Letting my broody raise 20 meaties. Now I have a rooster raising 50 CX chicks~new batch!

[Chicken411]

That's great. One big happy family, they look so healthy.

 

[acid_chipmunk]

I love that they are almost as big as their "Momma" already! So cute!

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

We are doing this any day now! I have three broodies at the moment that will be ready for taking in chicks.

 

[Beekissed]

It's the best idea I've tried yet and it has worked out great. I plan to use the same hen while she is still in "mommy" mode and let her brood the layer chicks I am getting in June. By then these babies won't need her anymore and I'm hoping she is still willing to adopt.

I'll probably just sneak her out of the coop in the middle of the night and stick her in the broody pen, slip the babies under her and watch to see if she will take them the next morning.

 

[chicks4kids]

They look very nice for 20 days old! Healthier in a way that they're not wobbly, close to the ground looking like most cornish x. Interesting. I definitely see a difference in their appearance....I wonder what the difference will be in their flavor and texture.

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Quote:
We know from prior experience of free ranging cornishx, that the taste and overall health is very different from penned and fed only grain.
Adding in the factor of a broody will also make for a more even tempered bird. They have a mother who is shoing htem how to eat, rather then them relying on gorging on huge amounts of feed all the time.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm hoping all the exercise won't make for a tougher bird, but I'm sure the flavor will be improved from the more varied diet. They will certainly be on a healthier growth pattern, which can only be good.

I've always been a little puzzled over the folks who raise these CX, pen them up and feed them free choice formulated feeds, sometimes medicated. How is that much different from how they are raised commercially? If you use the same methods, use the high protein feeds and they have organ failure, die of overheating, sustain broken legs and wear all the feathers off their breast from not being able to get off the ground....how is that different than commercial meat? I'm not sure I'll ever understand that.

If this is a success story, I will probably do this each year at broody time!

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
I can see how raising the meaties in pasture pens is an improovement over the lives of those fed out in total confinement on automated systems ; and I'm sure most people are doing their best not to loose their meaties by the casualities you mentioned whether its commercial " chicken factory " buildings or pasture pens . It's really great to see you raising them with a broody ; and good evidence they are not the frankenchicken some make them out to be . Its also a blessing you have a great broody ; not everyone will be able to find one that good at her job , nor be always able to co-ordinate the broody's schedule with the availability of the CX chicks .

 

[Beekissed]

But they could attempt to range them in tractors or not provide free choice feeding so that the birds can develop normal growth patterns instead of the horror stories I've heard on here of chickens lying next to feeders, too big to stand, breaking their legs when they attempt to walk and wearing sores on their breast bones.

Even if I had not had a broody, those meaties would not be penned and fed like fattening a hog for slaughter. I know that the whole point of raising meaties is to butcher them in a short amount of time, but to sacrifice quality to produce something quickly is more of a commercial mode of thinking. One I'm not inclined to think is a healthy choice.

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

I have an extremely grumpy broody turkey who failed to hatch her own eggs and have 10 CX coming on May 19th, would this work for her besides the inherent risk of putting chicks and turkeys together? Or am I setting myself up for dead CX's? Any thoughts would be appreciated!