cornish X Rock genetics

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sosanista

sosanista

In the Brooder
11 Years
Aug 14, 2008
41
8
24
Nicasio
Can somebody please educate me as to the true history of the cornish X rocks? I've seen contradictory remarks in other posts and I'm curious as I've currently got a flock free ranging. Frankenfood?

Thanks
 
Not sure what you want to know about them.

This meat bird is a cross from a white cornish rooster and a white rock hen.

The commercial and hatchery chicks that are cornish cross rocks are fast growing meat birds. Commercial chickens of this variety are bred to be at butcher weight in 5 - 6 weeks. The hatchery version is generally ready in 8 - 10 weeks.

There are other meat birds being developed or that have been developed but they do not grow like these commercialized birds.

Trying to raise these birds to breed isn't a good idea as they don't breed true - meaning you won't get chicks like the parents.
 
The "Cornish Rock" or "Cornish X" that we purchase from the various hatcheries are NOT the F1 offspring of a Cornish rooster on a White Rock hen. Rather they are the offspring of highly selected breeding stock that have been selected for growth, efficiency, and meat yield. The hatcheries purchase eggs or breeding stock from the large commercial operations such as Cobb-Vantress, Hubbard, and others for their broiler chicks.

Jim
 
Thank you Jim. This response gets closer to answer I was looking for as I know they are cornish x rock but how the stock is selected I think matters. Is there any possibility that somewhere along the line there has been any genetic modification or can we be insured that these birds are just merely the result of selection. The birds I have are from McMurrary Hatchery.
 
Quote:
All livestock used in commercial production in the USA are the result of natural selection, there are not Genetic Modification methods used to change their genetic makeup.

The GMO people talk about are in plants.

Calling commercial broilers "Cornish x Rock" is inaccurate since the parent stock have been highly selected. The term is a vestige from many years ago and doesn't not describe the broilers we purchase from hatcheries.

Jim
 
I find it interesting that everyone "knows" there is little to no cornish or rock blood in the current cornish X yet no one knows what breeds ARE in there. Just saying. Though it's probably safe to say that the cornish and rocks available today from hatcheries (since most of their bloodlines are impure anyway) carry none of the blood of those birds, still, it makes me wonder.

ETA: I understand completely that a person trying to come up with something close to a "cornish x" is likely doomed to failure since the current breeds used have been worked on and culled for over 50 years. I just question the common "knowledge" that there isn't any cornish in there.
 
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While a side note, yet applicable, it is similar to the laying hens of the genetics conglomerate, ISA-Bovan-Shaver-Hubbard- et al. This 6 or 7 company conglomerate selectively breeds layers as well as meat birds. The ISA, for example, is now the result of over 30 years of hybridization. The grand parent stock that makes the parent stock that makes the ISA is even patented, IIRC.

Whenever I see someone say an ISA is merely a red sexlink with White RIR over RIR, I cringe a bit. Similar to the CornishX, there is far more to the story.
 
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