It is removed for meat birds because they will eat themselves to death. They grow so fast as it is that it causes leg problems and lameness resulting often in death. Their fast growth also causes heart problems like heart attacks. So slowing down the eating a little bit or giving them a larger area to move around and expend calories/strengthen muscle actually helps get them to live long enough to get bigger before needing to be butchered due to health problems.
Sorry to make this so long.
I actually raise my meat birds with my replacement layers. I take their food away at night. It doesn't hurt my layers. Raising them together seems to make my layers calmer and my meat birds more active resulting in a bigger bird. I butcher at about 10 weeks as opposed to 6-8 weeks that most have to be butchered at.
I hope that helped answer your questions. A lot of us do things different, it's just whatever works for our individual situation.
Marla
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
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