Breeding my own crosses

[Minniechickmama]

I started my feathered endeavors this summer. I got 8 Dark Cornish hens from a neighbor and then I got two batches of chicks from MMH in Iowa. I ordered 45 CXs to give them a try for the freezer. I have seen many 4-Hers bringing these to the fair and know they will be ready to go in short order. However, I think their behavior is a bit freaky, the way they attack everything I put in there like they are staving. I actually thought one was going to explode from eating the other night because his crop was so full! For purebreds I got Barred Rocks, New Hampshire Reds and Australorps. Part of the reason I chose these is because I want to try my own colored Cornish crosses using the DC hens I got this summer with the other three breeds.
I would like to ask if anyone out there has tried any of these and what were your results?
Also, reading about Colored Rangers, is that what people are calling what I am planning to try?
I am hoping I can come up with a good cross for my kids to take to the fair next summer. I am thinking they will need 12-14 weeks to be finished enough.
Thanks up front for your thoughts and ideas.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Hi! Good to know some one else wants to try this too.

I have 25 Dark Cornish too. 1 is a Roo. I am going to breed them with my White Rocks and hatch out the eggs, grow them up and butcher.

Should be interesting. I am going to try the Dark Cornish Roo with the White Rock hens. Then maybe vise versa.

Keep me posted on what choices you are going to try with your "Colored Rangers"

 

[Bossroo]

One will get much better results by using the Cornish rooster, rather than the hen, on the other breed hens. However they will still be no where near the quality and much more expensive than what one will get with the commercial Cornish X chicks that are bred by the millions. There is a very good reason why the 4Hers choose the Cornish X chicks to compete at the fairs. Good luck in your endeavers.

 

[patandchickens]

There are a number of 1-2+ yr old threads on this; greyfields in particular has posted a lot about his efforts in exactly that direction. Try "search" or just browsing back through this section's archives to find 'em.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Minniechickmama]

Why does it matter if you use the Cornish Roo or the Cornish Hen when crossing?

 

[greyfields]

I have a dark cornish roo and have crossed him with barred rocks, speckled sussex, RIR, Marans, black sex link and Colored Range Broilers (golden, grey, black).

Of all those, the largest were the Dark Cornish X CRB.

BUT, I also have a Golden Freedom Ranger (CRB) who I crossed with other CRB's. They were much larger than any of the crosses using the Dark Cornish as the sire. But, of course, with breeding hybrids there were some oddballs in there.