Almost 4 month old Cornish Cross's

[Masterjoe]

Thats really odd. Different birds and all, i know, but my cornish bantams are only 14 weeks and weigh almost 6 pounds live. Meat crosses should definitely be heavier than that

Could really have been, I have no way of knowing. Given my different results from previously Im leaning towards a bantam breed.

 

[Compost King]

I have rationed fed low protein finisher to CX and they were still much heavier than 3.5 pounds by week 12. I don't know the cause but I would rule out that Finisher feed kept them that small. If they looked like CX but were smaller maybe the producers of these chicks screwed up and bred the wrong birds and the OP ended up with birds with 2 recessive dwarf genes. Just a shot in the dark, the wiser more experienced folks can figure out if its a lucky guess or way off the mark.

 

[nicalandia]

Sound like Leghorn chick's to me. 3 pounds at 16 weeks? Heck I have fed a very poor diets to CornishX to slow down their growth and they get heavier than 6 pounds.

 

[bag12day]

I have rationed fed low protein finisher to CX and they were still much heavier than 3.5 pounds by week 12. I don't know the cause but I would rule out that Finisher feed kept them that small. If they looked like CX but were smaller maybe the producers of these chicks screwed up and bred the wrong birds and the OP ended up with birds with 2 recessive dwarf genes. Just a shot in the dark, the wiser more experienced folks can figure out if its a lucky guess or way off the mark.

Doesn't sound at all un-plausible just would be odd from a Hatchery like Hoover but mistakes are made in hospitals too.

 

[nicalandia]

Doesn't sound at all un-plausible just would be odd from a Hatchery like Hoover but mistakes are made in hospitals too.

what I find odd is that you waited all this time to ask? CornishX should literally grow before your eyes. You should have been suspicious only after a week of age, two weeks at most.

 

[bag12day]

what I find odd is that you waited all this time to ask? CornishX should literally grow before your eyes. You should have been suspicious only after a week of age, two weeks at most.

I waited all this time because I wasn't the OP @Masterjoe , I've never raised a CX so they didn't grow in front of my eyes, I am suspicious of everything including why those people are parked in the van across the street but I digress My wife and Son both have Biology degrees so genetics is something they can drill me on until my eyes roll back but recessive dwarf genes seem like a great potential for this circumstance.

 

[nicalandia]

My wife and Son both have Biology degrees so genetics is something they can drill me on until my eyes roll back but recessive dwarf genes seem like a great potential for this circumstance.

Sorry, I thought you were the OP. Recessive Dwarf Broilers(if by mistake the dwarf dame line was shipped) is about 30% smaller in size and weight, still 3.5 pounds is like 70% off the target weight of conventional end product broilers. I still believe they probably got a White non broiler breed(perhaps White Rocks)

 

[Morrigan]

If you don't have have living pictures, can you take a picture of one of the carcasses to post here? The body shape of CX is pretty distinctive. Unless something was really off with how they managed their CX breeding program this year, I'm guessing you either got slow white broilers (and not a good strain at that) or some other white, egg layer.

 

[Ian zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

Worms ?