CornishX as a pet?

[RedJasper]

Thank you everybody for all your input. I have named my two McDuff and McPuff. McDuff had a hard start as he wasn't able to "go" on his own. I took him to the vet, who cleaned him out, and he's been doing incredible ever since. I got 12 chicks (10 reds [mix of RIR and NH] and 2 cornishx) from TSC on the 17th of April. McDuff is still one of my smallest babies and McPuff is catching up in size with the other reds. They are the calmest when I hold them. McDuff I can hold for a long time and s/he will just look around or nap.

I guess I will just plan on doing my best to keep them around as long as I can and when they expire naturally it happens. At least I know that they were saved from somebody's stomache and I gave them the best life possible..

 

[suensmitty]

I'm so glad you're going to keep them. Cherish them every day you have them. Give them lots of hugs and kisses.

I miss mine so much and I just want to hug them so bad. I wish you all the best with your babies.

 

[CoopCrazy]

Honestly folks and I hope you dont think I am being mean but these birds are bred specifically to grow and be slaughtered.. Thye have been bred to be docile so that more can housed together with out as much fighting.. I am raising my first batch of Cornish X and Yes they are very sweet birds.. But I would and could not try to keep one as a pet... It cannot be comfortable for them to be pushed past the limitations of thier breeding.. I personnaly think it is selfish on the part of the human to try to keep them alive past the time that they can safely live.. I wouldnt want to be so big I can barely walk , or have to worry that if I jumped off my 2 inch roost that my legs will break, or worse that I may have a stroke or heart attack at anytime...

I truly hope that I have not offended anyone I just felt that someone should speak on behalf of the animals involved..

 

[Siler]

I got 3 chicks about 3 weeks ago and 2 of them are just enormous. One we now know is a Leghorn and it picks on the other 2 which are much larger than it. We now think the other 2 are CornishX. We think they're maybe 6 weeks old? Does someone have a pic for me to compare to? I had worried this was what they were and I'm now sad that they wont live very long. I eat chicken and I have no problem eating it, but I just cannot eat something I've raised by hand and something I talk to every single day. They are so sweet. I also am sad that if this is what they are then their genetics prevent them from living a full and happy life. It doesn't help that I just watched Food Inc last week.

Thanks in advance.

 

[CoopCrazy]

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If it is a cornish x it will have very thick legs and a huge breast... I will try to find a pic for oyu but I dont think I have any on this computer...

 

[Siler]

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Yes this sounds like them. They have huge bodies and they're much warmer than the Leghorn. Their legs are HUGE.

 

[CoopCrazy]

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Yes this sounds like them. They have huge bodies and they're much warmer than the Leghorn. Their legs are HUGE.

Sadly it sounds as though you have cornish ... You can defintly tell at 6 weeks the difference as they are just huge...

 

[kuntrygirl]

I have meat birds. A relative wanted me to have "white chickens" and he bought 6 of them for me. Little did he know, he was buying meat birds. He brought them home and I was in shock because I had no idea what to do with a meat bird being as though I don't cull any of my girls. So I did some research and came up with a plan. I allow them to free range and eat grass and bugs all day long. I feed them once a day and let them run around the yard after bugs for exercise.

.

They have not had any leg or heart problems. And this was 2 years ago. And I'm still counting. They have lived passed the time that were suppose to live. Go figure. I will never cull them.

This pic is a few of them sitting at the back door while I'm sitting on the patio. All of them are named Hilda. They feel like they weigh 30lbs a piece. The do look funny running though.

Enjoy your CornishX.

 

[Shifty Joe]

It's all good, you should enjoy your chickens while you have them. Just keep an eye on it so when the time comes you don't let is suffer. Also, if you are so inclined you might check with local butchers to see if they will process the carcass usually costs about $2 per chick. I know that might seem mean if you have it as a pet, but being that it was breed to be a meat bird... chickens are chickens, treat them to the best life you can and in return they give you good wholesome food in what fashion they can. Maybe that's just my thoughts, but there is something rewarding in that.

Also keep in mind that as I say this, I have two buff orpingtons hens that have the full retirement package offered by my wife.... I will get first hand experiences on seeing how long chickens live and wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[mcharles13]

Growing up, we had these types in addition to our layers. We didn't understand at the time that they were meaties. They got HUGE and lived passed a year. Eventually they started laying eggs but the eggs were so huge it would tear them on the way out and many had double and triple yokes. They were easily double the size of normal eggs and wouldnt fit in any carton. One of them would lay eggs w/o a shell, just a thick membrane. I guess nature's solution to such a large egg?

They all ended up dying of heart attacks. The roosters died first and the hens later. The roosters were so fat they could not properly jump on the hens.