Leghorn? Nope. White Orpington? Nope.
She's a Cornish cross broiler! She was one of the broilers I got in June to raise for my sister. When it came time to process them, she was a little small and I wanted to keep her for a few more weeks until she grew a bit. Well, a few more weeks came and went and I decided to keep her because she fit right in with the layer flock.
She's now extremely large (and very heavy) and no longer roosts at night with the other birds, she lays on the straw beneath the roosts.
Yesterday I bedded the sheep shelter with fresh straw and she decided she needed to lay an egg in the new straw. I plopped right down in the shelter and relaxed a bit with the sheep and waited. I took a little rest and just listened to the sheep and June munch away on the straw (I know, they love to eat some of the straw when I first put it out). Finally, after about 20 minutes she got off her nest.
And this is what I found. I know a lot of people hate Cornish Cross chickens, because they say they're Frankenchickens and can't live past 8 weeks. Well, that may be true in some cases, but not in all. If Cornish crosses are allowed to free range from the beginning and fed a little more sparingly (instead of 24/7) they can live a much longer life than 8 weeks.
Maybe I should name her. Any suggestions?
6 comments:
WOW! Beautiful egg! She sure is proof that it's all in how you raise that breed, isn't she?
Hmmm... a name... Bertha? Miss Piggy? Lucky? hehe
All I can think of is "Lucky"!
very cool! She sounds like a keeper to me.
Awww... how sweet, lucky girl.
The longest I have heard of one living was about a year. Yours must be really happy with the life you are giving her.
~~Matt~~
How wonderful she laid that egg! I wish I could think of an awesome name that meant a second life! You could name her Bertha Breast??? he he Love you, Momma
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