Cornish Thread

[JRNash]

I guess the question to ask is why do you want to cross?  What is the intended end game?  

Most of the hatchery type Cornish have plenty of egg laying ability and if you have a more show type you can keep track of females that tend to lay more eggs to increase that aspect as you keep birds for future breeders. As for accelerated growth rate, most hatchery types are about the same rate of growth except for the commercial broiler types. if you are trying to increase carcass mass and the amount of meat with out using commercial broiler genetics, crossing the Cornish will most likely not meet your expectations.

The next question you have to ask your self is what type of cross breeding SYSTEM do you intend to utilize. are these going to be terminal crosses, back crosses or breed the F1 to each other.  if you breed the F1 back to each other you will have a % of the bird revert back the parent breeds. 

I have read a lot of post regarding crossing ( and there are plenty of reason to cross) and don't want to sound negative on the subject, I just think that sometimes we get into the idea of fashioning our own crosses without a true end game to the point were we lose both uniformity in what we hatch and the heterosis that is the hallmark of crossbreeding.  

All very true. Hybrids generally lay better in my experience and they don't get sick as much

 

[StephWind]

I guess the question to ask is why do you want to cross? What is the intended end game?

I don't know about anyone else, but *I* am trying several different crosses to see if there are specific crosses that do well at our altitude and conditions as a meat bird. I have been buying the best quality stock (no hatchery birds here), and culling to standard. I either eat the culls myself, or my dogs, who are raw fed, get the culls. I am not trying to come up with a new breed, and I fully intend to continue to breed pure groups, but am having some fun along the way experimenting. Since nothing gets wasted here, I see no harm.

 

[Dave C]

Put my first batch of Cornish eggs In today, so fingers crossed.

They are laying very well this year and good sized eggs as well.
Probably 6 eggs each a week on average.

Well I set 33 eggs and only 3 are clear tonight when I candled them.

I'll take that

 

[Fat Daddy]

Cant beat that with a stick Dave! Hope you get a big hatch!

 

[JRNash]

I don't know about anyone else, but *I* am trying several different crosses to see if there are specific crosses that do well at our altitude and conditions as a meat bird. I have been buying the best quality stock (no hatchery birds here), and culling to standard. I either eat the culls myself, or my dogs, who are raw fed, get the culls. I am not trying to come up with a new breed, and I fully intend to continue to breed pure groups, but am having some fun along the way experimenting. Since nothing gets wasted here, I see no harm.

I don't see a problem either. I do the same thing to a large extent. I like extremes.

 

[JRNash]

The hybrids are definitely more healthy .

 

[Fat Daddy]

The hybrids are definitely more healthy .

JR I Respectfully disagree.... You can't make that assumption... It would make a world of difference as to what pure breed, even line of birds you were speaking of. Or hybrid for that matter... Yes you can get poorly mated, in bred, stock that not good examples of their respective breed... but the tyipical Cornish cross is a hybrid that calling a "healthy example" would be a stretch....

 

[JRNash]

I'm speaking from MY experience. I've had less health problems from the hybrids. There is also a ton of studies from various US universities (documented) that supports my statement.

 

[JRNash]

And NONE of my birds are typical.lol I was NOT referring to CX. To date I've used barred rocks,black copper marans,dark cornish,white jersey giants,silver Dorkings,leghorns,easter eggers,welp slow grow broilers and my latest cross was with Saipan. I apologize for getting off topic. I realize this is a CORNISH thread.

 

[JRNash]

The history behind the Cornish and old ink prints is what got me started down the hybrid road.Trying to get a bird
That looks like the old "Indian Game" I've had a couple that come close.