Meat chicks

[GreenChic]

I have a total of 9 chicks 2 weeks old today. 3 yellow ones are way bigger than the others and we found out they are meat chickens and they will have to be killed in 11 weeks. The biggest one is a meat chick and the only one the kids have named I can't bear to kill it. If there is any way to raise them without killing them I would like some help with that I just can't do it.

 

[backyardmenagerie]

If you are unwilling to butcher the chicks, give them to someone else. Yes, there are those that keep them as pets, but they have to be kept on a reduced diet, and they will likely die young - spontaneous death, heart attacks, and leg issues are common. They simply were not bred to live longer than 8 to 12 weeks. There is also no benefit in keeping the chick longer than that. You may have a rooster, which would be useless to your flock, since it would be too large to breed naturally, and may be so big that it hurts your hens. It would also be too large and slow to be effective as a protector. If you have a hen, they will lay very few eggs.
The chicks were bred to grow fast and be butchered young. It would most likely have a diminished quality of life being kept as a pet. There will be those that say you can keep it, if you restrict it's food. Try it if you must, but be prepared for extra management and possible death. Sorry.

ETA: if you do decide to butcher, you don't want to keep them for another 11 weeks. They'll need to be processed at 8 weeks old. Not only is it better for their health, as they'll start having serious weight related issues after 8 weeks, but they'll also eat you out of house and home. I have 10 meat birds right now that are almost 8 weeks old, and they went through 50 lbs of feed in the last 5 days.
I know it can be hard to detach emotionally - I love all my animals, and raising meat birds was not a decision I made lightly. I have been a vegetarian for 4 years! You can find a butcher that can process them for you, so you don't have to do it yourself. And they will be the healthiest meat you can provide for your family.

 

[galanie]

I am so sorry for your dilemma

You could offer them on craigslist for $5 each and someone else will do the deed. Just tell the kids they are going to a nice new home since you can't keep them, and warn prospective buyers not to mention if they will be butchering them or not.

 

[Anianna]

Kids will respond more to your own response than the issue of eating a named chicken, in my experience. We ate our named buck rabbit when we discovered he couldn't produce. When the kids asked about it, we responded in matter-of-fact terms and explained the situation honestly. My kids (they were 9, 8, 7 and 5 at the time) had no problem with it, other than being naturally a little sad to see him go, and even helped with the processing. I think it helps that we point out the purpose of our animals right from the start. They knew what the rabbits were for, even if we never intended to eat our breeding stock. They know our chickens are primarily layers, but if we have too many roos, they will be dinner. We are kind and take care of our animals and do our best to be respectful to them at slaughter, killing them as humanely as possible. All of this quickly became second nature to our children, even though it was never second nature to me and my husband. We love and respect our critters, but our kids know right from the start that they are livestock, even if we play with them and name them. I think these are healthy lessons for kids to learn. I am very proud of my kids for how well they handle these lessons and have a healthy respect for our animals.

I'm sorry you have to struggle with this. We struggled with having to slaughter our buck, too. If you just can't do it, there are those who prefer a fresh meat chicken without having to have raised it from a chick, so you can probably sell it, like others have mentioned already. Best wishes to you.

 

[gritsar]

Keeping in mind that they probably won't live to a ripe old age, you can raise them. They don't have to be killed at 11 weeks. They require special care and a closely monitored diet. You have to keep stressors to a minimum.

Get them out free ranging for most of the day, without acess to their food, as soon as possible. Only allow them a little food early in the morning and again a small amount at night. Fresh water at all times. Their bodies outgrow their internal organs quickly, so they don't handle stress well, including the stress of temperature extremes. I lost 4 eight month old commercial cornish crosses over the winter when our temps. dropped into the teens.

Just love them for as long as they live. I for one will never fault you for not being willing to butcher them. PM me if you need any more help.

Though they have all since passed, here's some pics of what your baby will grow up to look like:

Mercy, my CX that went broody:

Ollie, he was 18 lbs. when a heart attack claimed him at 8 months old: