meat bird ????

[keekeemama33]

i recently moved to a hobby farm and have a bought a few chicks just to raise for fun(2 cochins, a wydnotte, an aracauna, 3 guineas and a royal palm turkey) i found an ad for a free chick that was only a couple days old on craigs list, i recently was told that it is a meat bird and that it will die because it will get so big that its legs will break, is this true? i love this chicken, of all of them she is the sweetest and loves to sit on my lap and get petted, is there anything i can do ? put her on a diet?

 

[Nuggetsowner:)]

I have 5 meat chickens (Cornish Cross) that are great pets!! Mine are 13 months old and still doing great. The are fed twice a day and allowed to free range for bugs, greens, etc. They really are fabulous birds. Very friendly and my boys love them!!

 

[Miltonchix]

If its one of the breeds bred for meat only such as a cornish cross, they grow very fast and expire fast.
They are for meat. BUT, they are supposed to be some of the best meat you can raise. If butchering a chicken is repulsive to you, as it is to many, put it back on craigslist and at least let it serve the purpose it was intended for.
BTW, their legs don't necessarilly break, but they become too heavy to support their own weight.

 

[keekeemama33]

i want to keep her and see what happens, she is so cute!!!!

 

[Miltonchix]

keekee,
If you want a docile egg producing machine I reccomend Red Stars. They are a sex link bird.
I have a couple and they are sweet hearts. They are tame, love to be picked up and carried. They have personality PLUS!! And the best thing about them........eggs!! They have each missed only one day laying since they started back in Oct. And they are bug killing machines too. I had a grasshopper problem a cuple months ago, before I started letting them out to forage every day. Now I can't find a grasshopper anywhere on my 5 acres.

 

[Nuggetsowner:)]

Just thought I would share these to reassure you. These are pic of my VERY HEALTHY and VERY HAPPY cornish cross. Like I said they are over a year old and all seem to be leading a very good life!! You do not have to cull them or give them away. They can make great chicken pets!!

 

[Miltonchix]

Nuggets,
I find that very interesting. I haven't raised any yet but have an order for them for Nov. Everything I've read and research I've done on them is contrary to what you have proven in photos.

They look perfectly healthy to me. They ar big breasted. I think though you may be the exception to the rule. A lot of people have trouble even getting them to survive long enough to butcher.

 

[hooligan]

Oh on, another topic I get to praise 'broiler' chickens on!
I had, at one time 10 broiler birds, all of which were rescued from trucks when going to slaughter so mine were at weight for kill and while several expired in the first few months and many illnesses plauged them, for the longest we had 4 roos-Bob, Himmler, Cheeto and Potpie and one girl Bridgette (found her on a bridge). Potpie became paralysed a few months ago and we had the vet euthanize him and the other three just passed away on Monday (due to excessive heat) but we still have our Bridgette.
I have made a Yahoo group for Cornish X pet owners with lots of info, please join!
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/fallenchickens/

And if you have any questions please let me know, I will do my best to help you and thank you so much for taking this chickie in!!!


Nugget, I love your pix! Most of the pix I took of mine they are all eating lol I have more of Bob than anyone else bc he hung out inside the house alot

 

[coffeelady3]

I think the secret to raising more 'long-lived' meat birds is to limit their feed. If given the option, they will eat whatever they can, all day long. They still probably wont live as long as other breeds though...

 

[hooligan]

Also you need to feed them layer feed to give their skeletons more of a chance to get strong and grow before they start putting on weight. The less protein is a good thing too bc they don't fatten up so fast. Basically everything that ppl who raise meat birds to eat is NOT good when you have one you want to keep as a healthy pet as they want them to grow big fast and thats just not good for them in the long run.