Meet the newest (and most temperary) residents of Frogpond Acres. They are twenty-one Cornish Cross chicks -- the same kind of chicken that is produced in large numbers for sale in grocery stores as "broilers.". They will only be with us a short time (7-8 weeks), as they are destined for the table. We've been thinking about doing this for a long time, and now here we are. I'll admit I'm feeling uneasy, because this particular breed of chicken is a genetic hybrid that is specifically bred for phenomenally fast growth so they can be butchered as early as possible. I've done a lot of reading about the pros and cons of raising them vs some of the older varieties of dual purpose chickens (egg layers/meat). The main concern with this bird is that they grow so quickly that their bodies begin to break down after about 12 weeks of age. This is the part that troubles me.
In the end, Bruce and I decided that we needed to give this a try if we were ever to figure out if this is the way to go. The chicks are bright eyed and seem comfortable and happy. And, yes, they are cute.
So we'll see how it goes. In a few weeks, we'll put them outside in an enclosed run. There, they'll have bugs and vegetation to eat and can do chicken things like scratch in the dirt. The goal is to make their short lives as pleasant as possible.
And on the other end of this, our hope is that we'll have good-tasting, humanly raised chicken for the table.
So we'll see how it goes. In a few weeks, we'll put them outside in an enclosed run. There, they'll have bugs and vegetation to eat and can do chicken things like scratch in the dirt. The goal is to make their short lives as pleasant as possible.
My daughter rescued a crate of chicks that fell off a lorry ,they were destined for a battery chicken farm.The crate had smashed and the cute little chicks were in shock,she raised them for the same purpose as you,but my little granddaughter gave them all names and they became pets.!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your endeavor,just don't give them names.!!!
Carolyn.
I just love a happy ending! Three cheers to your daughter for rescuing the poor things and another three cheer for your granddaughter for naming them.
ReplyDeleteNot much chance of my naming mine -- there's 21 of the plump little things and they all look pretty much identical. :)