Anyone ever have success at keeping a Cornish Cross as a "pet??"

[aart]

Is it ok to food restrict all of them??

No, not IMO....
....layer chicks/chickens should have feed available every hour that they are awake.

 

[Mylied]

I've raised cornish crosses a few times for meat. The first time I couldn't bring myself to process the hens so I gave them to my sister. She let them free range in a very rural area. I think they lived a year before predators got them but they were healthy until then. Cornish crosses are really the most docile sweet birds.

This might interest you. Mr. and Mrs. Mayflower are cornish cross rescues that are kept as pets on this farm. m.facebook.com/themayflowersandco

 

[Compost King]

I have an 11 week old Cornish X hen that I am keeping to breed with heritage breed Roosters. She finds food on her own just fine and I give her very little low protein feed (15%) before the sun goes down every night. I felt so bad at first when I started feeding her rationed low protein feed but she has the largest pen on the urban homestead with a giant compost pile and the best shade/privacy trees. I have never seen a Cornish X look so healthy and happy. Currently she is 6 pounds with quite a large breast considering I ration her feed. Previous Cornish X I have had couldn't even walk by week 10 and this girl climbs a mountain of compost multiple times a day. She will flap her wings when she runs as she sees me bring her food every night but for the most part her legs are holding her up just fine. I would say it is possible to keep them as a pet.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I think I may try and restrict their feedings I'm just worried about not feeding the ENOUGH. I guess I'll need to do some research to make sure I'm giving them enough to be happy/healthy chickens.

I may put my Cornish in to her coop for a few minutes when I do feed to make sure she doesn't get the majority of the food and the others not get enough...and then let her out to join after a little while? That might be the best way to do it with the living situations I've got.

My friends that do raise meat chickens do so to process them for their consumption and I would assume they would gladly help us out by taking her off our hands when the time comes that she does not seem to enjoy life any more....but until that time comes I hope to give her the best life that we can!

I actually never restricted my Cornish cross pullet. She learned by observing the other pullets to only eat until she was full. I had her for 8 months until she passed from depression brought on by me having to rehome the majority of my flock.

 

[jolenesdad]

I think your plan sounds wonderful and she is very lucky!!!!

 

[SeaHen]

We have had a Cornish cross hen for over 3 years. She laid giant eggs for the first year. I don't think she lays anymore. My chickens get to free range and I don't feed much. She seems to be in good health and has no problems getting around.

I was thinking this could easily be the case if she is allowed to free range and is fed commercial feed sparingly. Thank you for affirming it can work!

 

[chkva]

That breed eats excessive amounts to get rapid weight on them. You can monitor her feed even though it may be hard with the other chickens. They basically get overweight and lose mobility, so just watch out for that. Hoping she lives a happy long life with you! Honestly this made me smile because I'd do that same thing if I got this breed, I couldn't imagine killing any chicken I have unless it was to humanely euthanize it due to disease! Hopefully that'll never happen

I always say... I'll never name my chickens I'll have family eat. Couldn't imagine saying "Here's Eve" as I plop a rotisserie on the dinner table

 

[Compost King]

I always say... I'll never name my chickens I'll have family eat. Couldn't imagine saying "Here's Eve" as I plop a rotisserie on the dinner table

Thats why I name my meat birds "Lunch" and "Dinner". But lately I have been having more than 2 at a time so I do not name them. I do not even name the ones I use to breed meat birds because if their parents have names it makes it a bit hard on me.

 

[The Dapper Duck]

Is it ok to food restrict all of them?? I have read that you should make food available to your chickens at all times some places and then others have said you don't have to. They will all be together so would it be ok to feed them all on a restricted time schedule than to have it available all the time?

I don't agree with the notion really, I just know some people really want to keep these birds as pets even though they are simply not designed for life beyond 12wks. Like the people who want to keep "teacup pigs" that would grow to be a giant pig if you didn't starve it when it was young. Those guys are going to be the most hungry of all your birds all the time and they still might end up with health problems. It's a sort of Catch 22 that I advise against because neither choice seems fair to the animal (or their coop mates). If you had room you could house and feed them separately for a while and integrate them later.

 

[Compost King]

There is actually a way to feed the rest of the flock with unlimited feed and not the Cornish X. If you have there right set up you could keep the feed some place that chickens have to fly up to in order to access it. The Cornish X are not the best flyers. I considered this but opted to pen my Cornish X separate from other birds with a giant compost pile. Everyones lay flock is a little different and some birds might not be willing to fly up a few feet to access a feeder but if your flock doesn't mind its a way to keep Cornish X in a laying flock and still have strict control over her feed. There is also the option if making a doorway into a feeding compartment that the Cornish X can not fit into, but the laying hens can. I personally do not like the small door idea because high pecking order laying hens will use the small door way to keep low pecking order chickens away from the feed. I don't see either option as ideal but I threw them out there in case they just happen to fit with what you have going on.