fast food chicken, never again for me.....

[trunkman]

I went and bought some fencing to add more space for a chicken run a couple weeks ago and someone else was buying the same. He asked me what the fencing was for and I told him it was to add to my chicken run, he said, really, I have a friend that raises chickens for one of the very popular fast food chains. I said, interesting, he must be doing well and it must be lots of work. The gentleman said all he has to provide is the shelter and water and the food chain takes care of the rest, that surprised me so I asked him what he meant. He said the food chain brings him the chicks, then trucks pull up and bring him the feed and 45 days later they come and pick up the "adult" chickens... I said Adult???? He said, yeah, my friend said if they wait 2 more weeks the chickens are so fat they can no longer walk!!! That's only two months!!! Makes you wonder why so many people are overweight and sickly, what are they feeding these chickens.
I'm raising and processing my own from now on!!

 

[the_great_snag]

Um... the Cornish X broiler chickens most home producers raise are also butcher size in 6 weeks. Generally though, feeding is managed after the first 3 weeks so as to prevent most leg issues.

"Cornish Game Hens" are simply Cornish X chicks that are butchered at 3 to 4 weeks of age.

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

I am raising my first cornish rocks, only one out of 3 made it my dog got loose and got 2, and 3 egg layers.

 

[suezqz_64]

There are certain breeds that are designed to grow fast and gain weight. These are not pets, they are strictly meat birds, they don't even reach maturity.

 

[Oregon Blues]

8 weeks is what it takes for a Cornish Cross to reach butcher weight when fed on a good healthy diet of grain made for poultry. The chickens that are going to the fast food restaurant are not eating anything strange. No hormones, no weird magic to made them grow. They are simply genetically programed to grow fast.

If you raise your own and you raise Cornish Cross and take good care of them, your home raised chickens will be ready to butcher at 8 weeks, also. However, if you raise them with some exercise, fresh air, and a bit of forage, your fast growing chickens will taste better than the ones raised in cages.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Incidentally, I don't eat fast food chicken, but it is because it is loaded with grease and salt. Not because I think there is anything wrong with the birds.

But, please do try growing your own. I think you will be pleased with the quality of the meat. it's nice knowing what they were fed and how they were treated.

 

[trunkman]

Incidentally, I don't eat fast food chicken, but it is because it is loaded with grease and salt. Not because I think there is anything wrong with the birds.

But, please do try growing your own. I think you will be pleased with the quality of the meat. it's nice knowing what they were fed and how they were treated.

I am growing my own now, only thing I'll have a hard time with is processing day, but I'll get over it quickly enough once it's in my plate and knowing what I'm eating...

 

[Buster52]

Incidentally, I don't eat fast food chicken, but it is because it is loaded with grease and salt. Not because I think there is anything wrong with the birds.

I don't because I don't like the way the birds are treated.

Which is why I raise my own, and try to give my community an alternative to the factory farm system. But since I can only raise and process for the public 1,000 birds a year in Oklahoma, I'm not making much of a dent, particularly given I'm pretty much the only person doing it in my part of the state.

 

[yakibert]

I am growing my own now, only thing I'll have a hard time with is processing day, but I'll get over it quickly enough once it's in my plate and knowing what I'm eating...

I wish I could get my wife and daughter to think that way! they now count chickens whenever we eat chickens in order to make sure none of ours are missing!

 

[trunkman]

I think that would drive me crazy, you have to find someone who raises them and sells backyard chickens....