rock cornish hens?

[patandchickens]

I read this for curiosity and I must ask. Are these birds really as "gross", "nasty" and "lazy" as you guys are saying or is there just a bit of exageration to it?

That is what I wondered too, before I got my first batch.

There is no exaggeration in it, and it is NOT just a matter of how you keep them.

They really just ARE genetically-destined to be the 800-lb guy that has to have a hole cut in his house wall so a team of ten paramedics can remove him with a hoist.

Yes, they do have the normal instincts of chickens to play (in a sumo-like way, when they are still young and small enough) and enjoy poking around for food and sitting in the sun and all that -- but they also have this insurmountable instinct to EAT.

And all that eating translates into a SCARY amount of really scary-smelling pooping.

If they are raised with room to wander around and be chickens, as much as their bodies permit, they aren't horribly bad IMO, but they really are an *entirely* different kettle o' fish than 'real' chickens.

JMHO,

Pat

 

[big brown horse]

I read this for curiosity and I must ask. Are these birds really as "gross", "nasty" and "lazy" as you guys are saying or is there just a bit of exageration to it?

That is what I wondered too, before I got my first batch.

There is no exaggeration in it, and it is NOT just a matter of how you keep them.

They really just ARE genetically-destined to be the 800-lb guy that has to have a hole cut in his house wall so a team of ten paramedics can remove him with a hoist.

Yes, they do have the normal instincts of chickens to play (in a sumo-like way, when they are still young and small enough) and enjoy poking around for food and sitting in the sun and all that -- but they also have this insurmountable instinct to EAT.

And all that eating translates into a SCARY amount of really scary-smelling pooping.

If they are raised with room to wander around and be chickens, as much as their bodies permit, they aren't horribly bad IMO, but they really are an *entirely* different kettle o' fish than 'real' chickens.

JMHO,

Pat

 

[Farmfresh]

You haven't lived until you have seen a big old PILE of half bald grossly obese chicks sleeping off a big eating session. I swear it looks like something alien! Their ruddy bodies all piled up and breathing that deep breathing of tired babies with a few feathers here and there in the mix.

You see growing feathers takes away from growing meat, so these birds seem to be especially slow to feather out.

Since all they do is eat, drink and rest, I try to keep their food and water at opposite ends of the pen to encourage movement. Unless you hang the feeders up high they well actually lay down to eat.

Since they really don't care about much of anything they usually do not dig or scratch their litter at all which means you get a layer of poop, like a crust in just a day or so. Since this is the case you should either fluff it up to help keep it dry a few times a day or add a new layer of bedding to keep them out of the ammonia and filth or they will get breast blisters and hock burns.

 

[Aidenbaby]

I definitely should not have read the last response while eating dinner. I don't think I'll ever get these as meats birds. While I know they were strictly bred this way because we demanded that they produce so much so fast, I hate that it had to come at the cost of losing so much of their normal chicken-ness. If I get birds to raise for meat in the future, I'll probably stick with a more dual purpose breed.

 

[big brown horse]

They sound just awful, don't they???

 

[Wolf-Kim]

They do sound aweful, but most people use it as a good thing come slaughter day. You're so tired of taking care of them, you're ready to say goodbye and send them on their way to freezer camp.

As a friend of mine once said "You'll be so sick of those things, you'll be looking forward to the day you can kill them."

 

[Farmfresh]

Actually the SAME hatchery (Welps) also sells a Cornish Rock slow grower.

Probably the best of both worlds. They gain weight and meat far faster than a duel purpose bird, but still retain a lot of "chicken-ness". I even kept a hen from this strain for several years and she was even a really good layer as well. The main problem with any big old bird is that they overheat very easily.