What type of Broilers are there?

[sarahsunshine]

PHOTOS BELLOW - Post #5


I received some ‘broilers’ from some people who got them from their child’s elementary school class that hatched some chicks. I have no idea what kind they are, but they are white, 7 are roosters, and 5 hens. They are good looking birds, and at 7 weeks only slightly smaller than my White Leghorns.

How do I know what breed they are? What are the options?

I assume they are a Cornish cross of some sort, but don’t know. I do know that they are very active and friendly. I am still so surprised at how friendly they are blame that on the chicken newb!

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

At 7 weeks, CornishX should be at least twice the size of your leghorns. They don't sound like broilers to me if they aren't big already. You might have White Plymouth Rocks.

 

[sarahsunshine]

Hmm... OK. I can tell you that they LOVE to eat and were originally kept wiith a flock of the same aged ISA Browns. I'm told this makes them more active and less heavy... They're getting unlimitted feed now, though and have grown considerably in the last week since we got them.

What are the characteristics of White Plymouth Rocks to a newbie?

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

Here's a picture of one of my CornishX roosters at 6 weeks of age. He weighed about 7 lbs at that time, the other roos were a little bit smaller.


A white rock is not really a meat bird by todays standard, they just don't grow as quickly or get as big. The have normal sized legs and body while a CornishX would have the super thick legs and a round "butter ball" body.

 

[sarahsunshine]

Heres is a fuzzy photo of my 'broilers'



They went crazy for the soaked feed I made for them last night, and ate about twice as much as they have in the past!

 

[sarahsunshine]

Oh, and here's another photo:

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

I'm not sure what they are. They look like they have leghorn in them with the giant combs. They for sure aren't a CornishX or white broiler, the different "brand names" change depending on what hatchery they come from. Those huge combs just keep screaming leghorn to me.

 

[aoxa]

At 7 weeks, CornishX should be at least twice the size of your leghorns. They don't sound like broilers to me if they aren't big already. You might have White Plymouth Rocks.

I'm thinking you are right. White Rocks sounds right.

ETA: Looked at the picture. They look like a cross between a White Rock and a White Leghorn.

Looks too big to be a leghorn at 7 weeks, but type says they have some leghorn in them.

Not Cornish X

 

[sarahsunshine]

Hmmm... well, I'll feed them up good and hope they are tasty! Next year we will get broiler chicks ourselves!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Not very true to type for a true bred Rock, but it is getting very difficult to say with so many strains of "white" layers being concocted by the commercial poultry genetics companies which provide parent stock for the hatcheries. ISA, Hendrix, Hubbard, Tetra, gosh, they all make these white birds. Very likely a hybrid cross strain.

I agree, there is Leghorn blood in them, but very likely they are a Leghorn based layer strain. Do not look to be intended as a broiler to me, but who knows? Maybe they'll fill out more as time goes along.