Breeding Cornish X Rocks

[Agape Builder]

This is great information. I've often wondered, How they can be breeding these for over 50 years and have the consistancy, yet they do not produce true.
I was thinking about holding some back, but, I do see that there is an age limit bred into the bird. It may only lay one cycle before it quits and then, it
will have to go into the soup pot.. Barred Rocks always seemed to be the best dual purpose birds, However, I don't like black ink dots on my meat where the feathers were
(I know, I know.. I'm still weird about that though). Has anyone crossed barred roos with white cornish hens or vise versa?

Hello, bluere11e!

You said, "However, I don't like black ink dots on my meat where the feathers were." It might seem funny, but a barred rock hen that I had (before a stupid hawk killed her) used to help me pluck the other chickens when I was butchering them. While other chickens would try to peck at the fat and meat, I had this one trained to only pluck out the pin feathers and roots with extreme precision. She wold get all of those "ink dots" that you were referring to. However, I was a bit particular about those as well and I simply took a little more time to get them all out. A good small pair of needle nosed pliers or a good pair of tweezers can help. Also, for the ones that are stuck down inside the skin, you can squeeze them and pop them right out just like popping a zit. I know that sounds a little gross, but I never left those black spots on any of my chickens. When I butchered them, I CLEANED them right. I do not think those fat and oil deposits do anything to help the flavor of the chicken, so I just get rid of them all. Another thing to remember when pulling big fat tail feathers and wing feathers (where most of those spots are) is to keep from squeezing the hollow base of those feathers where it can squeeze that junk back into the bird's feather follicles.

Hope that helps a little.

Sincerely,

Stephen R.

 

[Annabelleshome]

I have a question. I ordered 5 slow cornish cross chickens at the grange and when I got home one was reddish. She is smaller than the white birds now at 7 weeks. Can anyone tell me what she is? Thank you!

 

[Agape Builder]

Cornish x's are much more complicated than a quality White Cornish x White Rock, for example, if they were that simple Cornish x's would have pea combs. To try to breed your own hybrids that have the same growth rate as Cornish x's will take MANY years. Some of the modern broilers, such as the ones KFC gets there chicken from are also geneticlly modified.

I think that part of the point of this thread is that we were NOT trying to get the same growth rate as the hatchery Cornish crosses. That insane growth rate produces tender meat but unhealthy chickens.

Also, I am wondering if you can point me to the evidence that the Cornish crosses used by KFC or others are actually genetically modified and not just hybrid strains that have been selectively bred for certain characteristics?

 

[Agape Builder]

I have a question. I ordered 5 slow cornish cross chickens at the grange and when I got home one was reddish. She is smaller than the white birds now at 7 weeks. Can anyone tell me what she is? Thank you!

It looks like they gave you something like a RIR or, more likely, a New Hampshire Red or a hybrid like a Red Sex Link like a Golden Comet. I think you already realize it is not the same as the Cornish crosses you ordered. On the bright side, at least you can get a good side by side comparison of the different birds.

 

[kfacres]

I have pretty much mastered the art of backyard sustainable meat producing birds.

 

[Agape Builder]

I have pretty much mastered the art of backyard sustainable meat producing birds. 

And, how is that?

 

[kfacres]

And, how is that?

Have you seen my birds?

Working on my 4th generation this fall- and they're breeding true (not that I didn't expect them to), and not a single complaint on my part.

roughly 5 eggs a week, broodiness to drive you crazy, carcasses that match the CX, and dependability of bird.

 

[Agape Builder]

Nope. Haven't seen your birds.

 

[kfacres]

My backyard Cornish white breeder birds. They will be my main focus into the future.


The old Black Laced Red breeder cock from the blue laced red project.

The closest thing I have to SOP Cornish-- these are darks- even though they are longer legged, and finer boned than SOP SQ Cornish. I'm using them to improve on body type of my meaties and blue laced red projects.

 

[bachbach1]

This has been a great thread, still I believe there are a lot of people out there somewhere that know the exact combo to home make a Cornish X meat bird. I know they are not healthy for breeding, still if the exact origin was easy to reproduce, like a double cross it would be nice to know the process. You know that people involved with their creation is around chickens a lot, it seem like one of them would eventually wonder to this website and spill the beans so to speak. I don't know, possibly they all have to sign a non disclosure, and cant legally share the information.

I know these little white meat factory's, LOL are not that healthy, and all the down side, but bottom line is they only need to survive for 8 weeks. They supposedly produce the most meat per pound of feed, and the most meat per pound of feed is the one shining star here. When I think about back yard chickens I think sustainability, and sustainability in possibly a situation where meat birds were not available from a hatchery. I don't think any thing is going to happen to our society, but throughout the history of man lots of bad things have happened, disease, war famine, natural disasters, and all that stuff we will probably never see. If there wasn't much feed available, or if you had to grow your own, it would be nice to know the Cornish X formula so to speak. Heck even in good times it would be good to know. In bad times it could aid survival. Now if genetics have to be tweaked and you need a lab, that blows it, but it is my understanding that that isn't the case. Or possibly if some genetic engineering was done, the DNA should be available in the existing birds. Still I see lots of opinions about the secret of the Cornish X but nothing absolute, does anyone have a credible definite source for the info, or is it a chicken mystery, LOL

Thanks