difference in Corn. X's & other meat birds?

[peterlund]

Quote:
How in blazes did you count the bees????

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

Economically there is only one practical solution.

Wring their necks, put them in an empty feed bag and dump them into a dumpster somewhere.

If hacheries ship "peanuts" the least they could do is give them a shot that makes them die at about 72 hours.

If they had any value at all why would they be given away?

 

[Oregon Blues]

Seriously. Cull them now, or see if you can get someone to take them as a gift.

You'll put way too much food into them to get a scrawny little bitty chicken without much meat on it.

If you want to raise some meat birds, take the money that you would have put into feeding those Leghorns and buy some meat chicks and feed them. You'll end up with 5 times as much meat for half the money and 1/5 the time.

 

[Buster52]

I disagree with the cull advice. I don't believe in wasting the life of an animal placed in my care. Raise it up best you can and put it to good use.

I cull when needed for the good of the animal, not to save a couple of bucks.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
I agree .................... although I would have never ordered or bought them, but since you do have them set them aside, keep a roo or 2 then get a few leghorn hens and keep a nice layer flock, they are exceptional for that. I wouldn't however try to feed them out and butcher them, you'd get more meat from a quail LOL. So in the end save them and put them to some use, shoot even if you free ranged them without supplemental feed you'd still get a boatload of big Ole eggs for free, think along those lines.

 

[OHhappychicks]

Thanks for all the advice everyone!! I guess I was under the impression that any chicken could be used as meat. I know you can eat any chicken, but didn't know they all couldn't be fattened up. That is what I like most about BYC. You can learn new things everyday!

I didn't buy them but they were sent with the ones i did order for packing peanuts. They are all roos (5). I will try to rehome them. We have Amish folks close and they will probably take them. Only have 1 roo now with 17 hens with about 14 upcoming hens, so I will need another or 2! They do free range. I was a little concerned about buying different feed for only 5 roos. But I would have found away! I think along the same lines as al6517. I usually try to rehome what I don't want or use. I have a few chicken friends around that have taken them in the past. When I get ready to do "real" meat birds, I will get back with you all. May try that this fall. Thanks again!

 

[criker99]

Another thought ... true that they will never be roasters ... but if you read the stickie at the top you will see that leghorns are a heritage breed fryer. Harvest them at fryer age and enjoy.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
Heritage breeds will never come from a hatchery, Hatchery birds will lack in every way except egg laying. So never expect a hatchery to have hertitage genetics ever.