lifespan?

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cluckmecoop7 said:
That wouldn't be a humane to keep a bird mean't for meat longer then it is supposed to live. If your gonna get one you'll need to butcher it or let it die a painful, terrible death. Is that giving it a good life?

How about you do something to help meat bird factory's treat their birds better if you want to help.

A meat bird is meant for meat. If you want to give it a good life, take good care of it before you butcher it. Then, butcher it humanly.
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of course if it was in pain and couldn’t be helped i’d euthanize it (sorry but i would not butcher any animal) and just because it’s “meant” for meat doesn’t mean it has to be eaten
 
There are rescues that take on birds from the egg industry that are no longer productive. If you’re looking to give some girls a good life in their final years I’d contact a few and see if they have any ladies looking for a new home.

It’s admirable to want to try and give birds bred for extreme growth a decent life, but it would be a short one full of complications so you’ll be setting yourself up for heartbreak.
 
Goosebaby said:
There are rescues that take on birds from the egg industry that are no longer productive. If you’re looking to give some girls a good life in their final years I’d contact a few and see if they have any ladies looking for a new home.

It’s admirable to want to try and give birds bred for extreme growth a decent life, but it would be a short one full of complications so you’ll be setting yourself up for heartbreak.
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i’ve fostered senior cats as well, it’s sad but at least in their last few months they are happy :)
 
Keeping broilers alive for months on end will only make them get worse. They were developed for rapid meat growth, and never expected to live on for any length of time. I have heard of folks who did indeed keep them alive for a few months, and by that time the birds could not or did not even bother to try to walk anymore. Being immobile led to body sores and horrid quality of life, and the max you may ever get out of a broiler "naturally" might still be less than a year before their heart is overwhelmed and gives out. It is noble to try to help them out, I totally get it, but physically they just cannot support themselves as birds were never meant to grow the way meat birds have been "engineered" to do, and thus are sadly doomed to a short existence whether you butcher them or not. I second the helping out retired battery layers, many of those hens have years of life and laying left and good homes for them are always needed.
 
I have let CX go as long as 13 weeks (full disclaimer -- I raise them for meat) and have no doubt that some of them could have gone on for longer. Some people on this forum have kept CXs alive as pets for a year or two. Those that did, had to restrict food access fairly severely, and make sure that they got some regular exercise. It's also imperative that you have a way to keep them cool in the summer, as they are not heat tolerant at all.

Other types of broiler hybrids, like Red Rangers, or Slow White Broilers, are more hardy. I have a few of these birds going strong at 8 months, and I have not had to limit access to food with them. They have proven to be quite good egg layers. If you wanted to "save a broiler" if you will, you might find one of these hybrids a better choice.
 

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