I think i screwed up need quick help please!!

[BrahmaMama]

Maybe I'm in a weird mood tonight, but it just seems eery, that an animal has been so altered (genetically?) that all they do is park in front of the trough, and eat. I mean, we raise calves for meat, granted they aren't "meat calves" they are holstein/angus cross, but they still get out and graze, run, buck, etc.

Sorry to get so OT, everyone's comments just got me to thinking more about these meat birds.

 

[MissPrissy]

They are not altered. They are selectively bred. The very biggest cornish bred to the very biggest rocks. It is the same way they breed big turkeys. the big breasted turkey everyone wants for Thanksgiving is bred to have a large breast. A heritage turkey looks like a giant chicken when dressed. Anything that grows fast and huge is going to eat non-stop. They have not been given a growth hormone or anything like that. Selective breeding that has been perfected over the last 5 decades.

 

[noodles]

so how quick do they grow and be ready for dinner??

 

[MissPrissy]

Commercial broilers - the big chickens with the nice breast you buy at the grocery store are about 5 - 6 weeks old tops. The broilers we raise at home at 8 - 10 weeks.

 

[BrahmaMama]

Quote:
I see. That explains why a couple of my white rocks are looking like dinner more and more....with the way they have filled out this spring, I was wondering if I *did* get broilers. Those girls are heavy!

 

[hcammack]

I think its wierd how we have chickens with fur LOL ! I want to raise a batch of Cornish X's but my mom won't let me she says they poop to much.

Henry

 

[noodles]

so is a cornish the same as a cornish x?

 

[DENALI]

Thanks for all the replies so far and just a quick update. These 100 "pigs" i bought have grown overnight! I swear! Man talk about flat out eating machines! I think that Orshelns wasnt keeping food in front of them 24/7 while they had them and they are making up for it now!
I do have another question regarding them. The orshelns i got them from ordered them from ideal. Is there any realized difference between ideals cornish rocks and meyers? just curious as i think meyers called theirs jumbo cornish rocks or something like that which is where i was going to order some later this year. Regardless i wasnt going to pass up 4 week old cornish x's from orschelns for a buck a piece. They are already half way fed out! Talk about a savings in feed cost over day olds not to mention early mortality with the day olds. All 100 of them made it the first night no problems

 

[silkiechicken]

Cornish and cornish rocks aren't the same thing if you are talking chicken breeds.

As for hatchery meat birds, I think most hatching eggs are from the same few sources so might not actually be a difference.

 

[greyfields]

Quote:
I find it astounding how quickly 50 birds go. I've always been tempted to do crops of 100 instead... but, it's really hard for me to get 50 birds to the processor then back in coolers. I have to put one cooler in the canopy with the birds and the other in the truck's passenger seat. They just hold 50. So if I were to go to 100, I'd have to haul a trailer. *lol*