small cornish

[Brunty_Farms]

It's normal I usually get about 2-5% of those every order. Some just don't get the gene to grow I guess and grow more like a standard white rock. Keep it, if it's a hen it will make a good laying hen. If it's a rooster, treat it like any other rooster however I just process them at 7-9 weeks with the rest of them and they resemble more of a cornish game hen.

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Really? I've only had the one- and it was DEFINITELY a leghorn, not a runt. It laid a white egg every day until my darn dog killed it. (I thought I'd be brave and let them free range during the day, around a beagle/lab that had never been around free range animals, my fault really.)

I mean, sometimes you get the occasional bird that's smaller than the others, but do you really get a couple TINY ones in every batch? Have I just been lucky?

**On a side note- has anyone else noticed that the forum edits certain words out of posts? I just had it happen to the first two words I tried to describe my dog- one being a word that starts with an "fr" and rhymes with "chicken," the other being the stronger word for "darn." Haha, I never knew it did that. Lame. Anyone who is offended by either of those words is probably going to have a rough time on the internet... although maybe that's why my work computer (luckily) doesn't block this site... so I guess I'll stop bit.. oops.. "fussin" about it now.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

I noticed that yesterday as I typed darn twice... and obviously you see where it got me..


On the runts, I may just be the unlucky one... I'm switching hatcheries this year and will see if that makes a difference. But since I've raised them, I've always had runts which never grow. I have some pics that I can show you, just have to dig them up. It's funny because they have the body of the typical broiler just not the body mass.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

I noticed that yesterday as I typed darn twice... and obviously you see where it got me..


On the runts, I may just be the unlucky one... I'm switching hatcheries this year and will see if that makes a difference. But since I've raised them, I've always had runts which never grow. I have some pics that I can show you, just have to dig them up. It's funny because they have the body of the typical broiler just not the body mass.

Here ya go... this is at 6 weeks. This is about a two pound difference and the second picture is of a male that just didn't grow. I usually get two out of every batch of 100, however these guys are the extreme.... two pounds live weight. Normally they are just a pound or two behind.

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

There is a sex linked dwarfism gene and routinely seen in meat type chickens. The breeding companies have not been successful at finding and eliminating it over many years of research.

There is also a situation where there is a genenetic combination (or anomly) that causes growth homones to be bound up but other factors that prevent normal growth.

It is not uncommon to see as many as 2% of the broilers in a flock exhibiting dwarf characteristic at three weeks of age.

They start to die off soon after then because the flock mates outgrow them and the little guys cannot compete in commercial facilities.

In poorly managed facilities (usually feeders to low and dripping nipple drinkers) they can survive longer. They exhibit typical dwarf characteristics as seen in humans and other animals. Often seen are disproportionally larger heads and shorter legs. Spinal deformities are also common.

The occurance of dwarfism is mentioned in books I have as far back as the 1920s. In those days it was a problem observed in nearly all breeds of common large chickens.

I suspect that bantam chickens are not dwarfs but just chickens that do not grow very big. Not at all like short peas and tall peas, ala Mendel. But then I have never heard of a bantam that suffered from dwarfism.

It is Saturday. I am going to have a beer and not think about things I am confused about.

 

[mike67909]

I am definatly keeping it. I threw it in with my other chicks ( I lost one last night it pasted up and I didn't catch it till it was to late). This is the first time raising the X's for me and I am truly amazed at the rate of growth. Thanks again for all the info

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

rustyswoman got some dark cornish that didn't grow like the others . . . wonder if that is where it comes from?