Starting my own meat birds dark cornish and cross with white rock

[Turk Raphael]

They are certainly not the prettiest chicken but decent size. I have always believed that the Jersey Giants and the Brahma Chickens to be the biggest chickens breed wise, I have seen naken necks but they have been more like a bantam in size or in a Game style fowl. Anyway all good. Cheers Paul

Cocks go 8 to 9 pounds...they are heavier than they look. p;us the value added...thin crispy skin and excellent meat quality, hardly to mention the fact that some strains are better than average egg layers.

As I mentioned, I'm going to cross mine with White Chantecler and Dark Cornish. Likely will do some crossing among the offspring.

The only thing I don't like about the Turken is the straight comb so I dubbed my cock-birds. The crosses should have cushion or other style of combs.

 

[Hammer65]

Turk, I am going to get a couple, I think they make sense. I will show you a picture of my Brahma and meat chicks they are huge. Cheers Paul

 

[Hammer65]

I agree about the combs but in Australia now illegal to cut the combs.I have had most of the young 50% with the comb like the Indian Game (Cornish) and if you select the cock with that comb almost all the young have that comb. Cheers Paul

 

[Turk Raphael]

I agree about the combs but in Australia now illegal to cut the combs.I have had most of the young 50% with the comb like the Indian Game (Cornish) and if you select the cock with that comb almost all the young have that comb. Cheers Paul

It might be illegal to caponize your own birds their too? It's legal to dub and caponize here and for that matter, some breeds REQUIRE dubbing to be shown. I couldn't live in Australia...don't even want to visit now...lol

Honestly, even if it were illegal to caponize/dub birds here, I still wouldn't hesitate to do what I wanted to do. Unsess someone saw me do it, there would be no way to prove I did it and I don't allow anyone on my property...with the exception of 'ships that pass in the night' and they don't ever get a tour of the chicken barn....they are kicked out before dawn.

Turk

Edited to explain that I have successfully experimented with a means of dubbing that has proven to be very successful and looks very good. I use a two long curved hemostats and liquid nitrogen to more or less, freeze the combs off. Takes a bit more time but it looks fine and is essentially bloodless...especially on the wattles and ears, which fall off within a day or two.

 

[Hammer65]

I agree Turk, I used to breed Rottweiler Dogs and I used to dock their tails and due claws at 3 or 4 days old they would just have the slightest discomfort for a second and the reason I know that is they would not even stop drinking while suckling on the mother. So the do gooders have no idea. Cheers Paul

 

[mdrake]

I have a 60/40 split on the eggs from the New Hampshire x Cornish and pure Cornish. 60 being the cross as the New Hampshire lay better. The Cornish seem to lay very early or very late as the eggs were always cold. Due to that in not extending a high hatch ratio, but the incubator is full. 70ish eggs in about 12 days. A little longer than I like to wait, but shouldn't have too big of impact on hatch. Can't wait for 3 weeks to be up.

 

[mdrake]

Somewhere I came across a article about the Cornish having fertility issues in cold climates. I'm in Nebraska and gets very cold in the winter. Has anyone else heard about this or experienced issues?

 

[mdrake]

I agree at least under the APA Standard many breeds use be dubbed for showing. I suppose next It will be illegal in Australia to remove the spurs on the cocks. I have never caponized cockerel. Does anyone have any pointers? I have only watched YouTube videos on doing it. I just don't want to injury the bird beyond the obvious.

 

[Hammer65]

I was waiting for 36 eggs to hatch and then I had a storm with a power outage for 6 to 8 hours and had so far 12 hatch virtually all white and some black, weird part is I don't have any white chickens. Genetics can sometimes be quite strange. Cheers Paul

 

[mdrake]

Last year I have a jubilee Orpington hen that spent some time with the Cornish that came out white with a few black speckles. And the year beforehand Wyandotte x Buff Orpington and about 5% came out white. strange but you never know what's your going to hatch when crossing breeds
Mike