Huge Chickens

[cindydj]

We went to the Fort Worth Stock show today and the chickens on display were HUGE. They had to have been on Steriods...LOL! They make my rooster look tiny and their silkies were also ALOT larger than mine......what is the deal....

 

[brooster]

Breeders strive to make thier birds big and grow faster. I bet you it was because they came from a good strain.

 

[speckledhen]

Usually, breeder stock is larger than hatchery stock. Someone else just mentioned that to me yesterday.

 

[cindydj]

All I know is the Buff Roo and those silkies were beautiful and HUGE......I am going to the poultry show there next week. My silkies came from show stock and even the pictures on here don't compare to these birds.....All I thought of was those poor hens.....

 

[silkieluvr]

OMG I know! we went to the stockton show and our poor hens looked SOO tiny! lol

 

[pipermark]

Well if the Silkies were to big , thats not good, they are suppose to be bantam size in the US.

But as far as the standard breeds go, yes, it is shocking isnt it. What you are seeing is the difference between Industrial/production breed birds and birds breed to the original genetics (or intention of the person or persons who came up with the breed).*


*in the US we breed more for the cosmetics of the originally birds, size, feathering, comb etc. In some breeds this shouldn't be, some breeds were designed specifically for egg production, or egg color.

 

[cgjsmith]

My buff roosters are huge as well. We got them from a feed store down in AL They are both way bigger then my hens. (no buff hens unfortunatly) C