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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2016 22:13:23 GMT -5
So I was helping someone with their switch. Their little one appeared to have an issue with chicken so I had mentioned Cornish game hen because my mentor mentioned that to me as a substitute of chicken and for a bone in meal.
Anyways, it was brought to my attention that a Cornish game hen is just a young chicken and doesn't have the same calcium content or nutrient content of a chicken.
Here's my question is game hen not supposed to be a main protein? Why wasnt i aware of this? Though its been over a year since i have had a mentor i would like to know for future when helping other people out on self switch threads. It was never brought to my attention that it should only be used sparingly. My Shelby was very sick from chicken so I was going to use game hen as the substitute but I found out she couldn't have that either. So I need some expert advice on this protein.
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Post by Heather on Aug 5, 2016 23:18:22 GMT -5
It's not that cornish game hen cannot be used...it cannot be used as a dominant food source, same a chicken will get pinned as well if used too often. It only means that you need to pick up more bone in meals of a different protein. If you're talking about the use of cornish game hen being a young chicken, the problem is according to the recent information given, cornish game hen that is sold in the US and Canada is only a chicken that is not allowed to reach maturity. This brings into the issue of calcium and mineral content in the use of juvenile animals. One of the debates we're having at this time is, the reason why some ferrets can tolerate CGH instead of full age chickens is that it may be the feed change occurs at this time and their diets change. It may not be chicken that they're allergic to, but the feed that is fed to the older birds. Information changes all the time and updating information is something we try and keep abreast of. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2016 23:29:18 GMT -5
I didn't mean to come off saying we can't use it I meant like it can't be used as a main bone in meal. Obviously getting other bone in meals is ideal and very pushed but was told that it shouldn't be used often.
But the info about the feed is very interesting in itself. I just haven't seen a thread about the Cornish game hen. Or any findings or that it shouldn't be a main protein source.
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Post by Corvidophile on Aug 6, 2016 12:31:59 GMT -5
Oh... I had no idea about this, I thought it was a dwarf breed of chicken. Dwarf breeds mature faster so them coming to market in fewer days wouldn't be of concern, just how developed they are in their own life stages. It seems that this is a combo of truth and lie- birds labeled Cornish game hen are no longer a mature dwarf breed as in the past, but a teenage half-dwarf breed, allowing the animal to come to market even faster. Thanks for this post.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2016 12:41:01 GMT -5
Oh... I had no idea about this, I thought it was a dwarf breed of chicken. Dwarf breeds mature faster so them coming to market in fewer days wouldn't be of concern, just how developed they are in their own life stages. It seems that this is a combo of truth and lie- birds labeled Cornish game hen are no longer a mature dwarf breed as in the past, but a teenage half-dwarf breed, allowing the animal to come to market even faster. Thanks for this post. I was under the same impression as well. I thought they were a similar bird but not the same and mature at that. Someone told me about it yesterday and I was like no way? Lol
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Post by Heather on Aug 6, 2016 13:03:38 GMT -5
The issue seems to be that the original Game Hen was a slow maturing bird, not fast enough for today's market. So in some (most) cases it was crossed with a normal fry bird but in some cases now it's nothing more than a 1 month old regular chicken. This is a disturbing fact for those of us who are raw feeding to have a bone source denoted to juvenile status ciao
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2016 15:17:52 GMT -5
That's unfortunate for people who rely on that. Chicken nor game hen is fed in my house for ferrets. So it doesn't bother me but for people who really rely on that it sucks. Well glad to make this thread so other people can learn!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2016 15:18:42 GMT -5
The issue seems to be that the original Game Hen was a slow maturing bird, not fast enough for today's market. So in some (most) cases it was crossed with a normal fry bird but in some cases now it's nothing more than a 1 month old regular chicken. This is a disturbing fact for those of us who are raw feeding to have a bone source denoted to juvenile status ciao Heather, thank you for your expertise. It's always a pleasure learning from you!
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Aug 6, 2016 18:18:32 GMT -5
Some more info Cornish Cornish are stocky meat birds from the Southwest corner of England with short, close-fitting feathers. Because they don't have much insulation, they don't do especially well in drafty cold, even though their small pea combs are not usually subject to frostbite. Most chicken meat bought in US supermarkets comes from a White Cornish x White Plymouth Rock cross. Because the poor crosses were bred to be confined, they're not the best pets, and the crosses suffer from a variety of skeletal and heart problems due to their fast growth, poor things! (For healthier meat birds we would recommend looking for the new hybrid usually referred to as the "Colored Ranger") The regular Cornish don't suffer from the same health problems the Cornish Crosses do. Nonetheless, Cornish are still not especially good foragers, nor are they usually very active birds in general. We're told they can make great lap chickens and have a gentle nature, even though they are large, heavy and look fierce. They tend to be on the lower end of the pecking order in mixed flocks despite their size. www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Cornish-B39.aspxCornish X chickens have been hybridized for fast growth and economical meat production, making them unsuitable for keeping as pets or laying hens. They usually grow so big, so fast that their legs and hearts are unable to withstand their bulky size. Normally it isn’t a good idea to keep them much past their suggested butchering age of 8 weeks. www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/11/can-you-keep-cornish-x-chickens-as-laying-hens.html
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2016 19:29:11 GMT -5
I don't know about you but if they talk about being so big my walmart game hens ware so small lol
So that means 8 weeks is not old enough nutrient wise.
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Post by Heather on Aug 6, 2016 19:42:07 GMT -5
It's one of the reason why when I critique someone' menu if there is a heavy leaning on chicken or the hens as a bone in meat I send it back for them to adjust their bone in meats. I know it's difficult for those with limited protein resources, but it is really necessary just in case such information as this comes available ciao
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2016 19:57:27 GMT -5
That makes sense. All the info is good to know as well for future and when helping other people. At this point when someone has limited proteins I just recommend doing my pet carnivore and hare today because it's nice to go online pick your food and have it delivered. Instead of stressing out hoping that walmart or who ever keeps your proteins stocked. I found out the hard way when the Asian store by me stopped ordering in part of my organs. Then I moved and there isn't stores that have exotic meats so i just order...
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Aug 7, 2016 10:36:17 GMT -5
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Post by Sherry on Aug 7, 2016 10:41:59 GMT -5
Abbey, that is what game hen is supposed to be. Unfortunately now markets/farms are substituting immature chickens as cornish hens now.
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Post by Heather on Aug 7, 2016 12:52:22 GMT -5
Cornish game hens are more expensive per pound than a normal fryer so why is my question. A diet heavily reliant on chicken or game hens in unbalanced and in need for other bone in meats. A diet that consists of CGH and chicken for the bone in meats is not a solid diet. Truthfully, this shouldn't come as a surprise. Even if you only want to feed fowl, you've got turkey, duck and chicken (there's 3 bone in meats) ciao
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