Keeping runt meat chickens for pets.

TheBack40Butcher

In the Brooder
Jul 20, 2021
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I have a three Cornish x in great shape, and I want to keep them around. We're at week eleven and I'm about to change their feed to layer pellets, but the bag says feed at 19 weeks. Is it ok to gradually switch from meat builder to layer feed now? These birds never did eat much and were the runts of the flock.
 

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I have a three Cornish x in great shape, and I want to keep them around. We're at week eleven and I'm about to change their feed to layer pellets, but the bag says feed at 19 weeks. Is it ok to gradually switch from meat builder to layer feed now? These birds never did eat much and were the runts of the flock.

No chicken should be given layer feed unless it's a hen that is actively laying. The excess calcium is bad for their systems. :)

I'll have to defer to others in re: the specifics on feeding meaties kept as pets. There's a thread in the Meat Birds section you could look at.
 
I have a three Cornish x in great shape, and I want to keep them around. We're at week eleven and I'm about to change their feed to layer pellets, but the bag says feed at 19 weeks. Is it ok to gradually switch from meat builder to layer feed now? These birds never did eat much and were the runts of the flock.
Wondering why you want to keep meat chickens this long?
 
No chicken should be given layer feed unless it's a hen that is actively laying. The excess calcium is bad for their systems. :)

I'll have to defer to others in re: the specifics on feeding meaties kept as pets. There's a thread in the Meat Birds section you could look

Wondering why you want to keep meat chickens this long?
My two yr old and I, like the chickens... I killed everything else.. Their friendly, crow all the time, and we simply love them.. I planned on killing the last three at 12 weeks because of their slow growth, but now Id like to make them pets.
 
No chicken should be given layer feed unless it's a hen that is actively laying. The excess calcium is bad for their systems. :)

I'll have to defer to others in re: the specifics on feeding meaties kept as pets. There's a thread in the Meat Birds section you could look at.
I have 50lbs of medicated starter/grower for laying chickens and less than 10lbs of meat builder, and I can't get to the feed store till next Tuesday. Starter/grower Bag says feed chickens till 14 weeks. Will that work? I read a little about layer feed being ok for roosters and hens. So I bought 100lbs today thinking less protein would help slow them down even more. lol didn't read about age limit.. You may have saved my chickens 😁
 
I have 50lbs of medicated starter/grower for laying chickens and less than 10lbs of meat builder, and I can't get to the feed store till next Tuesday. Starter/grower Bag says feed chickens till 14 weeks. Will that work? I read a little about layer feed being ok for roosters and hens. So I bought 100lbs today thinking less protein would help slow them down even more. lol didn't read about age limit.. You may have saved my chickens 😁

Starter/grower isn't layer feed. Layer is the stuff for adult hens that contains extra calcium for their egg shells.

I've never read this thread, but it should be useful to you: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...few-meat-birds-as-pets.1449592/#post-24117570
 
Starter/grower isn't layer feed. Layer is the stuff for adult hens that contains extra calcium for their egg shells.

I've never read this thread, but it should be useful to you: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...few-meat-birds-as-pets.1449592/#post-24117570
I bought 100lbs of Layer feed lol, however, I do have 50lbs of starter/grower.. when I run out of meat builder, the starter/grower should be alright till I can get to the feed store.. right? When the hen is 18weeks I'll switch over to the layer feed I picked up today. Also, I think Cornish X lay alot earlier than other chickens. We'll see.


Thanks for the link.
 

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