Keeping Meat Birds past their date

[ChickieBooBoo]

I've seen some people say that they have done this successfully so I decided to try it for myself. I selected the smallest bird from my group of 25, restricted its feed so much that it only got about 1/2 the size of its brothers and sisters. It is now about 5 months old and is suffering from leg problems. He is miserable and suffering, the date is this weekend.

Cornish Giants are not pets!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

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That they are not. But when I let a couple get a little older and free ranged it was so cute to watch them waddle to meet me every time I went outside it was a little tougher to process them.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

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That they are not. But when I let a couple get a little older and free ranged it was so cute to watch them waddle to meet me every time I went outside it was a little tougher to process them.

How long did they live before you butchered them?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Sorry to hear that. My Cornish lived to 4 years old.

 

[BoomChickaRocka]

my grandpa had a couple cornish for the longest time, i cant remember how old they were but they were definitly over two years

 

[becky3086]

I have 3 that I bought this spring that are still going. One rooster and 2 hens.The hens are laying now. They actually go up the ramp and into the nest box to lay. They are in a large pen with 3 red hens and an EE and eat the same thing the red hens do and the rooster mates with them all.

 

[al6517]

The key is restricting the feed at a very young age and you realy have to restrict, offering free range will help excersise them and strenghten their legs and hearts, and will help keep them full without the extra protein.

 

[becky3086]

I never restricted mine's feed but they never had feed all the time. I feed them each morning a couple scoops of laying mash. They have been on laying mash for a while now though, that may have helped. Mine don't free range but they do have a large pen, I don't know the exact size maybe 18' x 20'.

 

[kuntrygirl]

This is what I did that allowed my Cornish to live so long.
1. Do not overfeed.
2. Free range as often as possible (daily if you can). Free ranging also promotes exercise. They have to walk and run to get those juicy bugs.
3. Place feeder several feet away from them, so that they have to walk (exercise) to get their food.
4. Feed healthy snacks (fruits & vegetables)
5. Make sure that their living arrangements are functional for their needs. Some cannot fly on roosts at night. They may have to sleep on the floor.
6. Do not place FEMALES with roosters. Roosters will try to mate with them. Their legs cannot take the extra rooster weight on them and neither can their stress level.


Other people may have other suggestions on what works for them as so many great ideas have been posted already.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

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In the nest box? I can't see mine making it up that far, too fat lol