed that now that these pullets have reached laying age they aren't eating as much as they used to. They still love their food, but they aren't camping out on top of the feeders.
They have already survived one brutal summer and I expect they will do well for some time yet. However long they live it will be more than they would have had in the commercial houses.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
That stinks. My big girls (all brahmas) have always been good about coming back to their coop to lay. I don't know how the babies (layer pullets) will do, since they haven't started laying yet, but at least the meaties are using their box.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

This morning I got to the coop late, and Autumn was already in the nesting box .. I don;t know how she got in there, I had it all shut up!!

 

[deerman]

Quote:
The thought had crossed my mind. As you probably know, I have pleaded, begged and prayed for a broody for going on three years. Wouldn't it be a hoot if the only broody I get is a cornish X? Man, she could cover alot of eggs!

I doubt that would ever happen. I'm just happy that they are happy. I knew y'all would understand.

years ago . when i try keeping some for layer, did have one go broody. Now those eggs cost alot in feed. Just like some white rock go broody, can happen with the cross.