I bought 3 Cornish Rocks....now what?

[kryptoniteqhs]

Ok I cant remember when I got them. But they have to be at least 2-3 months old if not more. Theyre heavier than anything, but not as big as I had thought. I would feel horrible killing something perfectly healthy, or even giving it to someone who I know would do the same. They all walk fine and everything. They all look like pullets. One I noticed when I picked it up the other day it was breathing funny and kind of weezing. I dont want to kill them....lol....help? advice?

 

[Rootball]

....uhm what did you buy them for?

 

[al6517]

You had better get control of your emotional thing with these birds as they will very soon be nearing the end of their life cycle, which is very short. if you don't they will do it for you as they have frequent heart attacks/breathing problems/leg problems. I hope things work out for you but you should have researched some before you got them, they were bread destined for the table.

AL

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

oh i know....i researched it all and was very strong and thought I could do it....but now that i have them and theyre so sweet and follow me around....im feeling guilty and havent yes done anything....but originally, yes, they were for eating....why arent they real big? also, how do they breed these guys if they die before laying age? i was hoping that they would stick around a while if i didnt over feed them lol....but at least be bigger.....theyre heavy and all, but not much bigger than any other breed their age.....

 

[al6517]

Quote:
They don't breed true because they are crosses or hybreds, the parent stock to them are a very closely guarded secret the result of decades of science and selective breeding. they may seem to be normal size until you process them, but it does sound like your strain or where you purchased it just had substandard crosses and this does happen sometimes.

AL

 

[Rootball]

Theyre a hybrid....they wont breed true.....Every time that a hatchery hatches a Cornish rock they are crossing a special line Of cornish cocks.....with a special line of Plymouth Rock hens , Hence the name Cornish Rock Hybrid. If you mate them to one another they wont produce similar birds.

Part of the reason they grwo so quickly is because they benefit from a phenomenon called hybrid vigor.

 

[cassie]

Look at it this way. They are gonna die. Soon. So your choice is whether they go in the dumpster or the freezer.

 

[TimG]

Some people have kept Cornish Cross hens for quite a while. If you ration their food, you might be able to as well.

 

[vermontgal]

I think it's better to find someone to process them for you. Even if they live to be - what, a year old? - they are still going to die quite young. Respect their life by eating them (and continuing the cycle of life) instead of just throwing them away.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

There are a lot of other threads on the topic of how to process your chickens and not feel bad about it, many others about how good it feels to provide a humane ending for your meat birds and to provide exceptional food for your table. Look them over if you want encouragement to harvest these birds yourself.

Other options are to find a professional processor in your area, or someone who might do it for a share of the meat. Or you could give/sell them to someone and tell yourself a story about how they went to a nice family who lives on a farm somewhere.

These birds might be small because they're hens. But you have lots of other chickens who are sweet and will follow you around, let these birds fulfill their destiny and be honored dinner guests at somebody's table.