Breeding Cornish Rocks

[Ariel301]

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How do you figure that? I've got both and they feed about the same.

 

[3littlebirds]

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Thank you for the suggestion- the thing is I've had many of the other dual-purpose layers before (brown egg-layers, EEs) and I'd like to add some more egg color variety to my flock. It's nice to have browns and blues, but I'd like whites, too.
And you're right, there is no dual-purpose that fits my description entirely, white eggs included. That's why I'm interested in this breeding project. Such breeds have existed in the past (White Holland, Lamona) but so far as I know are both now extinct.

BirchHatchery- Good luck and please do update me!

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

DATA FOR ISA BROWNS THE MOST COMMON COMMERCIAL BROWN EGG LAYING TYPE CHICKEN IN THE WORLD

Laying Period
18-80 wks

Liveability
94.0 %

Age at 50 % Production (days)
141

Peak Percentage
95%

Age at Peak of production
28

Average Egg Weight
61.8 g

Hen Housed Eggs
352

Average Feed Consumption per Day
110 g

Feed Conversion
2.16

Body Weight (80 wks)
1750 g

DATA FOR ISA WHITES, NOT ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR WHITE EGG LAYERS BUT A SISTER PRODUCT TO THE ISA BROWN SO A FAIR COMPARISON

Laying Period
18-80 wks

Liveability
94.0 %

Age at 50 % Production (days)
141

Peak Percentage
95%

Age at Peak of production (wks)
28

Average Egg Weight
61.8 g

Hen Housed Eggs
352

Average Feed Consumption per Day
110 g

Feed Conversion
2.16

Body Weight (80 wks)
1750 g

BROWN EGG LAYING BREEDS OF CHICKENS (Reds. Rocks, etc) - UTILITY/HATCHERY GRADE

Not a significant part of the current production so no data is available. Without doubt not as efficeint as the egg laying commercial strains.

BROWN EGG LAYING MEAT TYPE CHICKEN MULTIPLIER BREEDER FEMALES

The perfomance of these birds is anaylized as useable chicks produced so that data is not comparable to the data on the egg laying types seen above.
But there is no doubt that these types take significantly more feed to produce eggs.


1000 g = 2.2 lbs.

 

[3littlebirds]

While I would like a dual-purpose white egg layer, I don't think that white egg layers require less feed, per se. I think the reason white egg layers often require less feed is because white egg layers are often the light Mediterranean breeds, which do not have much body weight and thus put most of their energy from feed into laying eggs. On the other hand, brown egg layers are often descended from the heavier dual-purpose or Asian breeds, and thus require more feed. Two otherwise identical birds, however, whose only difference was that one laid brown eggs and one laid white eggs, would require the same amount of feed. Thus, a dual-purpose white egg-layer would in all likelihood require the same amount of feed as a dual-purpose brown egg-layer, with the only difference being the egg color.

 

[dancingbear]

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Ok, so you're getting bored with all colored eggs, and want some white ones mixed in there! I can see that. I have a couple that lay a creamy almost-white, and the contrast with all the shades of brown, green, and speckled eggs is striking. I like the rainbow egg effect. I want some blue layers, but right now I'm maxed out on birds. I'll have to wait.

You may be stuck with either (a) just get a couple of leghorn or Isa white hens, and forget the meat, or butcher roos young for fryers like BirchHatchery does, or (b) forget the white feathers and get a dual purp white egg layer. Have you checked with the ALBC to see if they know of any breeders of Hollands? I think there may still be a few around. Probably hard to get, and pricey, but, maybe you'd want to help increase the breed?

Do you just prefer white chickens, or is it because the carcass looks cleaner? 'Cos I gotta tell you, the white ones have just as many pinfeathers as the dark ones, you just can't see them, so you end up eating them. Or pulling little bits of feather shaft out of the skin here and there, while you're eating. I get just a clean a carcass with black chickens as with white, maybe cleaner, because I can actually find all the feathers. With my weakening eyesight, (I'm no spring chicken myself) it far easier for me to pluck a dark bird. White ones, I find all kinds of little clumps that I missed while the bird was wet. I don't care about an occasional pigment pocket, those don't affect the flavor at all.

I'm not selling mine commercially, though, they're just for my own use, so maybe you have fussy customers to consider.

I agree with all you said above about egg color/feed consumption. It's the breed, not the egg color, that makes the difference.

Here's one you may find of interest, the California gray/California white. http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/CalGray/BRKCalGray.html#CW Heavier than a Leghorn, lighter than a rock, white eggs. I don't know what the skin color is. Or do you want to stick with heritage breeds?

 

[BirchHatchery]

for the white eggs how would i breed them or is the white egg color always dominate?

 

[3littlebirds]

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Thank you for a very informative post!

I do want to try raising a dual-purpose flock where the culls will make good meat birds- Leghorns aren't really what I'm looking for, and also I like birds that are calm and easy to approach. It's just for my own use though (family/friends too) so I don't have any customer preferences to worry about.
Actually the reason I was looking for a white bird was that from everything I've read it seems that white-feathered birds are best for meat, but your rationale actually makes a lot of sense- dark pinfeathers would be easier to remove. However, I've never seen "pigment pockets" on a chicken so I'm not sure how I'd feel about that...

However, like my eggs (btw I like the term "rainbow egg effect"

) I was kind of hoping for something new in my flock in terms of feather color, as in the past I've chosen all colored birds.
I'd also like to try to establish a breeding line of layers/meat birds, so hybrids like the California White wouldn't really work. I've considered the Dorking though, since it fits pretty closely to what I want (except having white rather than yellow skin) and there's a breeder near me who breeds White Dorkings.
However, I think the Cornish Cross/Leghorn breeding will be interesting and I'm hoping BirchHatchery manages to establish a breed eventually!

 

[3littlebirds]

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Here's a link to a thread discussing that
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=311878

From the looks of it, I would try a White Leghorn roo with a Cornish X hen for the best chances of white (or light-colored) eggs.

 

[BirchHatchery]

thanks