Did I get meat hens!?

[delisha]

If I did get them on a diet would they still be in pain from breathing or walking problems? I don't want them to suffer but getting them to a healthy size would be great. How did you do it? If you can give me some steps or tips that would be great! Was the chicken in the first picture a meat bird? She looked very healthy! Thanks

I have all meat birds..My DH has silkies and they don't count since they are not really chickens.
My rocks weigh around 8lbs as adults. They are huge birds, but they are healthy and solid with little fat.
all my birds are healthy and in good weight. I butcher and eat my birds so I understand how important good weight is.


(not my bird)

Your birds will be fine if you get them healthy. Being a good animal steward includes monitoring exercise and nutrition. Fresh air, safe harbor, good food, and sunshine is all they need. make them work for food. Make them find it.
Deep litter in the coop and runs if you cage your birds. It make them use legs to turn leaves and straw. Give them room to flap wings and run.

I do not get them to a healthy weight...I keep them at a healthy weight by doing some of the things I suggested you do.
I do not feed my birds grains unless they can't find food. (Deep snow) My birds are hunters. A hungry bird is a healthy bird. Hunting keeps them in shape and makes good egg layers. They go find food. I plant all kinds of greens for them in the yard. I feed them meat all year round and more in winter. I do grain feed chicks and during weather that is not good for hunting. None of my birds are thin. But that work for me and where i live and the plants I have available for my birds. You have to find what works for you and your birds.

Birds only need 1/4 cup of grains per day if they have available greens to eat. Do not feed your rocks more than that per day and let them forage as much as possible. Do not free feed them.

 

[Ghenri]

My hens are already at the point where they are having troubles breathing and I think one broke her leg. I have six other birds so if I put my big girls on a diet, I wouldn't know what to do with the others. I feel like they are suffering now and don't want to see them in any more pain. They have lived a good , long, free range life when they were meant to be killed at week eight. Thank you for the advise, but I'm starting to feel like even though it will be extremely difficult to do sending them away will be best for them.

 

[Kelsie2290]

So sorry for you and the girls, it is always hard to make these kind of decisions. You gave them a longer, happier life than most of them know. They do require specialized care, it is understandable that it is hard or impossible to do when you have other birds that need to share the same space. Best wishes to you and them.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

My hens are already at the point where they are having troubles breathing and I think one broke her leg. I have six other birds so if I put my big girls on a diet, I wouldn't know what to do with the others. I feel like they are suffering now and don't want to see them in any more pain. They have lived a good , long, free range life when they were meant to be killed at week eight. Thank you for the advise, but I'm starting to feel like even though it will be extremely difficult to do sending them away will be best for them.

It is hard, but sometimes it is necessary and best for the bird. You are fighting bad genetic. My Vet Tech daughter saw meat birds break legs under their sheer weight...they are bred to gain weight fast, have huge breasts but small bones because that is what the consumer wants...chicken with lots of meat and not lots of bone...tasty chicken but bad bird genetics.

Think that you have given them a longer life already happy and free from cage and misery. Maybe they can serve a good purpose in their disposal.

Lady of McCamley

 

[aoxa]

It is hard, but sometimes it is necessary and best for the bird. You are fighting bad genetic. My Vet Tech daughter saw meat birds break legs under their sheer weight...they are bred to gain weight fast, have huge breasts but small bones because that is what the consumer wants...chicken with lots of meat and not lots of bone...tasty chicken but bad bird genetics.

Think that you have given them a longer life already happy and free from cage and misery. Maybe they can serve a good purpose in their disposal.

Lady of McCamley

Please read the link in my signature. It is not bad genetics, it is poor husbandry. They were bred to gain weight at the best feed conversion around. They can live years if you fed them a set amount. If provided space for them to forage at a young age, they develop strong healthy bones and these leg issues you mention don't happen.

 

[delisha]

Cornish X do not magically get over weight and have bad legs. They just need to be raised different. it is a different way of thinking. Just like you can have 2 children. Same parents, same breakfast, lunch and dinner. One is fat and one is thin. Being a good parent and being a good animal steward is the same thing. You find what works for individual children and breeds of birds.

 

[Ghenri]

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So sorry for you and the girls, it is always hard to make these kind of decisions. You gave them a longer, happier life than most of them know. They do require specialized care, it is understandable that it is hard or impossible to do when you have other birds that need to share the same space. Best wishes to you and them.

Thank you so much for being so supportive, that is how I'm trying to think. I get easily attached and loved my girls more than most people I knew could understand. I gave them a free range life and they were loved dearly. I feel this would be better than a life where no one cared about them. I am not concerned about the breed or why they got to this point, I am new at this and didn't ask for meat hens. It will be hard to let them go but even with a diet I don't think you can reverse them at the stage they are at. One cannot walk and the others are attacking it. This is what will help them the most, I don't want to see the animals I love so much suffer.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

My hens are already at the point where they are having troubles breathing and I think one broke her leg. I have six other birds so if I put my big girls on a diet, I wouldn't know what to do with the others. I feel like they are suffering now and don't want to see them in any more pain. They have lived a good , long, free range life when they were meant to be killed at week eight. Thank you for the advise, but I'm starting to feel like even though it will be extremely difficult to do sending them away will be best for them.

I am sorry that you have to make this tough decision. Sometimes doing the right thing isn't very much fun. I understand how you can fall in love with your Cornish X--I think they are wonderful, affectionate birds.

When you get more birds, get them from a source that you trust to tell you the correct breed. I can't think of any other breed that requires the careful food management that the CX does. Pretty much any other breed that you get will stay at a healthy weight without any intervention from you, and you just need to provide free-choice layer feed and fresh water. It seems that you have just had abysmally bad luck. I'm sorry.

 

[Ghenri]

I am sorry that you have to make this tough decision. Sometimes doing the right thing isn't very much fun. I understand how you can fall in love with your Cornish X--I think they are wonderful, affectionate birds.

When you get more birds, get them from a source that you trust to tell you the correct breed. I can't think of any other breed that requires the careful food management that the CX does. Pretty much any other breed that you get will stay at a healthy weight without any intervention from you, and you just need to provide free-choice layer feed and fresh water. It seems that you have just had abysmally bad luck. I'm sorry.

Thank you so much. I think next we are going to look at getting heritage chickens, it might take my mind off of this. I think the place where we got them just made a mix up, it was a pretty big business. It's a shame that my birds were so affectionate and I can't get them again, my brown layers were timid and didn't like to be handles. Again thank you for your kind words

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thank you so much. I think next we are going to look at getting heritage chickens, it might take my mind off of this. I think the place where we got them just made a mix up, it was a pretty big business. It's a shame that my birds were so affectionate and I can't get them again, my brown layers were timid and didn't like to be handles. Again thank you for your kind words

Look into getting Buckeyes. They are very docile and sweet tempered and follow their people around. I don't own one myself yet, but I've been talking to a lot of local breeders and reading up on them.

They are a heritage breed that you might enjoy a lot.

Lady of McCamley