U_Stormcrow
Crossing the Road
I've a CornishX hen, productive member of my flock, lays most days, will be one year old April 10. Free ranges all day, fed once in the evening with the rest of the flock. Still navigates the ramp and beds down in the raised hen house at night. Both her brothers were six months+ when we ate them, same diet and schedule. The fourth sibling was taken by predation (aerial) about four months, but was healthy at the time. That's the story of the four CornishX I brought home last April.
Anyone who says it can't be done is mistaken.
That said, Don't Do It! A 12# plus bird that can hardly hop, can't fly at all, and does a wide footed wobble in fashion that makes a duck walk, or a three legged race, look graceful is not "pet material". Neither is it fast enough to escape a neighbor's dog or any similarly sized predator. She's also so big she has trouble keeping her @$$ end clean. I keep her for genetics only - as soon as she starts having leg troubles, suffers the FL heat (more concern than cold, with a bird this large), or goes into molt and stops laying, she's becoming sausage.
My advice? Rehome them, sell them to a local farmer, whatever. Sooner, rather than later. Accept that they will make someone some nice meals. Call this lesson learned, do a little more research on what you want in pet chicken breed, make a top 5 breeds list, then hold out for them. The more common the breed, the better the chances you will find them without waiting too too long.
Anyone who says it can't be done is mistaken.
That said, Don't Do It! A 12# plus bird that can hardly hop, can't fly at all, and does a wide footed wobble in fashion that makes a duck walk, or a three legged race, look graceful is not "pet material". Neither is it fast enough to escape a neighbor's dog or any similarly sized predator. She's also so big she has trouble keeping her @$$ end clean. I keep her for genetics only - as soon as she starts having leg troubles, suffers the FL heat (more concern than cold, with a bird this large), or goes into molt and stops laying, she's becoming sausage.
My advice? Rehome them, sell them to a local farmer, whatever. Sooner, rather than later. Accept that they will make someone some nice meals. Call this lesson learned, do a little more research on what you want in pet chicken breed, make a top 5 breeds list, then hold out for them. The more common the breed, the better the chances you will find them without waiting too too long.
