Topic of the Week - How long do chickens live?

[Kusanar]

I'm reading a thread now from the beginning, the posts I'm reading are from around April 2015, so I don't know about now, but at that point, there were 4 people on the thread that had CX that were very close to one year old and healthy (one CX per person). What they did is feed 2 times a day, and only let them have food for 10-15 minutes before removing it, also, they free ranged them to encourage movement. They ran, jumped, one attempted to fly sometimes, and estimated weights were around 20 pounds and the size of a heritage turkey hen. These birds are the exception more than the rule, but it can be done to get them to laying age and rather large without health issues.

Thank you - I would like to try and raise a big CCX rooster that we could have along with a heritage BR turkey Tom for Thanksgiving. My wife and I have riased 11 kids, most of them are married and I have 6 grand kids, #7 on the way plus we also have the inlaws in for both Thanksgiving and Christmas so you can just imagine its quite the house full of hungry mouth's to feed. Lot of work but i wouldn't have it anyother way - I love my family.

I would recommend from reading what others did, they started with a bunch about 25, processed the big ones at 9-10 weeks (like normal) and kept the smallest to grow out, one guy processed some of those smaller ones later (don't remember how old) and they processed out at 10-12 pounds each, they ate one for thanksgiving since it was fully as large as the Turkey they would have bought.

 

[tampachick]

The likelihood of a large CCX living much past 6 months without some ailment like large internal organs, heavy muscular growth on weak skeletal structure, cracked/splintered leg bones, or some other malady prone to CCX is slim.  CCX have been engineered/crossed to be processed by 8 to 10 weeks -- they are large heavy meaty juveniles.  They are difficult to keep alive even as chicks.  My friend experimented with a dozen CCX chicks and they are so lethargic and heavy that they are easily picked off/killed by crows through coop wire.  Some CCX are so lethargic/heavy they can't walk 10 steps to get to their waterer and die from thirst.  The Self-Sufficient HomeAcre site says they processed some CCX but one pullet was too small so they allowed her some extra time to grow out.  Well, she never grew grotesque like her CCX flockmates and stayed relatively small, lived a comfortable physical health, and turned out to be one of their best egg layers -- but she was a rare exception.  CCX even on a limited diet to prevent fast muscle growth on slow-growing skeletal bones, it's still an iffy endeavor to get them to make it to 6 months without some physical debilitation.  That doesn't mean you shouldn't try if you wanted to allow CCX to live past 8 or 10 weeks to see how much meatier they get but without a restricted diet regimen to slow their fast growth or without plenty of grazing grass in a chicken tractor it's difficult to keep them healthy after they develop that wide grotesque body of theirs.  Another thing to consider about CCX is that the younger they are butchered the less tasty their meat.  My friend had to brine her processed CCX for 24 hours prior to cooking to give the flesh any kind of flavor.  The restaurant, fast-food industry, and supermarket chickens are 95% CCX.  Think about restaurants or fast-food chicken dishes that are so highly seasoned, sauced, or breaded, just to give the chicken meat any kind of flavor.

 

[tampachick]

That's very sad that these birds, although large, sound to be so fragile and potentially sickly. My hat is off to those that are brave enough to raise them. I don't know that I would be able to handle the possible downside myself.

 

[Kusanar]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...at-birds-and-super-excited/2100#post_14926443

If it doesn't go there automatically, post 2128 is a picture of Pearl, she is very wide, but not having health issues, a few posts before that is a mature rooster flairing at another through a fence, his butt is bald from being plucked by another roo before he was separated.

 

[crealbilly]

That's very sad that these birds, although large, sound to be so fragile and potentially sickly. My hat is off to those that are brave enough to raise them. I don't know that I would be able to handle the possible downside myself.

I raised 2 batches this year the first batch was in early spring and it was 13 roosters, i lost two to piling (think of the game dog pile ypu played as a kid) but they do it to keep warm at night, usally the ones on the bottom dont make it. I even had a heat lamp out for them but that night for what ever reason they decided to pile in a corner of the fenced in yard.

The second early summer batch went beter started with 15 hens anf 5 roos, 9 weeks later we processed them all with no health issues.

1 feed mine 21% meatbird 12 hours on 12 hours off. I also added 1 capful of organic (Bragga) ACV per gallon of water.

?My largest roo was 6lbs 8oz dressed all the other roos were between 5lbs 4 oz and 6 lbs. Largest hen waa 5 lbs 8 oz the rest of the hens were between 4 lbs 4 oz and 5 lbs all dressed. I raised both batches for 9 weeks then processed them. CCX Roos are better tasting and we use them as briolers, the hens are not as tasty so we roll them in seasoned flour and fry them.

Either way its a quick way to raise meat in a hurry.

Ill be doing some more next year again for sure since we will be out of chicken in the deep freezer by then.

 

[tampachick]

I raised 2 batches thia year the first batch was 13 roosters, i lost two to piling (think of the game dog pile ypu played as a kid) but they do it to keep warm at night, usally the ones on the bottom dont make it. I even had a heat lamp out for them but that night for what ever reason they decided to pile in a corner of there yard.

The second batch went beter started with 20, 9 weeks later we processed them all qith no health issues.

1 feed mine 21% meatbird 12 hours on 12 hours off. I also added 1 capful of organic (Bragga) ACV per gallon of water. My largest roo was 6lbs 8oz dressed all the other roos were between 5lbs 4 oz and 6 lbs. Largest hen way 5 lbs 8 oz the rest were between 4 lbs 4 oz and 5 lbs. I raised both batches for 9 weeks then processed them. CCX Roos are better tasting and we use them as briolers, the hens are not as tasty so we roll them in seasoned flour and fry them.

Either way its a quick way to raise meat in a hurty.

 

[tampachick]

I raised 2 batches this year the first batch was in early spring and it was 13 roosters, i lost two to piling (think of the game dog pile ypu played as a kid) but they do it to keep warm at night, usally the ones on the bottom dont make it. I even had a heat lamp out for them but that night for what ever reason they decided to pile in a corner of the fenced in yard.

The second early summer batch went beter started with 15 hens anf 5 roos, 9 weeks later we processed them all with no health issues.

1 feed mine 21% meatbird 12 hours on 12 hours off. I also added 1 capful of organic (Bragga) ACV per gallon of water.

?My largest roo was 6lbs 8oz dressed all the other roos were between 5lbs 4 oz and 6 lbs. Largest hen waa 5 lbs 8 oz the rest of the hens were between 4 lbs 4 oz and 5 lbs all dressed. I raised both batches for 9 weeks then processed them. CCX Roos are better tasting and we use them as briolers, the hens are not as tasty so we roll them in seasoned flour and fry them.

Either way its a quick way to raise meat in a hurry.

Ill be doing some more next year again for sure since we will be out of chicken in the deep freezer by th

Insomnia is obviously getting the best of me, as I quoted your post and then hit reply without saying anything. Do over. It sounds as if you are having much better luck than the average bear with your hens and roos. I personally only have hens for pets and for the eggs, but understand that we all raise chickens for different reasons. I hope that you continue with your batting average with the CCX(es). I've heard of piling, and that sounds horrible to have to find.

Best of luck to you! Karen



My girls are my source of entertainment and therapy. Eggs are an added bonus and I don't eat my pets!

1 24-year old son, 1 future daughter (in-law), 1 rescue dog, 4 rescue cats, 2 Rhode Island Reds, 1 Ameracauna, 2 chick/teen Black Jersey Giants (and a partridge in a pear tree!).

Tampachick's Girls
(14 photos)

 

[crealbilly]

Insomnia is obviously getting the best of me, as I quoted your post and then hit reply without saying anything. Do over. It sounds as if you are having much better luck than the average bear with your hens and roos. I personally only have hens for pets and for the eggs, but understand that we all raise chickens for different reasons. I hope that you continue with your batting average with the CCX(es). I've heard of piling, and that sounds horrible to have to find. Best of luck to you! Karen My girls are my source of entertainment and therapy. Eggs are an added bonus and I don't eat my pets! 1 24-year old son, 1 future daughter (in-law), 1 rescue dog, 4 rescue cats, 2 Rhode Island Reds, 1 Ameracauna, 2 chick/teen Black Jersey Giants (and a partridge in a pear tree!). Tampachick's Girls (14 photos)

What started out as 12 RIR hens for eggs has turned into much more. I now have 16 RIR hens and 1 RIR Roo, plus 1 RIR hen and two lil chicks she hatched, 17 BO hens and 2 BO roos, 2 Burbon Red turkey hens and 2 Toms. This year I also raised 2 batches of Jumbo CCX for meat. I try and not name any of my chickens because I know eventually the will become table fare and the reason why i go with heritage dual purpose breeds. I have however named a Turkey Tom Thanksgiving I would like to eventually get to the point where its all self sustainable where hens brood their chicks for the next years eggs and i can process this years flock for meat. I must admit though i like raising turkeys much more than chickens. so next year along with Burbon Reds im going to expand in to a couple more heritage turkey breeds and a new 25' x 50' partitioned fenced in turkey yard. One breed will definitely be Narragansetts but im still deciding on the second breed. Turkeys are so fun to have around they a big on personality and dont pratice scorched earth policy like chickens do.

 

[crealbilly]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...at-birds-and-super-excited/2100#post_14926443

If it doesn't go there automatically, post 2128 is a picture of Pearl, she is very wide, but not having health issues, a few posts before that is a mature rooster flairing at another through a fence, his butt is bald from being plucked by another roo before he was separated.

Thank You again... my experience only, but raising CCX is completely differnt than dual purpose layers. I need to think about how i can come up with some kind of automatic feeder where i can set a timer to open it up and close it. I had both batches of CCX on 12 hours on 12 hours off 21% feeding schedule. They would line up at the fence in the morning making a fuss when they would see me acting like they hadn't eaten for days. They are ALWAYS hungry - i called them pigs with wings

CCX Roos make for great broilers

 

[Sylvester017]

That's very sad that these birds, although large, sound to be so fragile and potentially sickly. My hat is off to those that are brave enough to raise them. I don't know that I would be able to handle the possible downside myself.

It does seem a little inhumane to even engineer such a fragile crossbreed but in the 1950's there was an industry race to find the best chicken hybrid to use for supermarkets and restaurants because the known meat breeds grew too slow to keep prices down. A chicken was needed that would grow fast and process young hence requiring less time to rear and feed them keeping costs down. In the food industry's haste to reward the winning engineers they forgot to take the juvenile CCX bland taste into consideration. As for humane animal care, it was unknown by the public how fragile the young skeletal structure was to hold the weight of the fast-growing muscles/organs of the CCX. There's a bit of suffering going on as the juveniles grow as my friend found out from her experiment of raising a dozen. She lost half before processing day and had to go back to the breeder to get more juveniles to get her full dozen processed birds at the end of 9 weeks. She said the average processed carcass came to 5 pounds including giblets, neck, and feet. She said it was alarming watching how fast the chicks were growing. I'm not against processing chickens for the dinner table as my folks did it all the time on the farm but they used the Leghorn cockerels or older hens. They were smaller birds but had flavor. The younger were roasted, the older tougher birds were used for stews and soups. A sick bird was never used for the table. Campbell's company came around in the '50's to bid for ranchers' and my uncle's chicken carcasses that died in a severe heatwave. Principles alone kept him from selling dead birds to the soup company. I hope industry standards have improved since then because I haven't bought a meat soup off the supermarket shelf after that experience. We aren't vegetarians but we haven't bought beef or chicken from the supermarket in decades. It took decades of educating the public before non-GMO and organic foods started being offered as a choice in supermarkets and restaurants and it may take more public awareness before the plight of inhumane treatment of poultry is denounced. The poultry industries are getting better but many practices are still not quite there -- especially the raising of fragile CCX hybrids.