Buff Cornish

RiverOtter

Crowing
12 Years
Nov 4, 2009
1,434
2,755
421
NY
Ideal Hatchery sells these, so I can't be the only one with them, but there aren't a lot of pictures around and it seems as if most people haven't heard of these.

I have wanted some for a couple of years now for a cross-breeding project, and finally getting them, they were supposed to be a housewarming present ... but between the time they were ordered and the time they were shipped, the deal went bad (literally the weekend I was supposed to be moving). So I'm not sure where I'm going to put them now, but I will figure out something as I really like them a lot! Much more than I thought I would. I suppose I was expecting them to be rather low-key, like CX, but no! These are little velociraptors! A fly got into the brooder and it was ON. They are more busy and dedicated to finding everything than any purebred I've raised, except Leghorns. And they do everything dramatically - they don't lie down to sleep, they throw themselves down, stretch out a wing, consider deeply, get up again, get a better position, heave a huge sigh and then sleep, unless ...what's that! I'm already turning the light off at night so they'll actually sleep.

They are 3 weeks old and robust, active and healthy. They had a really bad trip here and while they survived the shipping stress, my kid accidentally grabbed the wrong crumbles for a few feedings and they got non-medicated for a couple of days and I lost 3 to pasting at a week old (the other chicks I had gotten at the same time were wiped out - poor things were just getting over shipping stress and a food change was too much :( ), and a couple of days ago, one managed to hang itself from the heat lamp (of all the freak accidents, I did NOT see that one coming, and am still unsure just how it managed it). So while we had some losses, none are because they are delicate or difficult, they seem very hardy little things. If all goes well, six birds is enough for to start a project.

On my mutts and the banties I like, I can start to tell which are the roosters by now, but these, I've no idea. I think this picture might be a pair
32965901_2032995120298388_1752866107292647424_n.jpg
I think the one in front who is intensely curious about the camera is a boy. His comb is a tiny bit broader and a touch pinker.

Not as stout as the birds shown on the White Cornish thread, but definitely a lot heavier and broader than any other breed I've raised, except CX. In this picture, you can a little bit see the broadness of one
33032557_2032994993631734_8538410107027849216_n.jpg

If anyone else has any Buff Cornish, I'd love to see pictures of them!! Hopefully my picture taking skills improve as these guys grow, because I'll keep posting updates.
 
They got moved outside today - I could have done it a week ago, they were plenty hardy enough, it was a lack of space here. I'm pretty sure from combs that I really lucked out and have 2 trios!! Very excited now. One of the roosters has some dark spots on his hackle feathers, but overall the color is a lovely gold on all of them.

Hopefully in this new pen they'll find their bigger dish harder to tip and get more food IN them than ON them! They are nice, chunky things, but could be carrying more weight than they are, which I blame on the fact that for the past week they spill and then scream that they don't have any until I get home.
By the time these are old enough to make the next generation, I'll have a good scale and post weights of chicks weekly
34457606_2040477182883515_3501770657010548736_n.jpg 34411892_2040477366216830_1771955037900111872_n.jpg . 34207288_2040477169550183_3611796998895697920_n.jpg
 
They got moved outside today - I could have done it a week ago, they were plenty hardy enough, it was a lack of space here. I'm pretty sure from combs that I really lucked out and have 2 trios!! Very excited now. One of the roosters has some dark spots on his hackle feathers, but overall the color is a lovely gold on all of them.

Hopefully in this new pen they'll find their bigger dish harder to tip and get more food IN them than ON them! They are nice, chunky things, but could be carrying more weight than they are, which I blame on the fact that for the past week they spill and then scream that they don't have any until I get home.
By the time these are old enough to make the next generation, I'll have a good scale and post weights of chicks weekly
View attachment 1416957 View attachment 1416956 .View attachment 1416955
Wow, those are some neat looking birds! How old are they in the latest pics? 5 or 6 weeks?
 
Those are shaping out well. I have some dark Cornish from Ideal and I am very displeased with them. Luck of the draw with hatcheries I guess.
 
@JiminyChristmas , I think it's really breed by breed. I know there are a lot more Dark Cornish around than Buffs, so I'd guess there's more variety in the breeders. Just like any rare vs popular breed. Low-demand, unusual breeds it actually doesn't surprise me to get very nice ones from a hatchery - no one is really breeding any other kind! You only have the die-hards keeping them going. But any surge in demand or popularity and quality goes all over the place - dogs, chickens, you would be amazed how much I see it in pigs, of all things, but pig fads are HUGE - current darling, Kune Kunes, you can pay 800 for a piglet. In, oh, say, about 2 years, I'll be picking up some nice stock for practically free
 
They got moved outside today - I could have done it a week ago, they were plenty hardy enough, it was a lack of space here. I'm pretty sure from combs that I really lucked out and have 2 trios!! Very excited now. One of the roosters has some dark spots on his hackle feathers, but overall the color is a lovely gold on all of them.

Hopefully in this new pen they'll find their bigger dish harder to tip and get more food IN them than ON them! They are nice, chunky things, but could be carrying more weight than they are, which I blame on the fact that for the past week they spill and then scream that they don't have any until I get home.
By the time these are old enough to make the next generation, I'll have a good scale and post weights of chicks weekly
View attachment 1416957 View attachment 1416956 .View attachment 1416955

How are the buff Cornish looking lately?
 
I've been offline FOREVER!! I moved to a literal mountaintop and then the utility pole caught fire and the internet provider never bothered to fix their wires as they were putting in high speed. But -phew!- I can finally update!
I never got a chance to breed these as I lost both roosters, one to a predator and the other drowned in a water trough :(

But, all this time later I still have 3 hens. They are lovely, chunky girls. They lay medium eggs in spurts, are expert at hiding them and go broody when they can. The crossbred babies have varied but all been thick but do not do well being raised by the hen. The only ones I have survive are those I pull and raise in brooder, which sends the hen into depression. It's heartbreaking. I try not to let them go broody.

I'm really impressed to still have these girls. Both the winters and the predator pressure here is INTENSE, and they have just trooped right on through. I'm planning on getting more soon and giving it another go.
 
I've been offline FOREVER!! I moved to a literal mountaintop and then the utility pole caught fire and the internet provider never bothered to fix their wires as they were putting in high speed. But -phew!- I can finally update!
I never got a chance to breed these as I lost both roosters, one to a predator and the other drowned in a water trough :(

But, all this time later I still have 3 hens. They are lovely, chunky girls. They lay medium eggs in spurts, are expert at hiding them and go broody when they can. The crossbred babies have varied but all been thick but do not do well being raised by the hen. The only ones I have survive are those I pull and raise in brooder, which sends the hen into depression. It's heartbreaking. I try not to let them go broody.

I'm really impressed to still have these girls. Both the winters and the predator pressure here is INTENSE, and they have just trooped right on through. I'm planning on getting more soon and giving it another go.
Shame about the roosters.
Any current pictures of the girls? They sure looked nice when they were younger.

If your going to order more this year, lots of hatcheries are running out. More people are starting to have chickens with the viruse concerns
 

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