Breeding Cornish X Rocks

[rhoda_bruce]

I completely agree. I know a lot of people discourage from this idea, but by the time you pay over a dollar for each of your Cornish Xs and then start them on growing mash for a while it cost you more to raise you own than buying them from the store.
To me, its just not cost effective to raise your own meaties, unless you can do it in a self-sustaining way. I would rather combine 2 pure standard breeds together and hope for decent results than pay the commercial guys to do the breeding for me.....forever. I will accept one or 2 LB losses here and there if I didn't have to pay the order plus shipping every year.

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

The cornish X rock strand cannot be achieved because the hatcherys add a 4th bird to the breeding cycle thus genetically creating a block of reproduction. as such "Modern broilers are typically a third generation offspring (an F2 hybrid). The broiler's four grandparents come from four different strains, two of which produce the male parent line and two of which provide the female parent line, which are in turn mated to provide the broilers. The double cross protects the developer's unique genetics as strains cannot be reproduced from the broiler offspring.[2] Additionally, the male lines and female lines are not bred for the same traits; for example the female line needs to be able to lay as many eggs as possible, since the number of eggs laid per hen influences the cost of broiler eggs and hence broiler chicks. Egg-laying ability is less important in the male line, while rooster fertility is very important." Hope this helps

 

[jjparke]

I have a friend here who is developing a delaware strain just for meat. I haven't talked to him in a while so I don't know how it's going. But I think if I were going to do that same thing I would just choose a standard breed and only breed the ones that have the traits you are looking for. Rapid growth, quick feathering, foragability, egg-laying, or whatever you want to improve and only use those for breeding. I have also considered getting a dark cornish roo and a handful of white rocks just for fun. Good luck.

 

[goatranch]

This is a very interesting thread. I am a hatchaholic and have been hatching eggs that the neighbor has given to me. (My pullets are not laying fertile eggs ) She has just a barnyard mix of all of the main DP breeds. The last birds I hatched are growing just like cornishX ( only without the bald butts LOL). I have no idea but I am also trying to get a sustaninable flock. I have a little roo that was hatched Fathers Day weekend. He got his comb and feathers so quickly, everyone asks what he is. I have no idea but I am not going to put much thought into it, just enjoy working with the cross breeds. I am however looking for a breed with the lightest color of meat. I love the cornish X, but most people don't. They have alot of white meat. I am also working with Delawares, but the bunch I have are crazy, and not good natured birds like I thought.

 

[iknowmike]

Raising Your OwnMeat Flock? Tim Shell, APPPA GRIT Issue 23, Winter 2003
www.apppa.org/raising your own...

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
My this an old thread!
Your link doesn't work for me.

 

[rickerra]

Quote:
My this an old thread!
Your link doesn't work for me.

From this page:
http://www.apppa.org/Archive.htm

Here is the Word doc:
http://www.apppa.org/Raising Your Own Meat Flock.doc

Another good read about Meaties breed
http://www.apppa.org/which bird.pdf

Cheers!

 

[ijon1]

Quote:
They look like the real thing to me. I noticed with my cross they retain a lot of Conish x genes.

 

[phasianidae]

Quote:
Cornish x's are much more complicated than a quality White Cornish x White Rock, for example, if they were that simple Cornish x's would have pea combs. To try to breed your own hybrids that have the same growth rate as Cornish x's will take MANY years. Some of the modern broilers, such as the ones KFC gets there chicken from are also geneticlly modified.

 

[phasianidae]

Quote:
x2