can you tell

[spence90]

just started chicken coop would love to know what ive got. one rooster, 5 hens in first batch.7 hens in second batch that was introduced later that dont look as well as first set i hope to be able to with care help them look betterand feel better.

 

[mikarod]

That second photo looks like a bunch of cornish cross (broiler) birds???

 

[FarmGirl21]

That's exactly what they look like. I'm not sure about the others. are cornish X good layers? never thought of them for that..

 

[mikarod]

Um.....no......

Cornish X are bred for meat. Usually...at 6-8 weeks old...they are processed and that's what we eat in chicken products...

 

[cthrash1]

I agree on the white ones being cornish X meat birds...Short lifespan. The other looks to be a game maybe a birchen color?

Cindy

 

[Smartie_Pants]

Those at the bottom are definatly cornish X. Please, please have them processed when they get to 6-8 weeks. I have had a rescuse Tyson hen and now have a Cornish X hen. They get HUGE and can't walk very well. Many will have leg issues and the toll their weight takes on their heart and lungs does so much damage. The tyson rescue had to be put to sleep because her heart and lungs actually began to shut down and she was slowly dieing. Its not fair to them to let them go through that.

Tyson rescue "Henrietta" :

Cornish X "Big Momma" :

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, those bottom ones look like dinner to me too. My guess is about 6 weeks old or so.

 

[SproutGirl]

That is interesting. I didn't know that meat birds would develop such health issues if allowed to live so long beyond dinner time. How are they bred if they are generally not allowed to mature, and if they are unable to stand once mature? It would seem impossible for them to breed, yet they are certainly plentiful.

 

[mikarod]

In industry there are breeder companies.

Females are selected for size AND egg production, while the males are selected for size alone.

These lines are brought together when the company is ready to breed the broiler (cornish crosses) that we eat.

When the two lines are crossed, Hybrid Vigor is seen and the birds grow VERY fast and mature in 8 weeks...in time for processing.

The BREEDER birds are kept on a strict diet so as to obtain as many eggs as possible (160-260/hen).

In essence...the breeder birds are separate breeds than their offspring. It's confusing...I know...LOL. They breed naturally...no AI involved in these birds.