Buckeye X Cornish X breeding project. Third generation pics pg. 20

[BirchHatchery]

o i got you

 

[poultryhaven]

I hope chickies hatch =]
I really wanna see them

 

[BirchHatchery]

mine are 6 weeks old roosters weighin in at 2 lbs or a lil less and hens around 1 1/2 lbs doin purdy good id say

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Well we have a pipped CX x Buckeye egg pipped! The rest are chirping and rocking.... so it shouldn't be long now.

 

[poultryhaven]

 

[CrazyCatNChickenLady]

Wow... just wow!! I'm interested to see what you get! Chickies come out NOW!!! We're waiting!!!

(and you know we want pics asap!!)

I was also wondering if this was just a test hatch(sorry if I missed that part!) Fertility check right?! I've read that hatching pullet eggs makes for smaller chicks(?).

 

[iajewel]

In the past I have kept some of these X hens back to try this and what I found is you have no choice but to use pullets. I free range my birds so they are not massive, however they still die young. You will get some eggs, yes. However the hens themselves were bred to be terminal and they are. I have never known anyone.. and I could here from someone on this board, but.. I have never heard of anyone who has kept a hen alive a year or more.
The freedom chickens that were developed to be a Cornish X alternative came from this sort of thing, however I really think you are stuck with poulet eggs.
Im going to keep a few of my X hens back this year and cross them with my Orp Roos for a large free range meat bird. I just can't afford to spend what they want for the Freedom rangers when I have an incubator.

Can't wait to see what comes out of this hatch.. Pics?

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Well, I have been in and out all day and I know have about 9 eggs that are pipped and two out of the three CX eggs have pipped. Still no chicks but I bet they will be coming out later tonight.


The females are doing really good so far, besides their backs getting tore up they are fine. I have heard of people raising them for over a year, and some as long as 18 months. I'm not sure if that really... really big male is still alive that was on this board... but I would be willing to bet there are more cases of people keeping cornish x's back to either breed or for pets than we know about on this board.

I'm going to work with more this year but just playing with it for now.... this was just a test hatch to see if the eggs were fertile. All three were fertile, not sure if all three will hatch but that's another story. I'm getting about 4 eggs a day from 8 hens and they are laying up a storm for such big hens. No pullet eggs what so ever from any of these. All of these eggs have been extra large eggs. I have been getting the occasional goose egg from these hens that are double and triple yolkers. However those do not get incubated..... they become my breakfast!! they are so good too because these hens free range all day... the yolks are a beautiful orange color.

Will keep everyone updated.... hopefully the next update will include some pictures!!

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Indeed every living being on this earth is bred to be terminal.
As Jeff said there are many of us with CX's over a year. These are my 20lb girls. I have been breeding them naturally as Jeff has and have over a dozen chicks already this year. Their eggs are enormous.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

That rooster looks like a bantam next to those hens!

Still no chicks.... they are really chirping now and I think the first egg to hatch is going to be a CX cross. It is working really hard to come out now and making a ton of noise... but figures, I'm going to bed now and they will all hatch when I'm sleeping. O-well.... maybe I will wake up to a good surprise.