Many people have managed to keep these birds alive for quite some time, by restricting feed and free-ranging so they get some exercise. Most, however, will drop dead fairly young. many will get serious leg problems. If they begin to suffer leg or other health problems, it would be kinder to butcher and eat them.
BTW, a "fryer", is a bird butchered young enough to be tender when fried. (6-8 weeks old) It's not a "fryer" if it's still alive. Might be a breed intended to be a fryer....which, if raised to 10-12 weeks magically becomes a "roaster". Much older, a "stewing chicken". I cook older birds in the crock pot.
They are more than just a cross between 2 breeds, however. They've been breed for a many generations (chicken generations) to create this super fast growth.
It's not too hard to keep the hens alive long enough to lay eggs, and they lay big eggs, often double yolkers. Some of my first chickens were Cornish X hens, when I knew nothing at all about them. They were just put in with the rest of the flock, and free ranged with the others. They layed a lot of eggs. Not like a production layer, but I got a lot of huge double yolk eggs from those girls. I had some that lived almost a year after I got them, they were already laying when I bought them. Then they started to drop from CHF. (congestive heart failure) When I figured out what was wrong, when the last one showed signs, we went ahead and butchered her. She dressed out to around 15 lbs. or so, like a small turkey.
I agree it's highly unlikely they were fed hormones of any kind. It's not needed, and an extra expense. Meat bird chicks are often started on medicated feed, (antibiotics) but then switched to non-medicated as they get older.
I never feed medicated feed, I don't believe they really need it at all, at least not in the conditions I raise mine in.
BTW, a "fryer", is a bird butchered young enough to be tender when fried. (6-8 weeks old) It's not a "fryer" if it's still alive. Might be a breed intended to be a fryer....which, if raised to 10-12 weeks magically becomes a "roaster". Much older, a "stewing chicken". I cook older birds in the crock pot.
They are more than just a cross between 2 breeds, however. They've been breed for a many generations (chicken generations) to create this super fast growth.
It's not too hard to keep the hens alive long enough to lay eggs, and they lay big eggs, often double yolkers. Some of my first chickens were Cornish X hens, when I knew nothing at all about them. They were just put in with the rest of the flock, and free ranged with the others. They layed a lot of eggs. Not like a production layer, but I got a lot of huge double yolk eggs from those girls. I had some that lived almost a year after I got them, they were already laying when I bought them. Then they started to drop from CHF. (congestive heart failure) When I figured out what was wrong, when the last one showed signs, we went ahead and butchered her. She dressed out to around 15 lbs. or so, like a small turkey.
I agree it's highly unlikely they were fed hormones of any kind. It's not needed, and an extra expense. Meat bird chicks are often started on medicated feed, (antibiotics) but then switched to non-medicated as they get older.
I never feed medicated feed, I don't believe they really need it at all, at least not in the conditions I raise mine in.
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