cornish x chicks

[radochicken]

I have cornish x pullets maybe 2 to 3 weeks old I'm not sure on the age I bought them from a feed store. They are pullets and I was wondering if they were reliable layers, since their butchering age is 8 weeks. Please tell me everything their is to know about cornish x's.


Thank you.

 

[Monkeybean415]

Cornish cross aren't kept past 3 months because they grow too quickly. You wouldn't want to keep them long enough for laying eggs. They don't have a very good long term life expectancy. They're really just a meat bird.

 

[chynasparks]

That's a sad thought.

 

[Monkeybean415]

It is pretty sad. Most people give them free access to food 12 hours a day and they'll eat themselves to death. They were bred to gain weight fast and not to love more than a few months. That said it has been done. I saw a post of someone who kept one to breed but she was very careful with how much food it got and let it free range and be active. I think you'd have to choose one that naturally on the smaller side and active since not all of them are willing to explore even if given the opportunity

 

[Bryant Redhawk]

The Cornish Cross is considered to be finished at 6 to 8 weeks old when commercially raised, at 8 weeks they are so heavy that their legs break along with other bones. If you slow feed them and let them free range they will put on weight much slower than if given access to feed, but I personally would not have them for either meat (what they are bred for) or eggs. There are so many, much better breeds for egg laying along with Dual Purpose, old breeds that are so much better at both egg laying and taste, that I leave the "Franken Chicken" to Tyson Foods, they are the folks that had it developed.

If you need to fill your freezer fast, then the Cornish X is a decent choice but otherwise not so good.