How long do they have

[Oncoming Storm]

I have two meat birds that are the last of a group of ten. We got them early to mid April. I’ve had a meat bird in the past and she lived for about 10 months but at the time she was one of our very first chickens and we had no idea that she was a meat bird to begin with. So by six months she couldn’t walk very well etc. Well, now we have a roo and hen about five months and I just heard him crow for the first time and they’re still running around, flying, and roosting. I have high hopes for them, but I know broilers don’t necessarily last long and I just want to gauge how long these two have left.

 

[ShannonR]

Are you asking how long left until they are ready to eat? Or are you trying to keep them? At 5 months I would hazard to guess they are already living on borrowed time.

 

[Oncoming Storm]

Are you asking how long left until they are ready to eat? Or are you trying to keep them? At 5 months I would hazard to guess they are already living on borrowed time.

No one in my house can bring ourselves to give them the blindfold, not to mention we can’t actually catch them. I’d just like to give them the best of chances.

 

[JadeFarms]

I love my Cornish Cross! I have had her for 2 years I believe. She is fed three much of food a day along with the 2 ducks and 7 chickens. I do not feed her in a bowl, I make them look for it, it keeps her in better shape. She is molting, and now free range. She weighs about thirty pounds lol!

 

[so lucky]

I have seen somewhere that if kept on a lean diet and allowed/forced to free range, they would live much longer than the typical meat bird that is fed the maximum amount and kept in a coop or run. Makes sense, but I guess genetics and selective breeding is going to catch up with them eventually.

 

[Oncoming Storm]

I love my Cornish Cross! I have had her for 2 years I believe. She is fed three much of food a day along with the 2 ducks and 7 chickens. I do not feed her in a bowl, I make them look for it, it keeps her in better shape. She is molting, and now free range. She weighs about thirty pounds lol!
View attachment 1894289 View attachment 1894290

Wow, that’s great. She looks great. And with that weight there’s just more to love! Since we’ve moved, our flock is free range unlike our first flock at our old house, I always throw it out so everyone gets a fair chance to get some. And they only get a scoop a day, half in the morning half at night. So maybe they have a chance.

 

[ShannonR]

No one in my house can bring ourselves to give them the blindfold, not to mention we can’t actually catch them. I’d just like to give them the best of chances.

If you can't catch them, I am impressed!! Maybe they have a couple of months yet.... it's so hard to say.

 

[JadeFarms]

A picture of her and the ducks, she is molting lol.