Anybody have a broiler of laying age?

[kbarrett]

I took in a Freecycle chick a few months ago. Some people found it wandering on a city street and wanted a "country home" for it. It turns out "Frankie" is some type of broiler, she has black feathers so I'm thinking maybe a colored/ freedom ranger? IDK but she is now 3x the size of my layers and his singlehandedly doubled my feed bill

Frankie sleeps by herself on the floor and has never attempted to get up to any of the indoor perches or any of the perches in the run. She actually only recently (in the last few weeks) started coming out the run door and into the yard during free range time with the other girls. Anyway in the last couple of days she's started doing the squat when I get near her. I don't know her exact age I'm guessing 6-7mo. My question is do meaties even attempt to use nest boxes? The lowest nest boxes in the coop are about 18" off the ground. Should I try to make on on ground level? Are meaties more prone to become egg eaters? I swear that all she does is eat lol. I keep picturing her laying an egg then turning around and devouring it
While at one point, hopefully soon, I do intend to raise some meaties for the freezer but I told these people we wouldn't eat her and though I've been tempted over the last few months, she'll remain a pet.
Any suggestions or advice is much appreciated

 

[CountryMom]

We were given a cornish cross hen after my best friend's brother found her on the road. They live down the way from a chicken farm and evidentally several got loose while they were loading them up to haul off. She was one of the only ones left alive (most were strung out on the road

.) Since the truck had already left to transport to the processing plant, they didn't want them back. So he begged me to take her and not kill her.

I told him I would try but all I had read talked about their weight getting too much for their legs to hold.

Since her becoming part of our flock she has proceeded to grow ENORMOUS. And she sits so much she has lost feathers on the underside of her belly. She hasn't ever attempted to get into the nest box, but just lays an egg now and then where ever she feels like. I have no egg eaters, so I guess she thinks that is too much trouble. She is in my coop that free ranges regularly, so I make sure she gets out and doesn't just sit. She enjoys following a few of the hens around scratching and pecking. It has helped her slow that weight gain down some I think. Her eggs are large and elongated. Kind of strange really. But she doesn't lay regularly at all.

So I have a fat meatie for a pet for as long as I think she is comfortable. She is sweet....detests the roosters.... and basically is a food machine. However, only chicken food and scratch. She won't eat fruits or any other type of treats we feed.

Good Luck with yours.

 

[kbarrett]

Thanks!

Frankie has the feather loss on the bottom too. I'm glad to see she's acting more like the other girls by hanging out in the run when they do and going out to free range.