New to byc!

Date sort Score sort
lityleyella14

lityleyella14

In the Brooder
5 Years
Aug 2, 2014
15
0
24
Sydney
Hi! I have finally signed up after reading and getting tips for a while now!
I have 3 chickens
Henny Penny arrived on our window sil.
After some research I got her a friend,
noodles and they have been great friends since.
Recently a friend found a baby chick on the road and she came to live with me.
She was approx 1 week old. I named her popcorn!
She is now about 11weeks old.
Everything points to her being a girl.
Although this last week she has gotten so big!
Could she be a boy? Or maybe a meat chicken?
Her voice has been changing and she sounds like a duck!
She is now bigger than my other girls.
But when I let them all roam together in the backyard,
When the older girls go near her or peck her she comes running,
Crying to me saying 'mummy mummy, they are getting me!'
I am unsure how to get them to live together.
Popcorn currently sleeps in a cat carrier inside, and a smaller pen outside during the day.
She loves to be near them, with the fence between!
How do I get them to live together?
700

700
 
It looks like a CornishX to me, with those breasts. I have never kept one of my meat birds so I can't really help you if you want to keep her. I can tell you that their growth rate causes severe leg problems and many of them stop walking when they reach above 16 weeks. I am just not sure what kind of quality of life she could have.
sad.png
 
Oh no, really?
She has always made me smile when she just kind of flops down, like she is tired. Like a toddler learning to walk.
She does lye down a lot too. Well compared to my other girls.
By the way, her chest is so dirty because of where she sleeps, which is why I really want her in with the others. I made her a perch, but she prefers flat ground (same for the other girls)
So her sitting a lot is probably because her body is too heavy for her legs, even though they seem quite big, stocky and strong.
What are the signs I should look out for in the upcoming weeks if she is suffering? And what should I do?
She is more of a pet, and I was hoping for her to be a laying hen, the way we have bonded and cuddled, I couldn't use her for a meat chicken for myself
700

From approx 2weeks ago :)
And thank you for the replies
 
Cornish x are meat chickens, they are bred to mature very fast and be processed early. They will literally eat themselves to death if given half a chance. They have such an explosive rate of growth that it overtaxes their organs. They generally will not last long even if they are not intended to be eaten. Sadly they usually die of heart attacks. She may have fallen from a truck in transport. I'm sorry to tell you this but it is what their limited life is like.

Thank to you she has been given a glimpse of life she never would have known.
hugs.gif
 
Now that I can see her sparse feathering and that chest I am 100% sure she is CX

I have heard of people keeping them before but have never seen one older than 14 weeks.

You need to watch for splayed leg, foot issues and I personally would try and free range to insure that she gets lots of exercise. Also in one of the links below it mentions layer feed rather than game bird feed, I would think this is a good idea. You also might try putting out some oyster shell to see if she will take some extra calcium. Keeping her active is probably the key. Good luck
fl.gif


This link I found might help

http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/11/can-you-keep-cornish-x-chickens-as-laying-hens.html

And here is a BYC link that also has some info

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/393508/cornish-cross-egg-laying-questions
 
Omg, here I was just hoping she was a girl and I didn't have to give her away to a farm if she was a boy! (I live in a suburban area)
I guess I will find somewhere that does raise chickens for meat when she starts to suffer?
Wow, I really was not expecting this!
 
She is on layer feed, with extra calcium mixed in (shell grit of some kind?)
The last two weeks she has been in the smaller pen outside because we have had people visiting a lot and didn't want to worry about poo!
I will ditch it today!
 
Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. Popcorn is definitely a Cornish cross. I hate to have to agree, but the other members are right in saying that she likely won't live long. Cornish cross are superfast growing meat birds that are butchered from 8-10 weeks old. Not far past that age, they typically begin to develop all kinds of health problems due to their unnaturally fast growth rate. If you want any chance of extending her life, do not keep food out for her all the time (you have to really limit their food intake), and do not give her treats other than leafy greens. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.
 
Thanks for the links.
Seems she is already past her butchering date at 7weeks!
I haven't raised any from chick before, so have had no comparison for what's normal. And she definitely looks like a cx!
I had thought when she was younger to get her a friend for company, but thought when it was time to introduce them into the chicken yard, my sleeping house may be a little crowded for 4, and 3would be better, even though it is a house for 4-5, I thought they would like more room each!
Comparing my 3, the other two are more dainty, especially the way they walk and run.
Popcorn does eat a lot also. I thought it was due to her being young. And her legs are much further apart compared.
When the older girls peck/get close to her and she runs away, my dog tries to intervene,
And cries and make sure popcorn is ok!

Harsh reality is hitting me!

Should chickens be kept in even/odd numbers?
This has been the best site to learn about my girls, I wish I had signed up straight away!
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom