Meat Bird w/ lots of problems

[PandaGirl]

Hey,
So this is our first time raising meat birds. We were going to do two batches of 15 ( and bc we got them from Murry McMurry we got one free chick with each order). We got our first batch in August and made up our minds to try a home mixed feed which is a 18 % feed and ferment it. We were doing this and they seemed to like it. After about a week one of the chicks was having trouble walking. We though maybe it was sprattled leg and went and got some Poultry drentch which is pretty much vitamins and minerals. It seemed to fix him, but the problem kept happening with a bunch of the chickens. Since it was our first time doing the meat birds we did not catch that they were not growing right either. We put them out in a tractor at four weeks. When we hit about 6 weeks we weight them and they were 1 lb or less. Making this discovery we switched to Nutrena meat bird feed ( 22%) hoping that it would make them grow. We called the hatchery and they said that something was not right and gave us our money back, but they could not figure out what it was because if it had been all the Cornish Cross from that week at the hatchery, they would have been getting 100s of calls. We are at just over 8 weeks and they have grown somewhat, but not as much as they should have. Meanwhile, this leg thing has been going on the entire time( but given time and poultry drench, they do recover) We had to cull one because it got so bad. One that did not seem to have hurt legs, randomly died maybe had a heart attack( when we went out there it had no water, but it could not have been out for that long) We now have a second set of meat birds in the brooder eating a 20 % all flock. We do not have that big of a yard, so we have a freind who is going to take them and put them on her land for us. But the second batch is doing much better and is not having any of these problems. Now, for the questions.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what this leg thing could be?
Do you think that all of these problems stemmed form using a not high enough protein feed( that was also fermented to make it last longer)
Do you think that if we drag them out until they are 2 lb and butcher, would they be safe to eat w/ having all these problems?
Do Cornish Cross die of heart attacks even if they are not gaining that much weight, just from being 8 weeks old
Our free chick who is an egg layer, also seems to be smaller than our egg layers were when they were eight weeks old, but has not had any problems. Do you think when it gets big enough we should put it in with our other layers, or should we not chance it.


In conclusion, should we keep them, or should we cull them?

Thanks!

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Do you think that all of these problems stemmed form using a not high enough protein feed( that was also fermented to make it last longer)

Yes, absolutely. Cornish cross need 22% protein from the beginning. Instead of all-flock, I'd be feeding them game bird feed. I suspect that the leg problems are from the muscles and tendons not developing fast enough. Then as they started to put on weight, the legs are giving out - which then limits their ability to get enough feed, and .... an endless cycle.
*However* you DO have to limit their feed so they don't grow too big too fast or risk heart attacks. I've had chicks with split skin over their backs and hips due to the skin growth not keeping up with muscle growth.

Do you think that if we drag them out until they are 2 lb and butcher, would they be safe to eat w/ having all these problems?

Of course, they are safe to eat. The challenge is going to be dealing with the leg problems until they reach butcher weight. You *might* consider keeping them longer, closer to 6-8 weeks, as long as you're managing the legs okay. I kept two with spraddle leg so severe they could not maneuver around at all, just spin in a circle on their bellies. I kept food and water within reach, rolled up small towels as 'bumpers' to keep them upright and comfortable, cleaned and checked their position several times a day, and butchered when they were about 3-4 pounds each. Man that was hard to do, as I'd been babying them for so long!

Do Cornish Cross die of heart attacks even if they are not gaining that much weight, just from being 8 weeks old

I don't know, but it's possible. I've decided not to raise Cornish Cross anymore, due to the unnatural growth process and early demise. It just seems that they are genetic monsters and don't live a normal life, however short it may be. I can't stand to see them not behaving like normal chickens. Just babies! with such weight to carry around.

Our free chick who is an egg layer, also seems to be smaller than our egg layers were when they were eight weeks old, but has not had any problems. Do you think when it gets big enough we should put it in with our other layers, or should we not chance it.

A single chick has a great deal of trouble integrating with an existing flock, but it's possible. You will have to follow a careful integration protocol and monitor carefully when it's finally released with the flock. A bit of pecking and teaching of manners is normal and healthy, but full-on bloody attacks are not.
My thoughts (but NOT based on any real experience!) are that you might try putting a calm and docile hen, or your rooster, with the chick (6-8 weeks old) in a separate pen. Roosters tend not to bother chicks much, while hens will be cranky aunts who don't want challenge to their pecking order. The rooster IS the top of the pecking order, so he doesn't care. He's more likely to protect the chick than attack it. Let them bond, then put back with the flock. Worth a try maybe?

 

[NatJ]

Do you think that if we drag them out until they are 2 lb and butcher, would they be safe to eat w/ having all these problems?

Safe to eat, yes. And you can eat them at any size (quail-size, Cornish Game Hen size, etc.)

Our free chick who is an egg layer, also seems to be smaller than our egg layers were when they were eight weeks old, but has not had any problems. Do you think when it gets big enough we should put it in with our other layers, or should we not chance it.

Free chicks from McMurray are often males. If it's a male, I would just butcher & eat it too.
If it is a female, yes it could be introduced to your other layers, although I agree with the previous poster that introducing a single chick might be difficult.

In conclusion, should we keep them, or should we cull them?

I would be tempted to just dispatch them all now, even if they are tiny, rather than spending effort and feed on birds that are obviously not growing very well. There are various shortcut methods of butchering that can save time, especially if you are doing small birds-- for example, after killing the chicken, you can just rip off the skin, harvest the leg/thighs and the breast, and you've got most of the meat for very little work.