- Thread starter
- #11
ellchr3
In the Brooder
Agreed. I'm already seeing a couple that are having trouble moving around. I've already contacted Tractor Supply and should at the least be sent replacement chicks. The bad thing is I've already spent so much time and feed for something I wasn't expecting. One of the first clues I had was how much these ate. I filled up a 10lb feeder one day and it was all gone the next. They likely ate that much because it wasn't the higher protein that meat birds need.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.