worried about my 3 week old chicks.

[chaure]

We recently purchased 10 cornish rock chicks and they have been doing good up until a couple of days ago. They are acting like their feet are sore or something. they'll try to walk, then flop down like their legs won't support them. they are eating and drinking good, but i'm worried that they won't make it. Anyone have any ideas on what's going on? I have buffs,roadreds and bardrocks the same age but they are all fine. Please help.

 

[MeowCluckBark]

how old are they?

 

[MeowCluckBark]

Cornish rocks are meat birds and typically put on more meat than their bones can hold up in the leg. Depending on the age and the conditions they are in this process of weighing down can be shorter or longer.

 

[chaure]

Should I cut back on their feed?

 

[MeowCluckBark]

I don't know, I'd look at the Meat Bird section of the forum for some tips. I don't raise them, but my friend is a softy and got one in her batch by mistake when she went to pick up Light Brahmas. Someone had ordered the Cornish Rocks and they look just like Brahma chicks but without feathers on the feet. She is trying to keep her healthy but at 1 week she's huge!!!! She is definitely weighty compared so the other birds. They are usually raised to 8 weeks when they are butchered. If they are not butchered they usually don't make it much longer on their own. Their legs will give out and no longer hold their weight.

 

[Wildflower_VA]

You need to cut back on feed if you plan for them to live longer than 6 to 8 weeks. They are bred to be butchered at that age and they gain weight so fast their legs can't hold them up.

 

[chaure]

Well that's just our luck. We were wanting egg layers, so I guess we should have researched cornish rocks more before we purchased them.