When Do Chickens Stop Growing?

[corliss]

Last night we went to the local fair and looked at all the different poultry on display. We have six different breeds of hens at home who are about 6 months old and the same breeds at the fair were much larger. I don't have bantam chickens, they have been fed normally and lay well, but their size was nothing like the fair chickens. Will my chickens keep growing until they are a year old or are they the size they're going to be forever? And is it because they came from a feed store who sells hatchery chickens versus buying from a breeder?

 

[gryeyes]

A little bit of both. At six months, they have more "bulk" to put on, more growing to do.

Breeders often have massive birds (and I mean that in a positive sense) because they do have the best of the breed(s). On the other hand, some hatchery birds can surprise ya - my RIR and Welsummer are BIG birds, as is my BO. So is my EE rooster...

 

[drumstick diva]

Does it mean in a show sense, that all things being equal the largest birds will be the winners? I know the opposite is probably true for seramas but thats a whole different ball of wax.

 

[nnbreeder]

Those that show have a set of standards that they breed to. Those birds are very carefully selecteted for body type, color and temperment to reflect what is called for in the breed standard.

As far as growth rates it seems that the bantams do mature faster then the large fowl do and it varies by breed too. The Cornish cross meat birds have been bred to grow fast while the breeds like the O-Shamo and Malay will take up to three years to reach their full potential.

 

[nnbreeder]

Quote:
I have seen "too large" or "too small" written on the coop cards at shows.