Anyone heard of a breed "designed" to only live 4-5 months?

[dragonladyleanne]

I had the strangest chat today at a livestock swap. A lady asked if I dispatched my rabbits myself, and at what age; I confessed that so far, I have only dispatched 2, due to infected injuries that didn't heal, but that most people did it at 12-16 weeks if they weren't potential breeders. She then said she had never been able to do it herself in the past, but now she thought she could because she'd bought some "broilers". At first I thought she just meant they were broiling size, but she said they were a breed that would sicken and die from breathing problems by the time they were 6 months old "anyway", so she was doing them a favor by dispatching them before that age! I hope the look on my face didn't insult her, but it certainly seemed to me someone told her a tall tale in order to get her to do her own butchering. Then again, I am no expert, and I suppose it's possible they are either bred like that, or the feeding regimen has something to do with it. Any thoughts?

:shock:

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

:shock: .... ... .. . :lol: some people will believe anything. sounds like something i would tell city people to stop them freaking out. i know they would believe it.

 

[Asinaway]

I have never heard of such a thing. Sounds like something my husband would tell me to get me to do my own work.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

Somebopdy was fed a load of fertilizer--!!


Of Course there are breeds designed to live only a few months-- they are called MEAT RABBITS

sSmeone on HT once asked what the average lifespan of a NZW was-- and one of the first answers-- *10-12 weeks*

hmm, is this fella carrying around the ingredients for a rabbit quiche? ancake:

 

[MaggieJ]

Sounds to me like someone was talking about meat chickens not rabbits... or at least borrowed the idea and terminology.

 

[DonnerSurvivor]

Meat chickens will not develop any problems if they are allowed to live longer than 6 weeks they will even lay eggs!

 

[Wyldrose]

Maybe they are just really bad stock that only live a few months?? Or someone needs to learn how to care for their animals properly.

 

[PistolPackingMomma]

I'm just a newb, and it probably was someone spinning a yarn, but could it be the seller's animals never survived past that age due to disease, mineral deficiency or just general bad care, and they just blamed it on the breed?

 

[Secuono]

I am thinking she meant Chickens not rabbits. Those crazy fast growing meat chickens grow so fast and weigh so much at such an early age that their legs cannot hold them and their hearts fail them.
But there's no rabbit that does that.

 

[nascarwc88]

Sounds like they were describing a cornish cross chicken.

 

[DonnerSurvivor]

You guys are promoting a false idea started by animal activist in that meat chickens or cornish cross chickens will only live 6 weeks! This is totally false!!!

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

sSmeone on HT once asked what the average lifespan of a NZW was-- and one of the first answers-- *10-12 weeks*

hmm, is this fella carrying around the ingredients for a rabbit quiche? ancake:

:lol: :mrgreen: sounds like the way i think!

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Sounds like this gal spells "gullible" with three o's. IF y'all catch my drift............

 

[Bad Habit]

You guys are promoting a false idea started by animal activist in that meat chickens or cornish cross chickens will only live 6 weeks! This is totally false!!!

The only person who's said anything about meat or cornish cross chickens only surviving 6wks is you. CnB said there was a meat breed of chicken that grows too fast too quickly, causing leg and heart damage, but did not give a time frame.

 

[Secuono]

You guys are promoting a false idea started by animal activist in that meat chickens or cornish cross chickens will only live 6 weeks! This is totally false!!!

The only person who's said anything about meat or cornish cross chickens only surviving 6wks is you. CnB said there was a meat breed of chicken that grows too fast too quickly, causing leg and heart damage, but did not give a time frame.

Yep.
I've also never tried them, was too worried about them having a poor life. I have a friend with one of the heavy meat breeds, she tried to keep them to lay, one died suddenly, rest just didn't do well. I hear if you limit their food, things may be fine. But who knows, maybe there are people who have kept them w/o issues.

 

[DonnerSurvivor]

You guys are promoting a false idea started by animal activist in that meat chickens or cornish cross chickens will only live 6 weeks! This is totally false!!!

The only person who's said anything about meat or cornish cross chickens only surviving 6wks is you. CnB said there was a meat breed of chicken that grows too fast too quickly, causing leg and heart damage, but did not give a time frame.

Im sorry maybe I grabbed that 6 week time limit outta the dark recesses of my head but the statement still rings true there is not a breed of chicken that will grow so fast that their legs and heart will not hold up! You can get chickens to have leg or heart damage by feeding them to high of protein feed while leaving lights on to long. I cant stand it when animal rights lies are repeated as truth. I am not trying to belittle anyone I am just hoping to get the truth out there.

As for a source I have raised chickens over 20 years on a very large scale.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I had about a half dozen Cornish, and it was a miserable failure. It was some years back, so I don't remember the exact details, but quite a few died before they feathered out.

I managed to keep one until it was about 5 months old, hoping to get eggs out of it for my own starter chicks. It became so crippled that I had to put it down.

They were raised on starter crumble and then fed scratch, weeds, and kitchen scraps, just like the rest of my chickens.

 

[Bad Habit]

You guys are promoting a false idea started by animal activist in that meat chickens or cornish cross chickens will only live 6 weeks! This is totally false!!!

The only person who's said anything about meat or cornish cross chickens only surviving 6wks is you. CnB said there was a meat breed of chicken that grows too fast too quickly, causing leg and heart damage, but did not give a time frame.

Im sorry maybe I grabbed that 6 week time limit outta the dark recesses of my head but the statement still rings true there is not a breed of chicken that will grow so fast that their legs and heart will not hold up! You can get chickens to have leg or heart damage by feeding them to high of protein feed while leaving lights on to long. I cant stand it when animal rights lies are repeated as truth. I am not trying to belittle anyone I am just hoping to get the truth out there.

As for a source I have raised chickens over 20 years on a very large scale.

So... basically, those crazy fast growing meat chickens that CnB was talking about?

 

[DonnerSurvivor]

I seems some of you have had bad luck with certain chicks but this is from isolated instances of bad breeding. I raise birds that will grow to over 5 pounds in 42 days and if I want them to keep growing they will up until and after the egg producing stage.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Yes, mine were feedstore chicks. I'm certain that people such as yourself who are dedicated to breeding chickens for good growth and production (similar to how many of us are trying to improve our rabbit breeds) would have much better outcomes.