Cornish Cross or Leghorns?

[ellchr3]

In February we ordered white leghorn chicks through tractor supply. They came directly from the hatchery though. Fast forward about 11 weeks and I swear they’re Cornish Cross. They’re huge! Starting to see mobility problems that don’t appear to be anything other than weight and that’s with having limited food intake for a few weeks. Has anyone ever been sent the wrong breed like this? Interested to hear your experience. I’ll see if I can get a decent picture of them tomorrow.

 

[SourRoses]

If you can weigh one the answer will be really easy.

 

[LTAY1946]

In February we ordered white leghorn chicks through tractor supply. They came directly from the hatchery though. Fast forward about 11 weeks and I swear they’re Cornish Cross. They’re huge! Starting to see mobility problems that don’t appear to be anything other than weight and that’s with having limited food intake for a few weeks. Has anyone ever been sent the wrong breed like this? Interested to hear your experience. I’ll see if I can get a decent picture of them tomorrow.

How heavy is huge. At 11 weeks Cornish Cross should weigh live weight at least 8-9lbs based on what mine did with controlled feeding.

 

[BastyPutt]

Any pictures?

 

[ellchr3]

Just went out and weighed a couple. First one I picked up was over 12 pounds and the second was over 14. Definitely meat birds. I've also reached to Tractor Supply. They came from Hoovers by way of TSC.

 

[ellchr3]

How heavy is huge. At 11 weeks Cornish Cross should weigh live weight at least 8-9lbs based on what mine did with controlled feeding.

12 and 14 lbs for the two i chose to weigh.

 

[SourRoses]

Yep, those are not Leghorns

But I'm sorry for your trouble What a pain now that you've raised these to slaughter age.

 

[FunClucks]

Hope you're not terribly attached to these chickens. Since they are so large and starting to experience decreased quality of life, processing them is (IMO) the humane thing to do. Or you can wait for them to die of natural causes, but heart attacks at any age are common, also leg problems (their legs stop working to hold up their bodies), and if they fall on their backs, sometimes they can't get up. Also, ascites is another common complaint with these guys. With feed restrictions and lots of exercise, some live for about a year, maybe 1.5 yrs. But since yours are already so big, there is a high likelihood they will die in the next few months if you don't process them now. They are also intolerant of cold and heat, so if it gets really hot where you live this summer, that can also cause them to die. The hens may lay eggs, if they live that long, maybe 150/yr, but the CX roosters are usually too large/fat to fertilize them. They're only bred to live to processing age at around 8 wks.

So sorry you expected leghorns and got CX. That really sucks! Definitely contact the folks you bought from and get your money back!

Leghorns are no more than about 4-5 lbs full grown. They're pretty streamlined, not chunky at all like CX.

If you have to process them yourself, check out the Meat Bird Forum on this site for lots of helpful info on how to do it.

 

[BastyPutt]

Processing your own birds isn't for everyone, but it is certainly rewarding, and I am glad I learned how to do it.

 

[ellchr3]

Processing your own birds isn't for everyone, but it is certainly rewarding, and I am glad I learned how to do it.

I don't have a problem processing them. My wife is a different story