cornish cross as pets, tips from someone who owns one

[PigeonEnjoyer]

People always say that cornish x meat chickens will never live longer than their butchering days and will always die of obesity, this thread is some tips and tricks you can do to keep your cornish x meat birds longer living as pets (from my experience). i had a cornish x named Wendy, she was like your average cornish cross, eating and drinking a lot and pooped quite a bit. she lived to 7-8 months old and died to a dog attack, 3 stray dogs got in our garden and ripped Wendy and another chicken (who wasn't a cornish cross) named Masala apart. Curry (the black hen from my last thread) survived by jumping on a high fence. but Wendy had super strong legs and weighed 7 pounds (from when we last weighed her up to her death). Since then i rescued another cornish x named Anda, she was over weight and her legs were weak. We rescued her around 1-2 weeks ago and her legs are much stronger and she's losing weight, how i did this was 3 simple tricks. Exercise, egg laying chicken pellets, and restricted food. these really helped her loose weight and she's much more active then when we first got her. it is possible to keep cornish cross longer than their butcher day and it not to be cruel. (side note i keep her with 2 chickens that aren't cornish x so that motivates her to follow them and walk around)

 

[The Chick Addict]

People always say that cornish x meat chickens will never live longer than their butchering days and will always die of obesity, this thread is some tips and tricks you can do to keep your cornish x meat birds longer living as pets (from my experience). i had a cornish x named Wendy, she was like your average cornish cross, eating and drinking a lot and pooped quite a bit. she lived to 7-8 months old and died to a dog attack, 3 stray dogs got in our garden and ripped Wendy and another chicken (who wasn't a cornish cross) named Masala apart. Curry (the black hen from my last thread) survived by jumping on a high fence. but Wendy had super strong legs and weighed 7 pounds (from when we last weighed her up to her death). Since then i rescued another cornish x named Anda, she was over weight and her legs were weak. We rescued her around 1-2 weeks ago and her legs are much stronger and she's losing weight, how i did this was 3 simple tricks. Exercise, egg laying chicken pellets, and restricted food. these really helped her loose weight and she's much more active then when we first got her. it is possible to keep cornish cross longer than their butcher day and it not to be cruel. (side note i keep her with 2 chickens that aren't cornish x so that motivates her to follow them and walk around)

I'm so sorry you lost Wendy! It's amazing you have nursed Anda back to health! I'm so glad that you rescued both of them! Thank you for making this thread!

 

[PigeonEnjoyer]

I'm so sorry you lost Wendy! It's amazing you have nursed Anda back to health! I'm so glad that you rescued both of them! Thank you for making this thread!

thank you for reading! Anda was pretty fat but she's doing better now, she loves dust bathes haha

 

[No Coop No Problem]

Cornish cross are borderline insentient meat goblins. The kindest thing you can do for them is to eat them

 

[PigeonEnjoyer]

Cornish cross are borderline insentient meat goblins. The kindest thing you can do for them is to eat them

mine don't seem to be suffering, when i feed them she does eat more than the others but when i take their food away she goes and act like a normal chicken. the ones that get so fat that their legs break are from people who feed them on a high protein diet (meat bird feed basically). them being insentient is borderline untrue, they have been the kindest and sweetest chickens i've ever heard, Anda loves coming up to me and sit under my legs. you can keep them alive without torturing them i've seen and experienced it first hand and they've been so happy. i restrict their feed but i don't starve them, i feed them until her crop is full. i use the other 2 as an example on how much a normal chicken should eat.

 

[The Chick Addict]

mine don't seem to be suffering, when i feed them she does eat more than the others but when i take their food away she goes and act like a normal chicken. the ones that get so fat that their legs break are from people who feed them on a high protein diet (meat bird feed basically). them being insentient is borderline untrue, they have been the kindest and sweetest chickens i've ever heard, Anda loves coming up to me and sit under my legs. you can keep them alive without torturing them i've seen and experienced it first hand and they've been so happy. i restrict their feed but i don't starve them, i feed them until her crop is full. i use the other 2 as an example on how much a normal chicken should eat.

Your are completely right!

 

[CHICKENX2005]

Thanks for making this thread. If carried fir right and given enough space and exercise and not too much food. ( it's easier if you teach them to want to run and play from when they are young ) they are very healthy and happy chickens. All of my jumbo cornish cross chickens run and fly and play just like a normal chicken. I also give mine broiler booster in they water for the first 2 to 3 weeks. That gives them the extra vitamins and minerals that they need because they mature so fast. If you give them what they need they will be healthy and happy.

 

[PigeonEnjoyer]

Thanks for making this thread. If carried fir right and given enough space and exercise and not too much food. ( it's easier if you teach them to want to run and play from when they are young ) they are very healthy and happy chickens. All of my jumbo cornish cross chickens run and fly and play just like a normal chicken. I also give mine broiler booster in they water for the first 2 to 3 weeks. That gives them the extra vitamins and minerals that they need because they mature so fast. If you give them what they need they will be healthy and happy.

i'm glad your jumbo cornish cross are doing so good! Anda still has some ways to go but she's definitely getting better

 

[Legendary ORC]

This is my 2+ year old CornishX (over 16lbs and healthy). I have read in dozens of places the myths, but they all seemed second hand so I raised 10 of them alongside L.Orpingtons. I raised them the same, same amount of feed, spread out on the ground, and they have half an acre to run around on. Out of the 10, 2 were roos. To date, I have 6 hens from that and 1 roo. The other 3 died from animal attacks. The hens lay large eggs every few days.

I put a L.Orp Roo over them to make a healthier hybrid for my farm. I put the roo over a flock of L.Orp hens. The results have been amazing. I am on 3rd gen now, using the brother of the roo in the background (Same build as a cornishX, but white beak and white or grey legs). I put him with the L.Orp, CornishX and CornishX+ hens, with results of a fast growing, very large, very meaty chick that looks just like a regular CornishX, but the hens have specles that you can see from birth. The L.Orp chicks look Like Royal Orpingtons, with darker Grey and Gold highlights on wing tips and on the head. Really beautiful, but they do not get as large as fast as the back cross Cornish.
All of my roos except the current sire free range around the house.

What I mean to say is, keep up the good work. More people need to break the cycle of second hand knowledge being spread about the CornishX. Raise them right and they are a great addition to a homestead.

 

[PigeonEnjoyer]

This is my 2+ year old CornishX (over 16lbs and healthy). I have read in dozens of places the myths, but they all seemed second hand so I raised 10 of them alongside L.Orpingtons. I raised them the same, same amount of feed, spread out on the ground, and they have half an acre to run around on. Out of the 10, 2 were roos. To date, I have 6 hens from that and 1 roo. The other 3 died from animal attacks. The hens lay large eggs every few days.

I put a L.Orp Roo over them to make a healthier hybrid for my farm. I put the roo over a flock of L.Orp hens. The results have been amazing. I am on 3rd gen now, using the brother of the roo in the background (Same build as a cornishX, but white beak and white or grey legs). I put him with the L.Orp, CornishX and CornishX+ hens, with results of a fast growing, very large, very meaty chick that looks just like a regular CornishX, but the hens have specles that you can see from birth. The L.Orp chicks look Like Royal Orpingtons, with darker Grey and Gold highlights on wing tips and on the head. Really beautiful, but they do not get as large as fast as the back cross Cornish.
All of my roos except the current sire free range around the house.

What I mean to say is, keep up the good work. More people need to break the cycle of second hand knowledge being spread about the CornishX. Raise them right and they are a great addition to a homestead.


View attachment 3796287

hybrid breeds are always so interesting, i agree there are so many myths about cornish x that will hopefully be broken. they thrive on a healthy, restricted diet and can live like normal chickens. your hybrids are gorgeous!