Dark Cornish-White Rock cross?

[frenchblackcopper]

Seems about the only three people on the continental USA that owns White Cornish large fowl doesn't want to part with any. Aside from importing any and jumping thru USDA hoops and dodging other importers who intentionally ruin your chances of getting your imports passed thru quarantine, has anyone here used a dark cornish on white rocks? Years ago we had both whites and dark cornish and both was similar in size. Has the whites now become larger,or just used to produce an all white x-bred when going with the white rock?

 

[lpatelski]

Okay I have a little update: No records of any kind being broken here, but good healthy weights.

All the progeny below are a Pure Dark Cornish "BamBam" over a McMurray Cornish Roaster "Betty" breeding

Lavenia DOH 8/26/15 - 7 pounds 15.3 ounces close to 8 pounds at 16 weeks



Bob DOH 8/20/15 is 17 weeks today and weighs 11 pounds 2.7 ounces

Bob as a youngster I used grams so he was 1448g on 9/24/15 so a little over 3 pounds at 35 days.


"Pebbles" DOH 10/13/15 weighing in at 5 pounds 4.9 ounces at 65 days or 9.3 weeks

 

[Little Eden Farm]

I have over a hundred purebred Large fowl white cornish. I'm in NW FL. Hopefully in the next few months I will be selling some. I will post when the time comes. Trying to get my breeders lined up for next season then I'll start selling. Some of the breeders are are on break to molt. Only one quad still laying 2-3 eggs every other day and I'm still hatching until they stop.

 

[Hiltonizer]

I ordered 3 White Laced Red Cornish roo's this year along with my White Rock pullets, that's going to be a breeding experiment once they mature to see if they're serviceable. I swear I turned the internet upside down trying to find someone else that has done it and shared the results.

 

[lpatelski]

Lavenia was hatched on 8/26/2015 and is 16 weeks old today. This pic was taken on 11/21/15 which made her 12 1/2 weeks old. She is 6 pounds.

These young birds range four to five weeks. Nice full breast and legs.

Both my Dark Cornish and my McMurray Cornish Roaster hen have very full breast muscles.

I will not be over selecting for a super heavy breast muscle trait.


Turn away from the next pic below if you are easily grossed out...















The picture below is what happens when your stock grows up with too much breast muscle and not enough blood supply. It is called Deep pectoral myopathy (DPM) is a degenerative muscle disease of heavy chickens and turkeys commonly referred to as 'Green Muscle Disease'. The muscle actually dies and turns this nasty green. I found this muscle defect in both my cockerels from McMurrays that died as their hormones surged. That is when I purchased BamBam, my pure Dark Cornish and crossed him with the Cornish Roaster pullets. I culled one of the hens. She would just gorge herself(bred for appetite). Eventually she just got too fat, a trait I am not looking to breed-in. I like leaner chicken. When I processed her, she too had a small amount of DPM.



Pebbles is the little pullet I am watching now, hatched on 10/13/2015-really nice bone. She weighed 4 pounds at 7 1/2 weeks. She is a little over 9 weeks now. I need to update the post with a fresh pic and weight.

 

[lpatelski]

Hi,I am new to the forum. I have been crossing purebred LF Dark Cornish(show stock, not from McMurrays) with the Cornish Roaster hens from McMurrays. I have my first chicks on the ground. I was surprised to see the Dark Cornish coloration coming through on a few of the birds. Most are white with a few spots of dark feathering. Very good bone and heavy bodies. I have more pictures of the darker chicks- they are older.

The smaller chick drinking is a pure Dark Cornish.
mom is on the right. The other big/fat hen will probably never lay eggs. I limit fed them from 4 weeks up to 16 weeks. Then slowly increased the feed to allow for maturity. Just like you would a Broiler Breeder. The Roosters upon maturity died. They just are not meant to be breeders, so I went with the Dark Cornish Roo below.

"BamBam" with his ladies in waiting - Dark Cornish hens: Maid Marion and Guinevere.BamBam at 10 months.

I just love the Dark Cornish hen feathers. I hope your Meaty Bird project turns out well. I will update my post when the white brids mature a little more.

 

[lpatelski]

Okay I have a good idea of what my Dark Cornish over White Cornish X will look like. Good bone, dressed out at 6+ pounds around 12 weeks. Nice little birds. Sexlinked - males born all white, females born white with black body spots.

the little pullet pictured above is more mature now and turned Lavender:

 

[MamaKitty913]

Yes sir I'll try a picture. ..

 

[MamaKitty913]

I'm also looking for ya'lls information and try to share some let's see what happens lol! My dark Cornish are also from Murray McMurray as is my broiler girl. Spring I will be getting some more Cornish X, Delaware to grow out. I have 1 mature Cornish X hen Boobette lol and 2 mature dark Cornish hens laying everyday with a Dark Cornish Rooster. Also considered utilizing a really nice pair of White rocks what do ya'll think?

 

[ijon]

I have over a hundred purebred Large fowl white cornish. I'm in NW FL. Hopefully in the next few months I will be selling some. I will post when the time comes. Trying to get my breeders lined up for next season then I'll start selling. Some of the breeders are are on break to molt. Only one quad still laying 2-3 eggs every other day and I'm still hatching until they stop.

What are your prices on your birds? I will be in Fl. later this year. This is how I acquired my Delaware in Fl.