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Cornish

The Cornish originates from Cornwall, England, where they were also known as Indian Game. ...

General Information

Breed Purpose
Meat Bird
Comb
Pea
Broodiness
Average
Climate Tolerance
All Climates
Egg Productivity
Medium
Egg Size
Medium
Egg Color
Brown
Breed Temperament
Friendly, Calm, Bears confinement well, Quiet
Breed Colors/Varieties
Dark, Jubilee, Blue-laced and White Red laced
Breed Size
Large Fowl
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The Cornish breed is known variously by Indian or Cornish Game depending on country. In America it was originally always known as Indian Game, until 1905 when the American Poultry Association passed a motion to rename the breed to Cornish Indian Game. Due to the confusion the name caused by implying the breed came from India, and unpopularity of the use of Game in the name, it was eventually renamed to simply the Cornish in 1910. The Cornish is a large, stocky breed, often crossed with other breeds to enhance meat production. There are two variates, the Cornish Game and the Jubilee Cornish Game. The Cornish Game is dark blue - green in color, with brown patterning on the hens. Jubilee Cornish Game are much lighter, and less stocky than their counterparts. They are usually light wheaten in color, with light brown patterning.

The breed was developed by Sir Walter Gilbert, 1st Baronet, around 1820 and was accepted by the American Poultry Association in 1893.

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Cornish chick

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Cornish juvenile

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Cornish hen

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Cornish rooster

For more information on this breed and their owners' and breeders' experiences with them, see our breed discussion here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-breed-focus-cornish.1142033/
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Latest reviews

Pros: Good meat on the carcass, good temperament
Cons: Slow growing, low egg production
I bought my breeding trio from a show breeder who bred them for looks and temperament since they would be handled regularly at shows.

While none of my birds like being handled, I haven't had a single one of my Darks bite me once I have a hold of them. Both the males and females have a nice, heart shaped body and thick, stocky legs. The double lacing on the females is gorgeous! This is what they looked like at 6 months when I got them.
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This is them at a little more than a year.
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This is one of the Cockerels I'm saving for next year.
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This is a pullet I hatched this year. Her coloring is too light for her to make it as a breeder next year, but the lighter coloring shows of the lacing very nicely.
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They grow out slow, but their carcasses have really nice meat on them. Please excuse the bad butchering job. This is a 6-7 month old cockerel. The younger cockerels (14-15 weeks) also dressed out nicely, they weren't as big (half the size), but were just as plump.
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Purchase Price
$150 for the breeding trio
Purchase Date
10/2017
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Reactions: Bonniebooboo
Pros: Very friendly rooster and a joy to have. I love my Cornish. Fun and impressive birds to have.
Cons: Can't multiply fast enough. Going for a huge flock.
Love my LFWC. Just can't say enough about how much fun they are. Impressive to look at and the compliments don't hurt a bit. A lot of people ask if they are on steroids. Lol
Then proceed to beg to buy some. It'll be quite a while before I have enough to share but am having high hopes. Love my Cornish.
Purchase Date
2017
Pros: Pretty bird, beautiful metallic sheen to feathers of the Dark Cornish Rooster.
Cons: Extremely aggressive roosters, to both people and the chickens at the lower end of the pecking order
I have two dark Cornish roosters that I'm selling along with some white Plymouth Rock hens. They are either going to be rehomed OR MEET THEIR MAKER!!! In the 15 years that I have owned chickens with a multitude of breeds, I HAVE NEVER HAD ROOSTERS THIS AGGRESSIVE!!! Perhaps the hens are docile and make great mothers...but I have nothing good to say about the roosters. And in reading the other reviews, I'm definitely not alone in this! They are indeed pretty with that metallic sheen on their feathers, but my compliments end there. If you are going to keep this breed, keep hens! And if you must, keep only one rooster and handle him constantly in the hopes of preventing the daily attacks that I've sustained over here.

Comments

Great info. I just had 12 delivered in my current chick order. Sadly, 3 died from the usual, it seems, chick ailments, but the rest are doing well. DH and I were hoping for a good forager. Bought these with an assortment of others including Dominiques which we also read were good foragers. Bonus if I get a broody hen or two. That way I won't be cleaning so many chicks with pasty butt next spring.
 
Maybe it is wrong that i laughed at the part where you mention all the CornishX dying but it is almost as if all the survival instinct has been bred out of those birds.
 
I've heard of cornish roos and apparently the hen and rooster BOTH make great parents for little ones, is this true?
 
I'm starting a meat-bird project, using a close relative of the DC a one of the components. I don't have much (any) knowledge or experience with incubators and not looking forward to learning. I might just order a batch of Dark Cornish in Jan. 2015!!!

Excellent and helpful review!
 
Unfortunately, it seems no breed is exempt from being mean. I had a Silkie rooster that would flog me, and I thought Silkies could never be aggressive to humans. So much for my pipe dream. Sorry you had this experience. Learn from it, and try not to think ill of all Cornish bantams.
 
well i don't feel so bad now i thought i failed somewhere. Ill be replaced all my roosters with two leghorns or red sex link roos i haven't decided yet
 

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Category
Chicken Breeds
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