Cornish X for Keeping? w/pics

[pacountrygirl]

I was recently given 5 chickens, thought to be mostly leghorns.

After reading post and looking at pics I'm almost positive they're Cornish X. I've been reading that these are mostly raised for meat because of the leg problems they develope. My other chicks are only 4 weeks old. I wanted to get eggs as soon as possible so my question is: can I keep the Cornish X for layers until my others start laying?

 

[Professional]

It's hard to tell from those pics, but they look more like hatchery Rocks than CornishX. Regardless, if they've reached that age, you can keep them until your others mature. If they're Rocks, you'll get eggs from them.

If they are Cornish cross, chances are they'll be poor layers. You'll be better off keeping them leaner, by feeding only what they'll clean up twice a day, rather than free feeding them, and they'll live longer too.

 

[hooligan]

I at work so I can't view the pictures (blocked by our security) but I have 5 Cornish X's that had fallen off chicken trucks or were given to me by chicken house workers. They can make some cool pets!
How old are your chickens? Tehy grow super fast so you might think they are chickens but they are probably just chicks. Bob is 12lbs and he is only a little over 4 mos.
Can you tell us more about your chickens?

 

[MissPrissy]

If your chickens are cornish x you will need to watch how much feed they comsume. They will eat none stop if you let them. With care they can live a while but eventually they grow faster than their internal organs can support and pass on. It is not just a leg issue.

They usually do not survive long enough to lay eggs. If they do lay you won't get the same chicks. Those meat broilers are raised from super secret stock and do not reproduce true.

We raised a flock in the fall for meat and at 12 weeks some were 13lbs. They were healthy and not one had leg probelms. It is mostly stress on their heart that causes their demise.

I have read that often people loose a lot of this stock when they are raising them. I never lost any of mine.

 

[Nuggetsowner:)]

I raised 30 Cornish X last year. % of them became family pets. They are super gentle and very friendly. We got them on April 30th of last year and still have the 5 that are now pets. We limit their feed. Only feeding twice daily. Out of the 5 4 are hens and 1 is a roo. The hens do not lay. At all! I have never seen an egg from them. And believe it or not the roo does not crow!! He is the sweetest one of them all though. He sits in the run and when someone walks out of the house he begins to make a racket untill you go down and talk to him for a while. I know I have posted this pic before it is from this last fall but it is just sooo cute. Thought you might like to see it to compare your birds to ours.

 

[MissPrissy]

That is the sweetest looking face! The chicken looks mighty happy too!

 

[theOEGBman]

They look like Cornish X's to me! I had one that lived for over a year and never limited his food or anything. He was still flying 4+ feet to roost when he died! He was a rooster though, so I really dont know about the eggs. I know people have had Cornish X hens that would lay, so if they live long enough, its possible you can get eggs!

 

[hooligan]

Can't wait til I get home to look at these pix!

Having talked extensively with chicken "farmers" & it is not uncommon to lose upwards of 1000 chicks the first week in a house that houses 23,000 and sometimes they will lose that many for the first two weeks. Then as they get older and there is less room the death rate gets high again.

We had 10 and we lost 3 due to dogs and 2 to heart attacks. Bridgette (the girl we found on a bridge) and Bob are the sweetest. Bob will come running to you and follow you around as you are doing chores in their bachelor pad. Very curious and willing to "help" you

The other boys (potPie, Cheeto and Himmler) are a bit more skiddish if you try to pick them up.

Bridgette is our only girl and is just now about 4 mos old. I have heard from the chicken "farmers" that sometimes a few birds will get left behind so they keep them and at about 6 mos they will lay. If she does, she will be our only white egg layer!

Also Farm Sanctuary in NY and CA still have some of the Cornish Xs from the poultry farms from Hurricane Katrina. The males are fed 1/3 a day and the girls get 1/4 daily to keep their weight down.

 

[digitS']

My brother gave me Cornish X hens years ago for "laying" hens.

Initially, most of their "laying" was just laying around. I was concerned about their mobility but after a few weeks, they did okay. Can't say anything good about their ability to make eggs - they just aren't a very good choice in that department. I understand their White Plymouth Rock mothers, however, are top-notch as laying hens.

Steve

 

[hooligan]

PACountyGirl, it looks like the one in the back standing up is a roo. Looks like my roos anyway

Here's a pic of my kids