White Cornish: Building a Quality, Sustainable Flock for Meat and More.....

[Fat Daddy]

It's been a while since I updated this thread. I have chosen a pool of good birds to move into my breeding program. I decided to winter more birds than I will use, "Just In Case"... I plan to go into breeding season with three pens, 4 hens and a cock in each.... This years birds look good. Breeding toward the standard is a on going quest and a closed flock makes this even a slower process. But every addition of "new blood", also brings new flaws... Every outcross can set one back several years. I'm happy we're headed in the right direction. Slowly get'n closer to the goal of a "perfect bird", that will never be reached!

I kept 4 extra cockerels and 4 pullets more than I need. All these below are this years hatch and in the pool! I have the reserve cockerels in a pen alone. So far they have lived peacefully. This years pullet's are all together with the two best cockerels and all is well there too...

 

[Molpet]

good looking birds.. ty for the update ... how many were keepers and how many were culled/sold? Just to get an idea of what it takes to get a few good ones LOL

 

[Fat Daddy]

good looking birds.. ty for the update ... how many were keepers and how many were culled/sold? Just to get an idea of what it takes to get a few good ones LOL

Thank you... I hatched a total of 75 white cornish this year. I sold maybe a dozen and gave away that many more. At this point there is very little difference in the best or the worst. I had actually had 100 in mind as my target hatch, but ran short of brooder space. These birds eat very well and a freezer full is always part of the plan.... I butchered a large number of birds that would be very good in any breeding program.

 

[Fat Daddy]

As implied by the title of this thread, these are meat birds! While they are rare and often kept as show birds, white cornish are awesome for the table. I like to grill up a pile on the weekend, then have them for lunches as needed... Again a vac-sealer is a handy item to have around.... Today's menu is thighs and legs of 16 week old birds, grilled with BBQ sause... I just don't get much better. I hatched them, I raised them, I butchered them, and I cooked them!! In the spring we'll do it all again....

 

[123RedBeard]

I hatched them, I raised them, I butchered them, and I cooked them!!

Hopefully ... you also got to "eat them" too!

Looks yummy!

 

[Fat Daddy]

Some of this years birds hatched in May...

 

[Bigshooter]

They look good.

 

[Molpet]

very nice, wish I could find some like that around here

 

[Fowlfellow]

Awesome birds! I have some hatchery stock that is just awful next week will be sending the entire lot to freezer camp.

 

[Dave C]

Them birds just get better & better FD