Keeping Broilers As Layers

[Wilson Chickens]

Alright I figured I'd get a bigger response in the meat department of the chicken community so to speak. I got 3 chickens that look to be about a month and a half old from a lady who didn't know what breed they were so I posted a couple photos of them on the breed and gender section. One member said they looked like broiler chickens due to them being so husky looking. If so, I am not 100% happy since the lady that I bought them from said they were layers even though she didn't know what breed they were but oh well ya win some and ya lose some. My only experience with chickens was last year when I bought my Golden Comet pullets but anyway getting off subject here. I was excited when I got the chicks because I'd like to start getting eggs again and had plans on selling eggs at the local farmers market as well. If the 3 chickens that I have are broilers is there a possibility I can keep them for a little bit for the eggs if any of them end up being hens? Also the lady said she was feeding them broiler mash because that's what she feeds her laying hens as well I am wondering if there's a different type of food to feed them to not get them so heavy? I have posted two photos of them as well to clarify that they are in fact broiler chickens. Thanks everyone.

 

[Life is Good!]

The photos you included show fairly well-feathered birds...all my CX's are always nearly naked! Their feathering is very sparse - just enough to cover their skin, but not two layers anywhere on them at all.

As for your question on feed, I typically feed broilers the following: for first 2 weeks - chick starter/grower; for remainder of their lives - broiler feed. For my layers, I provide layer feed, as it's got extra nutrients that the hens need to produce eggs (vitamins and such). If you feed a layer broiler feed, she will stop laying. So if you'd like these chicks to lay for you, you'll need to switch their feed to a layer feed - either crumbles or pellets.

Typically chickens don't start laying until about 20-28wks old. If these truly are a broiler bird, they might not be able to live healthy enough long enough to give you eggs. However, if the chicks turn out to be something like a white leghorn, you'll be fine - they're a larger bird to begin with but also very good layers too. Try looking at some of the on-line catalogs (Murray McMurray; Welp; mypetchicken.com; etc....) to see if you can figure out what breed bird you've got there.

A five week old CX should be about 3#'s. So weigh your birds to see if they're at that point. (An 8 wk old CX is about 6# or more).

Good luck!

 

[LindaB220]

Alright I figured I'd get a bigger response in the meat department of the chicken community so to speak. I got 3 chickens that look to be about a month and a half old from a lady who didn't know what breed they were so I posted a couple photos of them on the breed and gender section. One member said they looked like broiler chickens due to them being so husky looking. If so, I am not 100% happy since the lady that I bought them from said they were layers even though she didn't know what breed they were but oh well ya win some and ya lose some. My only experience with chickens was last year when I bought my Golden Comet pullets but anyway getting off subject here. I was excited when I got the chicks because I'd like to start getting eggs again and had plans on selling eggs at the local farmers market as well. If the 3 chickens that I have are broilers is there a possibility I can keep them for a little bit for the eggs if any of them end up being hens? Also the lady said she was feeding them broiler mash because that's what she feeds her laying hens as well I am wondering if there's a different type of food to feed them to not get them so heavy? I have posted two photos of them as well to clarify that they are in fact broiler chickens. Thanks everyone.

They look like my white rocks. Not CX Of course, I could be wrong.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Not having raise White rocks, I can't compare to those. They do have CX look to them to me anyway. It is possible to get them to laying. It can be tricky, lower protein feed and restricted is almost a must. I have 4 healthy pullets being bred right now and I get 3/4 eggs a day from them. When not penned for breeding they get a little corn scratch and FR 100% of the time. To give a better idea watch them at feeding time. If they eat until the food is gone, or fill up their crop and just lie down that could be an indicator of CX blood. Generally layers will and DP breeds will frolic and forage even if they is feed available. Meat birds will almost ALWAYS stay at a feed source if there is 1 available.
Sorry that the lady sold you, what she probably knew wasn't a layer bird if she did. Honest people are getting harder to find these days, even with poultry involved. I have seen a lot in the few years I have been into poultry. One of the biggest is some people buyin "fry pan specials" and reselling them as pullet chicks. Which is an out right lie because "fry pan" is 99.9% males.

 

[Wilson Chickens]

Thanks for the info 5 acre rooster. Luckily the lady that sold them to me called me the next day after I had called and left a message with her that the 3 she sold me were broilers and if she didn't want them back and give me my money back then I'd take them to the Lawrenceburg swap and sell em to someone who would use them for what they were originally bred for so I could get some baby chicks or laying hens. She called and told me she'd give me my money back and take them back because she didn't want to see the "sweet babies" killed and she was shocked that they were broilers because she supposedly bought them as chicks from Tractor Supply but either way I'm just happy I got my money back and was able to get rid of them.

 

[PotterWatch]

They look like broilers to me. Tractor supply sells broilers all the time, not just layers.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

They look like broilers to me. Tractor supply sells broilers all the time, not just layers.

Most stores around this area do also. They could have been misplaced or in with other birds for warmth. Or just simply been moved for space reasons when their pen was too small for all the CX. Yesterday I was at a F&H store and all their CX were 60-80 cents cheaper. Apparently they are not selling them, since 1 batch appeared at least week old. Beautiful birds, but am at my budget for birds as far as I know this year. Bad part is they had so many they had banties mixed with the smallest of the CX chicks.

 

[PotterWatch]

That woman who doesn't want the "sweet babies" to be killed is going to find them flipped and dead within 2 weeks if she isn't restricting their feed.

 

[Wilson Chickens]

That woman who doesn't want the "sweet babies" to be killed is going to find them flipped and dead within 2 weeks if she isn't restricting their feed.

Unfortunately she isn't restricting their feed because I was over there yesterday looking at a couple adult hens she got from a chicken swap and I glanced over to the smaller pen that she's keeping the CX in along with 4 other chicks that look like they're turning into CX as well but she swears up and down the other 4 are leghorns and from what I could see she just had a pile of food in the middle of the pen with a bowl of water in the corner for them.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Sounds like the lady is a good natured chicken lover that is poorly informed or doesn't want to learn. Has she been doing poultry long do you know?