Broiler vs Leghorn Chicks

[jberger10]

I am going to be getting a mixed bunch of eggs to hatch which include broilers and leghorns. I was wondering how to tell the chicks apart when they hatch. Any tips?

 

[canada-goose]

I think you'll need to wait a few days to figure them out.

 

[Tala]

Leghorns are naturally very lightweight, slim-bodied chickens. I can tell that some of my half-Leghorn chicks definitely take after their monthers - coz their heads are a lot slimmer than the other chicks (particularly the BO crosses, fat suckers they are!)

However with Broiler birds vs. Leghorns it should be pretty darn easy! I assume by "broilers" you mean CornishX chicks, right? Well CornishX's have really thick fat legs, and Leghorns have thin dainty legs (hen sized legbands that fit dual purpose hens are really floppy on them Leghorns).
If you can't tell immediately by leg size, just wait a few days coz those CornishX chicks will grow faster than weeds, and the Leghorns won't. They will stay slim looking their whole life.

 

[Ariel301]

I've never heard of anyone offering broiler/cornish cross eggs before. Where are you getting them at, if you don't mind sharing? I'm curious about the possibility of breeding good meat birds, though I'm not fond of the cornish cross really.

As said before, I think in a few days you will be able to tell them apart, as the broilers grow faster and eat way more.

 

[jberger10]

@Ariel301

I am getting them through Rochester Hatchery in Alberta Canada. I am getting what they call a school suprise package which includes a mix of different breeds (Cornish X, Red Sussex, Red Rock, Rhode Island, and Sex-Sal-Link ISA Brown). You can however specify if you want just one breed.

 

[jberger10]

I forgot the Legshorns are in there too

 

[Ccdance75]

We, by mistake of the store, were given broilers instead of leghorns. Will the broilers give eggs too? Can I put them with my other hens? Or is it better to rehome them to someone who processes chicken for meat?

 

[EverV]

We, by mistake of the store, were given broilers instead of leghorns. Will the broilers give eggs too? Can I put them with my other hens? Or is it better to rehome them to someone who processes chicken for meat?

I don't have much experience with meat birds, but from what I've read, Cornish Crosses can't really be used for anything but meat as they grow too fast for the rest of them to keep up, and their lungs become too small for their huge bodies. I don't know about Red Rangers.