Do i have to kill my beloved Cobbs

[Sandfly45]

Hi, I have 2 cobb chickens (Big Betty and Fat Albert) that I hatched from eggs intending to have them in the freezer at 3 months. They are now 8 weeks old and such lovely gentle friendly birds. I want to keep them as pets and hopefully breed from them, trouble is they are HUGE! Fat Albert especially is struggling with his weight and sits down most of the time. Can they survive past 3+ months and have a good quality of life? Photo is Fat Albert basking in the sun

 

[Banana01]

I dont know this breed from experience, but as long as they are able to eat and move around, i don't think of any reason to have to kill them. If the hen is able to have eggs, i dont think she'll just drop dead. Good luck! I would love to get chickens this size.

 

[Molpet]

CX males have trouble breeding due to their large breasts. Artificial insemination would most likely have to be used. They don't breed true because they are a hybrid. People have kept them alive with diet and exercise.
I kept a pullet who died at a year old. I started restricting feed at a couple weeks old.

 

[Isadora]

They can have decent quality of life, but it will take proactivity on your part. And while you can get them to decent quality of life, they probably will still pass away early then the average chicken due to their genetics. They need to lose weight, to start. You will need to restrict their feed and monitor for things such as heat stroke and bumblefoot, as they are more prone to it. And you may have to make modifications for their sleeping situation, because I doubt with their size they are roosting. I don't think you will have success breeding them since they're a hybrid and humongous, but you can just enjoy them as pets.