Cornish cross care.

[Heffalump]

I have 8 cornish cross chicks. They're rescues and they're 1 week old. I don't plan on eating them (I'm a veggie).

Now I know that they're bred to grow like crazy and be huge quick and that this has consequences for their health.

How can I give them the longest life possible and of the best quality?

I'm reading conflicting things around feeding them, some saying feed them very little and others saying that this is cruel.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Hopefully you'll get the answers you want.
I put them out of their misery and butcher them at 3 months, because they are fat and miserable and can't move. Also because we raised them for food for our family.
Basically you "saved" them to suffer. Sorry if that's too blunt.

 

[aart]

I don't plan on eating them

The kindest thing would be to give them to someone who will eat them,
that's what they are made for.

 

[Molpet]

So sorry , they are Heartbreakers if you try to keep them as pets. I tried to keep one for a meat mutt project. She died at 1 yr.

 

[Ashmt51]

You can restrict their food and try a lower protein diet but even doing that and free ranging they still gain weight like crazy. Mine are 8 weeks and weigh about 8-10 pounds but they still get around pretty good. Like others said before be prepared for a short life span and to cull them.

 

[Heffalump]

Hopefully you'll get the answers you want.
I put them out of their misery and butcher them at 3 months, because they are fat and miserable and can't move. Also because we raised them for food for our family.
Basically you "saved" them to suffer. Sorry if that's too blunt.

I get it. They wouldn't have been my choice of bird. Basically someone on FB rescued them and had an owner for them but that fell through. They put out an emergency appeal as they hadn't planned on having them long term and they don't have a coop etc. I said I would take them.

 

[Heffalump]

So sorry , they are Heartbreakers if you try to keep them as pets. I tried to keep one for a meat mutt project. She died at 1 yr.

I know their life span will be short and I certainly won't let them suffer. I hesitated in taking them in because they're culled over here at 42 days. They aren't built to last. But I have them now and i'd like to give them best life they can have.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How can I give them the longest life possible and of the best quality?

There is some judgment involved with this but I consider these to be contradictory goals. They are bred to grow real fast, so fast they become unhealthy and die. You can restrict the feed to keep them from growing so fast, but that means they are always hungry. I don't know what diet you would need to feed them to keep them around longer. I don't know where to find that information either. Probably the closest you could come would be to find out how the parents of the Cornish Cross are fed. They have a lot of the same growth issues as the Cornish Cross since they carry those genetics, but the terminal cross hasn't been done yet with them. You might check with your agricultural ministry or whatever you call it there.

Your best bet is probably to find someone who will raise them for meat. Someone who gives them a good quality of life while they are alive and a quick and as humanely as possible death. I think you are in for a lot of heartache and they are headed for suffering if you try to keep them.

 

[Molpet]

They feed the parent stock a few minutes a couple times a day and not every day.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When, how much, and what is in the feed?