Any difference?

[Lothiriel]

We are thinking about getting meat chickens this spring (maybe). I was wondering: what exactly is the difference between Cornish Rocks and Cornish-x-Rocks? My mom said that the x-rocks are "Jumbo" sized. Is that right? (I would look in the MM catalog, but we got rid of it...

)

 

[willheveland]

I think the two are the same really,each hatchery may call them something alittle different just as a sales pitch.I think MM calls them Jumbo Cornish X Rocks. Will

 

[greyfields]

Quote:
No difference. They are different strains of the same crossbreed just with slightly different growth profiles.

 

[MissPrissy]

Both are a white cornish crossed with a white rock. Some hatcheries sell a large and a jumbo. I raised the jumbo cornish cross rocks last fall. They do best in cool temps.

 

[Lothiriel]

ok. thanks everyone!
i read that the cornish x rock has some big leg problems. i went to the MM site and saw the cornish roaster. the review said that they grow slower and because of that the legs issues are mostly eliminated. has anyone raised the roasters? if so, are they better than the x-rocks like MM said? thanks in advance for all the input you guys are giving - that's why i love BYC!

 

[greyfields]

Ugh. The problem is the difference between the jumbo and the roaster is only like 5 days difference in finishing time. It really doesn't save you from all leg issues. If you've never raised Cornish Crosses I will just forewarn you. You may have no issues at all. Or, your whole crop could drop dead even if you do nothing wrong. They are fickle little creatuers which have been over-selected for size & groth rate at the expense of disease resistance, longevity and vigor.

If you are serious about doing wholesome food there are alternatives. There are red/black broilers from Ideal (I think) which are better suited for outdoor production. Freedom Rangers are proprietary meat bird strains developed specifically for organic and free range production. They don't have the issues Cornish Crosses do.

 

[Lothiriel]

Thanks for the forewarning, greyfields. I'm glad you told me that. I don't think we will be ordering and recieving the chicks in the mail. Our local feedstore orders from Mount Healthy, so that's where they'll most likely come from. I'll have to lookinto the other meat breeds they have.

 

[greyfields]

They won't. It's Cornish Cross or Cornish Cross. All the hatcheries get their eggs from the same places. They jsut have different strains of bird they offer with different growth profiles for different climates and such. So you can't say one hatchery is better than another since they're all getting the hatching eggs from the same places.