Dumbest Things People Have Said About Your Chickens/Eggs/Meat - Part 2 : Chicken Boogaloo.

[Lomasi]

Yes..what she said! We have gotten so used to a corporate food system most of us don't know whats what anymore. And something that scares me is even my mom, who is almost 80, seems to have forgotten what good to but in the store and what's junk. Animals bred and marketed for a for a certain purpose are basically forces to be part of who they are and not the whole. That being said, some just are what they are. I've never seen a package of bantams at Wal-Mart or Harps. Cornish game hens are not necessarily small bird but a young bird. Corporate want a is to think we got something special when it's really not.Im 50 and have only recently begun to see these things.I want to do what's best for me and my family and don't care what corporate says is best for me. My soap box!

 

[ShrekDawg]

  You are posting in the right spot!  They can walk and live just fine past 10 wks if a person treats them like a chicken instead of a like a hog one is fattening for market.  Many, many people keep CX past 10 wks and even past a few years, keeping them in the flock for breeding, laying or just because they feel like it. 

LOL YUP! I won't deny that! really? Wow that's so interesting. I knew some people kept them for a little bit but never knew it could be that long. So they only get that big if overfed then? So with a diet they don't? And maybe free ranging they get more exercise too? So next dumb question: I'm assuming you can't leave a food bowl out with this breed ?

 

[ShrekDawg]

Yes..what she said! We have gotten so used to a corporate food system most of us don't know whats what anymore. And something that scares me is even my mom, who is almost 80, seems to have forgotten what good to but in the store and what's junk. Animals bred and marketed for a for a certain purpose are basically forces to be part of who they are and not the whole. That being said, some just are what they are. I've never seen a package of bantams at Wal-Mart or Harps. Cornish game hens are not necessarily small bird but a young bird. Corporate want a is to think we got something special when it's really not.Im 50 and have only recently begun to see these things.I want to do what's best for me and my family and don't care what corporate says is best for me. My soap box!

That makes a lot of sense! Thanks

 

[Spartan22]

Im pretty sure all chickens lay eggs,otherwise how else would they reproduce? And they are edible bc...well they're eggs! But meat birds are called meat birds bc they're bred to be bigger for their meat. I live in Northwest Arkansas which is Tysonland and Walmartville. I see Tyson trucks all the time.

Very smart comment!!!! Except not all chicken lay eggs, rooster doesn't - just poking some fun, don't hate me lol!

 

[Beekissed]

LOL YUP! I won't deny that!

really? Wow that's so interesting. I knew some people kept them for a little bit but never knew it could be that long. So they only get that big if overfed then? So with a diet they don't? And maybe free ranging they get more exercise too? So next dumb question: I'm assuming you can't leave a food bowl out with this breed ?

Nope...they still get that big. But, they get a chance for their bones and organs to develop enough that their size doesn't kill them as easily when they reach their full size. Free ranging and restricted feed, especially when they are little, is a good way to let their body catch up to their metabolism and growth rate. As muscle pulls against bone, it makes the bone stronger by signalling the body to deposit more calcium from the blood stream into the bone matrix.. That's why doing weight bearing exercise is good for preventing osteoporosis. Works the same in chickens.

No, you can't leave free choice feed out for that type of bird, nor do I recommend it for any chicken for the same reasons....most chickens out on range have to exercise for the food they find, which turns their food into something good for their body. A chicken in a pen with a buffet constantly in front of it will be as healthy as any couch potato who has a buffet of food in front of them all the time. What's true in humans is also true in the animal world, which is why one sees so many balloon pets out there. Neither human nor animal will usually live their full life expectancy if doing little exercise and eating all day long.

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Cornish X chickens usually (there are exceptions) don't live long enough to reproduce. That is why they are called crosses...I believe from the White Cornish and White Plymouth Rocks.

By the way, I love this thread.

 

[junebuggena]

Cornish X chickens usually (there are exceptions) don't live long enough to reproduce. That is why they are called crosses...I believe from the White Cornish and White Plymouth Rocks.

By the way, I love this thread.

The meat industry keeps the exact combination of breeds a secret. The lines involve several breeds. They are far more complex than a simple Breed A crossed with Breed B. A White Cornish bred to a White Rock would produce pea combed birds.

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Yes, that would be correct. I've read that there are White Cornishes and Plymouth Rocks involved, but there are others as well. Sorry for the misinformation.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Nope...they still get that big.  But, they get a chance for their bones and organs to develop enough that their size doesn't kill them as easily when they reach their full size.  Free ranging and restricted feed, especially when they are little, is a good way to let their body catch up to their metabolism and growth rate.  As muscle pulls against bone, it makes the bone stronger by signalling the body to deposit more calcium from the blood stream into the bone matrix..  That's why doing weight bearing exercise is good for preventing osteoporosis.  Works the same in chickens. 

No, you can't leave free choice feed out for that type of bird, nor do I recommend it for any chicken for the same reasons....most chickens out on range have to exercise for the food they find, which turns their food into something good for their body.   A chicken in a pen with a buffet constantly in front of it will be as healthy as any couch potato who has a buffet of food in front of them all the time.  What's true in humans is also true in the animal world, which is why one sees so many balloon pets out there.   Neither human nor animal will usually live their full life expectancy if doing little exercise and eating all day long. 

Thanks for all the great info! Even though it started with dumb questions lol

Do you think it would help arthritis or joint problems? Cause my dad has a bad hip, he got one replaced in October (and they fractured his femur in the process) but now his other one hurts cause he was putting his weight on it for a while. He wants to eventually get it replaced too but for now it just hurts. And he also claims he can't move or walk much cause his leg starts hurting but personally I think it might hurt more because he doesn't move. But it's kind of a catch 22, moving hurts it but moving more would help it. He's also overweight, he's 6' 3" and like 300 pounds, maybe a little more, idk, he never shares, so that adds to it i think and eating poorly.

sorry, that was kind of irrelevant haha

And ahhh okay, that makes sense. I guess I've always heard it said they need food out all the time but maybe not. I'm gonna start free ranging more I think and when I do they don't tend to eat as much food. But they also fly up on the coop roof multiple times daily so that helps stay a little in shape i think. Sometimes they fly 4-5 feet straight up to the roof peak, others land on the nest boxes, about 2-3 feet high, first then hop up. Keeps their wings flapping though.

It always makes me sad, and a little mad, when people over feed their dogs so much they turn round. How do they not see how fat they are? Especially small dogs it's more sad but any dogs. And cats. And also how everyone thinks labs are supposed to be fat. English Labs are a little stockier, sure, but people keep them obese. I admit my dog is a little bit overweight now but the vet didn't say anything. He's actually looking a tad skinny. I think he's just not extremely fit, he could use getting in shape. His hips are bad too and he's got a recurring leg injury plus I'm lazy so he doesn't exercise much or at all. Sleeps all day. Part of it is breed and that he's big to walk and the injury but I need to start. It might help. Maybe swimming? He's free fed because as a puppy he was scheduled but then he would refuse to eat for a week, not sure when we switched. But he's not a typical Lab or Lab mix and actually can be picky with food. Our old Lab would have eaten the whole bowl if we left food out. Not Gator. We used to fill it with like 8 cups and it took him days or a week to eat it but now we only put in the amount for one day (well admittedly I put enough for 2 days in lately) as well as switching to a better food and a food he likes. He ate more on worse foods. He honestly generally eats maybe 3 or 4 cups if that when theoretically a dog of his size should, according to most bags, be eating 5 or 6 cups a day. We put that much in but he doesn't eat it unless he exercises. But I do think he needs more exercise. As do I. Maybe we'll start walking together.

Sorry I keep going off on tangents

 

[ShrekDawg]

Cornish X chickens usually (there are exceptions) don't live long enough to reproduce. That is why they are called crosses...I believe from the White Cornish and White Plymouth Rocks.

By the way, I love this thread.

The meat industry keeps the exact combination of breeds a secret. The lines involve several breeds. They are far more complex than a simple Breed A crossed with Breed B. A White Cornish bred to a White Rock would produce pea combed birds. 

Yes, that would be correct. I've read that there are White Cornishes and Plymouth Rocks involved, but there are others as well. Sorry for the misinformation.

Ohhhh yeah, i forgot they could just cross breeds hah but it seems to me there's some sort of exact science to get them to be that fat by 8 weeks