- Thread starter
- #11
StephanieRose44
Songster
Thank you ! Kurt is 16 weeks same age but obviously a big boy
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
The meat bird is the only rooster. Is he a Cornish X? If so, those need to be processed at 8 weeks, otherwise they will just start having problems.
Well, I've never heard of that actually happening. They aren't meant to live that long. They'll develop leg and heart problems. I think if they are allowed to live longer they will only be miserable.Not necessarily. With the correct care they can live for years.
Well, I've never heard of that actually happening. They aren't meant to live that long. They'll develop leg and heart problems. I think if they are allowed to live longer they will only be miserable.
It would definitely be totally different if you restricted their feed. But they are large birds, and bred to eat a LOT, so if you restrict them, it would be like putting them on a diet, and they are probably hungry all the time.....???If correctly fed "not full feed" from an early age they grow up to be fairly normal birds. The typical health problems associated with CornishX are a combination of breeding, exercise "or lack thereof" and feeding, feeding mostly. Any animal put on full feed will just sit around and eat if given the choice. And therefore develop future health problems associated with lack of exercise and becoming overweight. I've raised several CornishX females that went on to live normal lives. They were actually surprisingly decent layers and some even went broody. And males can live full lives as well. They do tend to be lazy, but they can keep a "normal" weight, no leg problems, and act like any other breed of chickens. They'll live typical happy healthy lifespans if given the chance. It is more work as you have to watch their feed intake, make an effort to keep them active, and keep them cool in extreme heat. But if a person want to put in the effort that's their choice. I don't believe its right to instruct a person to "kill them now" just because they "aren't meant" to live past 8 weeks. This is completely false.