what do I do?

[LabMama]

Hey, this is my first flock of chickens. y hussband surprised me with 6 chicks, cornish rocks, but I have no intention as using them as meat lol. But anywho now I find out I have 5 roosters and 1 hen. Do I leave the hen in their with all of those men lol? Will they make her life miserable? Right now they are still young & still getting their feathers & confined in their coop. Is it ok to let them jut roam freely when there older?

 

[Timmy]

welcome to byc. They should be fine together for now, but here's the thing you can reduce there feed intake so they don't grow as fast, but cornish rocks have one purpose in life and that is to become food for people. As they grow they will develop leg and other problems. I know some people keep them and some have success, but I don't know how long they will live as "pets".

 

[RaspyRoosterFarms]

I think they should be fine, we had 20 roosters and 10 hens and they got along fine, we didnt always have a farm and where we boarded our horses the guy kept cornishes for way too long and they got to a point where they couldnt even walk, so you might need to trade them for some other breed if you don't intend to eat them or have them processed.

 

[Mattemma]

There will be health issues with your cornish rocks if you let them age. I would sell them and get a different breed.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Sorry that your first post answer seems so negative, but they are right. It would be a shame to get so attached to these birds only to be disappointed when they start having problems way too soon. The good thing is, with 5 out of 6 being roos, you would have to have gotten rid of some of them anyway. (I try never to get too attached to my roosters except the one I plan to keep.) Please consider a different breed to keep and love as pets.

They are probably fine together for now, but it won't be long until they know who they are and who she is and it will be rough on your one lone girl.

You will find all kinds of stuff on here discussing to free-range or not to free range... lots of opinions. Me, I free-range... I put everyone out well after dawn and put everyone in before it starts to get dark.... dawn and dusk seem to be prime predator hunting time. You'll have to decide what works for you.

Good luck with future flock...
and...

 

[alcap]

I would suggest sell and get a new breed also

 

[CMV]

I would like to reiterate what everyone is saying. CXs are specifically bred for meat. They are very frail health-wise because they are meant to grow as rapidly as possible with no regard for health or longevity. They grow like weeds, but their internal organs are frequently mush, especially their hearts. They have no tolerance for stress, as a result. These birds are going to break your heart if you get attached to them. They are not built for the long haul. You may be able to keep them alive for a couple years with careful dietary and temperature management, but it will be a lot of work on your part, and even with that extra work they simply may succumb to their bad engineering. They will also destroy the lone female if kept with her once puberty hits. 5:1 ratio is not going to work. You should also consider what 5 roosters are going to sound like in a few months...LOUD.

I would highly recommend selling these birds and getting a nice flock of layers. These should sell easily because there is always a demand for meaties. Sorry to be so negative about this, but I raise a couple batches of meaties each year and I have first hand experience in dealing with them. I have seen the shape they are in by processing time, which is only 9 weeks old. I am always shocked when people can keep them alive for a year or two past that, but usually no longer than that because of their health issues.

Good luck.

 

[bt03]

I'm going to jump in really quick because ya'll just taught me something new... again

Biscuits!! That explains why I have had so many problems with my 4 new cornish!!

I lost 2 very early on and I wondered why the other 2 were eating until they were ready to pop

I restricted their feed and they are doing better but now I know that they will need to be culled soon anyway. DH will be relieved to know it wasnt anything we were doing wrong DD will be sad that the ones that like her aren't going to make it and I'm just upset I didn't learn this sooner. To the OP thanks for asking the question and

And to everyone that answered thanks for answering my question before I even thought to ask it!

 

[trilyn]

Agree with everyone's answer..not to be a wet blanket or a know it all..but this is why its sooo important to do all or as much research as you can before bringing ANY animal home. Please..either sell/trade your cornish..its not fair to them or to you. Good luck!

 

[LabMama]

Thanks everyone for all of your advice. Yes, my husband surprised me with these chicks because he knew I wanted some & he didnt do breed research..I am already so attached but ill have to do whats best for my chickens

. One rooster inparticular I love he follows me all around the yard. Im def. going to have to trade or something. I just hate to imagine someone killing my babies. No wonder they are growing so fast I leave food out there for them fill it up about 2 or 3 times a day & have the scratch out there for them. What is another breed to get?