One of my Cornish-X died painfull slow

[Fowl_Odor002]

One of my backyard Cornish cross died this weekend. Painfully slow, I might add.
My birds are 7 weeks old now and I wanted to see at least one 12 week old Cornish cross.
But after what I witnessed, I think it may be better to dispatch them all at the pre-arranged scheduled time rather than running the possibility of having another bird die on me like that.
I use to feel bad about sending them to freezer camp so soon, but now, not so much.
It is the best and most humane thing to do.

The genetics on these birds suck.

 

[Bucky182]

Um don't want to sound bad but you did you let it suffer? Why not dispatch it? Seems kind of cruel to just let it suffer.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

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Great questions!!

 

[Oregon Blues]

I don't think the genetics suck. They have brilliant genetics that perform a very specific task extremely efficiently.

Each species has specific requirements for the raising of it. Cornish Cross are no exception. You raise them like they are Cornish Cross or you might run into some problems.

I raise mine like chickens, but they do have special requirements like a lot more feed and some extra niacin and some extra vigilance about health issues that regular chickens probably won't have. I also think they require more room, although all my birds get tons of space so I don't have any experience with close confinement raising of poultry.

 

[Fowl_Odor002]

Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay :

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Great questions!!

I helped it along on it's journey ASAP. But it was obvious that the bird had been suffering for hours.
Totally did not deserve to die that way.​

 

[Avalon1984]

Don't beat yourself up. Next time you will be able to tell better after what you just experienced.

 

[PotterWatch]

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[EggsForIHOP]

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Ditto...sometimes you get bum chicks of all breeds - we've had a leghorn come with a leg on wompy, and an EE with a cross beak arrived once...not all broilers grow up to be chicken-zilla...things happen

 

[mstricer]

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I've taken Cornish X's till they layed eggs, until I dispatched, NONE of them suffered. They free ranged and got feed Purina Start and Grow (non-med) 12 on 12 off. And they also wanted more, they would travel all over the yard looking for the other feeders. They found the garden and the compost. From each bird I was able to get 5 meals from the breast alone on one bird. (there is only 2 of us) My girls were happy and very talkative, and friendly it was hard to dispatch, but that is what I got them for. The reason they went so long was the weather, way too hot to butcher. I have been raising all my meat birds this way. They eat lots grass, bugs and veggies along with their feed. I have Freedom Rangers now and they will go to the butcher at 11 weeks.
Michele

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

I don't know if you have different strains then we do in Canada, but I have successfully raised hundreds of Cornish X giants until they were about 6 months old. Non of the suffered until around that time.