The Poultry Keeper

robsbirds · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 26 Location: central scotland

can anyone help at what age do table birds come into lay or do they!
thanks rob

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 1032 Location: Cornwall

What do you mean by table birds? Hybrids like broilers? If so, they will come into lay the same time as any other laying hen, but they don't usually live that long in commercial farms.

Are these rescue broilers? If so don't keep them as pets, theyre pumped full of steroids and growth hormones, so they put on weight rapidly and when they're fully grown (if they survive that long) will go off their legs as they get too heavy to walk.

If you mean table birds as in a pure heavy breed like Light Sussex (if its the meat line and not the laying line) or Buff Orps, then they come into lay the same as other breeds. Just don't lay so well.

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1356 Location: Leicestershire

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 1032 Location: Cornwall

Caponizing yes has been banned, but I think you'll find most commercial meat growers have 'growth enhancers' in the food as well as breeding the birds for excessive weight.

sunnyside · Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 245 Location: Birmingham

I have 2 hubbard free range meat bird hybrids. hatched here from commercial eggs and not fed growth promoters etc.
17 weeks old. first egg was yesterday. nice little brown jobbie.(supermarket brown) unfortunatly followed by a tripple yolked shelless in nest this morning!
they may well break down /prolapse but weight gain has slowed right up now and I think if they can lay they will hopefully channel their energies into that.
I suspect if mine are going to have mega problems re laying/movement it will be about now while at maximum stress of being pol and hefty but so far so good. if they continue as happy as they are then I'll rehome them to someone who fancies a couple of giant birds roaming about but am just holding off until certain they are strong enough to face normal life.

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1356 Location: Leicestershire

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 1032 Location: Cornwall

Itsybitsy, why do you have to keep picking my posts to pieces?

I've breed chicken and geese for 40yrs, worked in intensive poultry units both layers and meat for about 20yrs.

I do know what I'm talking about.

Table birds are given food to enhance their growth, speed it up, make them put on so much weight so fast they can't walk and collapse on their bellies under the weight of their own bodies, so their thigh muscle's go green from lack of blood supply.

Most large commerical meat breeders use additives to speed growth up so the hens are ready for the table at as young as 12 weeks. I am not referring to antibiotic dietry enhancers. Whatever they are. Antibiotics are given for infections/diseases, dietry enhancers are something totally different.

I suggest you research it a little better before telling me what I'm saying isn't correct.

I dont know how much you personally know about breeding/keeping poultry, so can only assume that you are a new 'garden poultry keeper' who has read some information and takes it as gospel.

I've been trained in poultry diseases, incubation, rearing, feeding, production, etc when I worked for the commercial companies. So I do think I know what I'm talking about.

In my personal opinion, I don't think people should keep birds bred for the table as pets or layers. They are not bred to live very long, only to put on excessive weight. It's cruel to keep them as pets, and as layers they don't usually tend to do well.

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1356 Location: Leicestershire

Well actually in your first post you said this:-

NannyP · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 6:19 pm Post subject:

My table birds are prolific layers, and 3 of them are now a year old and providers of this years eaters.

I don't think the OP mention rescue or broilers?

I have valued the knowledge I have received from Itsy over the years...and respect her knowledge of poultry keeping.

Woodburner · Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 10:06 pm Post subject:

Although to keep them for eggs for consumption would be a waste, I see no reason why birds bred as broilers shouldn't be kept for eggs for hatching, provided they are kept on a restricted diet so that they don't become overweight. After all, this is how the industry gets the eggs that the broilers are hatched from!!