Keeping meat birds alive

[18awesomechickens]

So my aunt got me a box of chicks from stock and field and she got 2 of the majesty marans as well as 2 meat birds, a cornish cross and a broad breasted white turkey. She said the cornish cross is a leghorn but it's not. It's huge.
So how am I supposed to keep these guys alive?
I hear they will collapse under their own weight and I do not plan to kill my birds.

 

[sourland]

Monitored/controlled feed intake and free ranging or space for exercise can extend their life spans, but eventually their genetics will catch up to them. You can give them a better life , but their life span will be shorter than non meat birds.

 

[besorto]

I tried keeping one of my meat birds alive for a while a few years ago. He eventually got too big and could barely keep himself upright, had to take him out so he wouldn't suffer any longer

 

[18awesomechickens]

Monitored/controlled feed intake and free ranging or space for exercise can extend their life spans, but eventually their genetics will catch up to them. You can give them a better life , but their life span will be shorter than non meat birds.

Yeah I knew they wouldn't really have as long lives as my other birds. It will be kind of hard to restrict feed since I have trofts in the hen house filled of egg layer feed. I have a big run so I can make sure to kick them out as much as possible and come summer, they'll have a big area to free range in

 

[sourland]

Given free ad lib access to feed, the Cornish X for sure and probably the turkey will eat themselves to death. It's a sad reality.

 

[18awesomechickens]

Given free ad lib access to feed, the Cornish X for sure and probably the turkey will eat themselves to death. It's a sad reality.

Yeah that's sad, though I'm not sure what I would do now as they are chicks and are on a all flock chick starter that I initially got for my quail but is working for the chicks too. It'll be kind of hard to restrict feed though with all these chicks.

 

[Mtnboomer]

I keep brahmas that are a dual purpose breed. Mine are cycled through and harvested usually before they turn a year. However, i have had hens and roosters exceeding 3yrs in age and they were smaller than the young studs that were actually kept with the flock for breeding. Their processed weights (plucked and gutted with heads removed and legs removed at the knee)were between 6.5-7.5lbs. Our current roo is 3yrs old and at live weight exceeds 11 lbs. He has no mobility issues.
All my adults free range and have free choice access to food 24/7. Maybe im not keeping them long enough to for them to eat themselves to death, but it seems that with plenty of exercise meat birds can survive for several years at least.

 

[Folly's place]

Brahmas, and other dual purpose breeds, are nothing like those pathetic Cornishx meat birds! It's actually kindest, IMO, to process them by eight weeks, or slightly older at most, because they aren't meant to live, or be comfortable, for much longer. Most sit around and eat, because it hurts them to move, and between their heart failure issues, and joint failures, they are miserable. having them on a very restricted diet isn't so nice either, because they are hungry all the time too.
Enjoy your Marans hybrids, get more 'normal' chicks, and let your meat birds go in good time, while they still feel okay.
Mary

 

[18awesomechickens]

Brahmas, and other dual purpose breeds, are nothing like those pathetic Cornishx meat birds! It's actually kindest, IMO, to process them by eight weeks, or slightly older at most, because they aren't meant to live, or be comfortable, for much longer. Most sit around and eat, because it hurts them to move, and between their heart failure issues, and joint failures, they are miserable. having them on a very restricted diet isn't so nice either, because they are hungry all the time too.
Enjoy your Marans hybrids, get more 'normal' chicks, and let your meat birds go in good time, while they still feel okay.
Mary

I don't kill my birds so if their health starts really declining I probably would get them put down. If it were to have been my choice I wouldn't have gotten them but they were gifted to me so there's nothing I can really do.

 

[Bantam BCM]

Slow measured growth by feed restriction, free ranging, probiotics, and fermented grains...and love...got me a happy and healthy 7 month old 25 lb cornish cross named Jack and his 20 lb wife Dianne. Aka the Sumo's. Famous around these here parts.