Meat birds and children

[Alia]

No one's suggested this yet.

Why not allow each child (and yourself) to save one bird? Not every single one will succumb to its genetic predisposition for leg problems. Here's something I found on this very forum:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/g/...e-she-loves-to-sit-in-the/sort/display_order/

Helen looks perfectly healthy.

I imagine the Cornish Broiler's immense size makes it docile. I picture a lap bird, content to sit in your lap and be pet or fed for hours on end. I do worry, though, about roosters. Cornish Rocks have (obviously) some Cornish in them, and that means the males could be slightly predisposed to aggression. Couple that with the size they have at their disposal, and you get something potentially very dangerous to children. So if you have pure cockerels, I say eat them all. If you've got Straight Run and some pullets are included, I don't see anything wrong with taking out the best three, giving them long, happy lives, and having a nice cry as you watch Charlotte's Web with your kids the night after you send the rest to the freezer.

 

[misbhaven]

oh I forgot i picked the two smallest and still looking like hens at 4 weeks, and keep them with some white rocks of the same age for a meat bird project....I like white rocks sooooooo much better..same age still pretty good size compared to heritage birds of the same age...the 2 act like the 5 white rocks..even have all the feathers, when I said nah i have enough projects and tried to put them in with the other meaties they ran away from them to me and cried they really are sweet birds....so i put them back in with the others they even roost like a normal bird...but they all get some meatie food only when my almost 4 yr old helps fill feeders otherwise they are on normal chick starter/grower so they are growing at a much more normal pace ...so there is hope I have even heard of people keeping them and they will lay. Hens are your best bet they are smaller by two weeks combs start coming the reddest are usually the males.