What is this huge bump?

[MamaM]

I have about 7-8 Cornish cross chickens that are all 5 weeks old and they all have lumps like this on one shoulder (upper breast?). They don't seem sick or anything. I feed them flock raiser and try to stick with the 12hr on 12hr off schedule (I remember about 75% of the time).

Any help?

 

[Cotton42]

Lol, that's their crop! The greedy little buggers are so full of food all the time that it looks huge on them. Thanks for the giggle

 

[SunnysMama]

Yeah, this freaked me out my very first time raising CX!! After I felt it I knew that it was full of feed so it had to be the crop.

 

[MamaM]

Yeah I realized a few hours after I posted this that it mus be their crop. I felt REALLY silly!

Seriously....I was picturing myself having to lance and drain all these gross, fluid filled lumps! I'm so glad I jump to the worst possible conclusion

 

[Elke Beck]

It only gets worse as they get older. Sometimes they look like they have a growth sticking out two or three inches in front.

Raising other types of chickens does not prepare you for the Cornish X experience!

 

[Rhonda0115]

I have the same breed and right about the same age as the ones you have in the picture. It kind of freaked me out the first time...so I poked it and it dawned on me what it was. Had to giggle at myself. You should see my baby Turken. Since there are no feathers on his neck and the rest haven't filled in yet...you can actually see his heart beating and his crop is gross looking. He's so ugly...he's cute.

 

[Cotton42]

It only gets worse as they get older. Sometimes they look like they have a growth sticking out two or three inches in front.

Raising other types of chickens does not prepare you for the Cornish X experience!

My husband let 3 of our last group of CX grow until they were 13lbs dressed. By the end they had crops that were the size of softballs!

 

[Rhonda0115]

So what is the ideal weight to dress one out at? Mine are about 6 weeks old...too small but need to plan ahead.

 

[Cotton42]

So what is the ideal weight to dress one out at?   Mine are about 6 weeks old...too small but need to plan ahead.  

We normally do it when they are between 7 and 8 pounds pre slaughter. I don't recommend letting them get as big as my husband did because we lost 2 of them to heart attacks and it cost way more in feed then it was worth.

 

[OHSpartan]

It was expensive but we raised two to 25 lbs dressed.....my family eats a ton of food and we still only ate one half of one breast in one meal. One wing served as my lunch at work the next day.

Eta....they were 25 lbs total, not each.