Egg laying meat birds?????

[minifarmer]

Almost forgot. I raise them outdoors on pasture in electric netting and they lay on the ground, I just move they're cover and shelter around alot. I'd be afraid that they'd break something trying to jump into or out of a nest box.

 

[menageriemama]

Ok, I am embarassed about this, but I still have 2 Cornish X hens that need to be processed. I was just trying to decide when to do it, when lo and behold, I start finding these HUGE double yolk eggs in the coop!!!!

I know they are from the cornish because all my others are EEs and are laying tiny green eggs.. My two elderly girls dont lay anymore. Its the meat birds!!!!

eta: oh yha, and they are laying in the corner of the coop, on the floor.

 

[momto2]

Thanks minifarmer!! My kids and I were sooo excited when we read about your meatbirds laying at 16 weeks. That's the age of my birds. My daughter ran out to check for eggs right after reading your post. No eggs yet but soon I hope!!!

 

[dancingbear]

I once had some Cornish X hens who got to almost a year old. They laid really big eggs, many were huge double yolkers.

Then they got congestive heart failure and died off, one by one, until there was only one left.

When her comb began turning purple when she was at rest on her keel, and she wheezed, we went ahead and butchered her. She dressed out to about 15 lbs. or so. Like a small turkey.

 

[momto2]

I think this waiting game is going to drive me crazy!

 

[bheila]

You think your going crazy waiting....I think my girls are going on somewhere around 18 weeks. I just about killed one yesterday. I was separating the roosters from the hens yesterday and caught one of my meaties in my net and she just about had a heart attack. She turned all purple and started wheezing. I'll never do that again. Scared me to death. Took her about 10 minutes to snap back to normal.

 

[illinichick]

I've read of people on here (BYC) keeping them and they end up dying from heart failure. I think this happens when they get emotionally attached and try to keep them as a pet.