Cornish Hen Dressed Weights

[anthonyjames]

When weighing out live cornish x for cornish hen should the live weight be around 3 lbs? Making dressed weight around 1.7 - 2 lbs?

Is that the avg weight of a dressed cornish hen?

 

[aa3655]

How old are they?

We just did a batch of 5 week old cornish crosses and they dressed out between just over 2 to just under 3.25 pounds.

 

[weebles&wobblesmom]

I have a dumb question. Do you HAVE to slaughter cornish crosses? I was told that when they reach a certain weight, you need to kill them or they will die anyway.

I have 2 week old chicks that when they came into the farm store I work at, they had been plucked at by the other chicks. 1 is down to the skin. the other pretty much just had poo stuck on it. I can't bring myself to even think about killing them. (I know I'm a HUGE sucker) and my husband doesn't want to deal with it. Especially just for 2. I've gotten attached to them after nursing the 1 back to health (basically).

Can they survive or will they die?

I'm kinda confused with that because I have heard that Pekin Ducks are raised for meat and eggs. They grow very fast. I also have a 6 week old Pekin that wasn't suppose to live in it came in. ( I take the "rejects"....lol). I realize they are 2 different breeds of birds.

If someone could tell me for sure that my cornish babies will be OK if I let them grow or not, then I can prepare myself to give them to my brother in law for slaughter if needed.

Thanks

PS sorry for sounding like a big baby. I eat chicken but I didn't raise the ones I eat.... I get too attached too fast to animals.

 

[blueskylen]

HI, we had a peking duck that lived for 8 years when we were kids - so i don't think that they are that short lived, unless you really fatten them up- then maybe a shorter life.
we have been told that the cornish X can live for an average of 12 weeks or so, but if you are wanting to eat them, that the best time to butcher is at 8 weeks. i would also think that if you cut down on their feed so that they didn't grow so fast and let them free range and get some exercise, that they would live alot longer.

 

[donrae]

weebles&wobblesmom :

I have a dumb question. Do you HAVE to slaughter cornish crosses? I was told that when they reach a certain weight, you need to kill them or they will die anyway.

I have 2 week old chicks that when they came into the farm store I work at, they had been plucked at by the other chicks. 1 is down to the skin. the other pretty much just had poo stuck on it. I can't bring myself to even think about killing them. (I know I'm a HUGE sucker) and my husband doesn't want to deal with it. Especially just for 2. I've gotten attached to them after nursing the 1 back to health (basically).

Can they survive or will they die?

I'm kinda confused with that because I have heard that Pekin Ducks are raised for meat and eggs. They grow very fast. I also have a 6 week old Pekin that wasn't suppose to live in it came in. ( I take the "rejects"....lol). I realize they are 2 different breeds of birds.

If someone could tell me for sure that my cornish babies will be OK if I let them grow or not, then I can prepare myself to give them to my brother in law for slaughter if needed.

Thanks

PS sorry for sounding like a big baby. I eat chicken but I didn't raise the ones I eat.... I get too attached too fast to animals.

Search around on here, some folks have raised them to over a year, some longer. The key seems to be limiting food and free ranging.
Good luck!​