Breast bones

[Easter eggers]

Should the breast bone on my chickens be sticking out?

 

[al6517]

Well if they're hatchery stock they most certainly will. if they are of good breeding and a DP LF heritage bird then no they shouldn't.

 

[Yonaton]

Quote:
Please explain/cite *why* you say any of that. It makes absolutely zero sense to me as young birds before they put on any decent weight do stick out somewhat and are quite easy to feel when holding them...of any breed, I would imagine.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
Please explain/cite *why* you say any of that. It makes absolutely zero sense to me as young birds before they put on any decent weight do stick out somewhat and are quite easy to feel when holding them...of any breed, I would imagine.

Well here is why............... most people who have even seen a hatchery bird processed knows it's very light in Carcass weight and the hatcheries have spent many many years developing these birds to improve only their egg laying abilities not their meat ratio's. WTS egg laying hatchery birds will allways have very slight frames and yes on occasion you might get lucky and get a halfway decent carcass from one, but overall the answer is mainly a very thin bird. Now to address the LF or what appear to be large birds that have all that fluff covering a still protruding breast bone, cochins BO's breeds like that. If people are happy with a 2-3lb carcass they will say their birds were fine when in fact they were slight. The term DP as used by the hatcheries is a complete diseption sure they lay the heck out of some eggs but their meat is lacking, a real DP bird is of hertitage blood not hatchery. You can feed 20 bags of high quality feed to a grown hatchery bird and it is just a waste as it will never get bigger than their original design.

Heritage bird on the other hand will fill out more proportionatly as they grow and chances of feeling a promant protruding breast bone is unlikely, Yes birds do grow in phases and will grow bone and frame first, that's why as teens they look so gangly all legs and such. But as a heritage bird develops it has a much much better carcass meat ratio. The OP never said if the bird was a younster or an older bird so one can assume it is an older bird and with a protruding breast bone she either is not feeding it well or it's a hatchery bird.

So without any more info than we have this is a safe deduction. hope this helps and keep in mind one must know chickens pretty well to have handled enough numbers of both types to know the difference.

 

[Pele]

al6517 is right, there is a big difference in breeding between hatchery birds and heritage birds.

Hatchery birds are bred for singular purpose: most of the time egg-laying. Hatcheries trim off all other genetic features of the bird that do not feed to that purpose (ie converting protien to muscle instead of eggs). Thus you end up with delicately framed birds with leaner muscle mass.

Now heritage birds are covetously prized by breeders for being duel purpose. THis means that they lay a little less often than hatchery birds, but convert more food to muscle. So you can use it for eating, or for just eggs. Or both! Hence you will have less bone sticking out beyond the muscle of the bird.

 

[Yonaton]

Those are pure *opinions*. There is absolutely nothing in there citing *proof* of anything you guys said. I've *got* heritage birds. I've *had* heritage birds before. Strange how mine were no different than 'other' chickens. All you're doing is making the OP worry for absolutely no proven reasons.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
Not an opinion but a fact based on experience, I have handled many many thousands of birds and I can tell you overwhelmingly that this is indeed the case. So you have heritage birds great !!!

ever process any ?? ever process a hatchery bird ?? ever handle both extensively, by that I mean physicaly handle 500-1000 birds a week ?? even if you say yes to all of the above which I doubt and still feel this isn't fact based on experience, then maybe you could use to handle more birds correctly, then and only then can you post otherwise.

 

[Pele]

Thanks for weighing in Yonation. I am a tad confused as how we are worrying the OP though, as I would assume that someone with the name of Easter Eggers, would most likely have hatchery birds. If I was them, I would be reassured that the breastbone sticking out isn't a sign of disease of malnutrition.

 

[galanie]

Wow that is the first time I've heard anyone here say that a bird raised to SOP by a breeder had just as much meat on it as a hatchery bird. I've only got 2 years experience with a small flock and from what I've seen, oh yes, there is a HUGE difference.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
I think he has Hatchery birds and feels slighted.