Busting Myths (mostly) about the Cornish Cross

[nicalandia]

It's true. It's petty simple. But cornish cross don't breed true. That's why every year there are billions of dollars put into maintaining breeding flocks of the multiple strains required to create the CX as well as all the genetic predecessors. You might get a big clumsy white bird out of the first round of eggs from breeding two together, but every generation will be regressive from there unless you invigorate the genetic line by crossing different breeds into the cornish cross line.

Most people don't understand why the multi billion dollar corporations breed different strains of Broiler Breeders, let me tell You a secret. It's not for the so called "Hybrid Vigor" I've done countless post about this if you care about learning this, also plenty of available data on the subject, but most people can't be bothered by doing some research

 

[iwltfum]

Most people don't understand why the multi billion dollar corporations breed different strains of Broiler Breeders, let me tell You a secret. It's not for the so called "Hybrid Vigor" I've done countless post about this if you care about learning this, also plenty of available data on the subject, but most people can't be bothered by doing some research

I've done plenty of research. I raise chickens for a living so I spend alot of my time reading up on the subject from print to internet sources. I don't want to take over this thread with an argument about whether cornish cross breed true or not or what and what is not a hybrid as if it matters enough to go into detail. If anyone wants to waste their time trying to create some kind of back crossed cornish cross chicken by simple crossing CX's over and over again, I'm not going to stop em. It will be a great learning experience.

 

[jolenesdad]

I think the hybrid debate is a bit semantics? Sure they’ll grow huge chickens in subsequent generations. But will they be the same? No. Would the general backyard chicken owner notice the differences? Probably not.

but as far as producing the same, uniform results that the Broiler industry requires, absolutely not.

but, I don’t think that matters to anyone but the largest producers. We are talking about BILLIONS of chickens produced for meat. A DAY of quicker growth leads to billions of dollars in additional profit potential. An ounce of extra meat leads to.... billions of dollars. Exactly uniform carcasses lead to efficiency in slaughtering which leads to.... billions of dollars. The smallest of changes in production abilities of the birds have massive consequences down the line. This is why the industry has developed so intensely by Cobb and Hubbard to create such specifically hybridized lines of birds.

yes you will get huge, meaty chickens from the offspring crossing CX. You will not get chickens that yield X amount of meat in exactly X days on exactly X amount of feed. For anyone not producing thousands of birds, though, those differences are negligible.

 

[nicalandia]

You know there is no "Hybrid Vigor" when both the Maternal and Paternal Grand Parents are Broilers themselves That Will attain market weight in 5 weeks(then feed restricted to make them breeders, only 10% of males are kept) The reasons for A,B,C,D 4 way breeding programe is not to maximize growth but yo maximize productivity

 

[Tre3hugger]

Thank you for sharing. I agree you basically get out of Cornish what you put in. Awesome pics of them in the tree!

 

[Blw18]

Update: I now have around 45 Cornish Cross eggs in the incubator!! Around 30 of which are due in the next few days. The CX hens have proven to be some of the best laying hens I’ve ever owned and are faithful, daily layers of HUGE brown eggs. They started out laying a few double yolkers but it’s now just jumbo single-yolked eggs. The rooster I have over them is an 11 pound, 31 inch tall project rooster of mine...so I’m anxious to see the outcomes of these chicks.
The CX hens will be 1 year old next month, roost naturally, and behave like normal hens. Becoming layers has actually helped a lot, as far as health goes, because energy is going into giant egg production rather than meat. I’ll keep everyone updated on the chicks!

 

[cassie]

I raised several batches of Cornish X. I kept mine longer than most people because I like big roasters. The largest one I ever processed dressed out at over 16 pounds. I can assure he was older than eight weeks. The Cornish X can breed. It is just that the offspring are not like the parents. They do not breed true. They lay nice big brown eggs.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

MY 1 yr old (next week) CornishX hen remains a very productive and consistent layer, part of my project as well - though she's still going into the stock pot as soon as she goes into molt. Wish you every fortune with your F1s - I'm finding tremendous variation in mine. Please continue to keep us updated.

 

[Parront]

Update: I now have around 45 Cornish Cross eggs in the incubator!! Around 30 of which are due in the next few days. The CX hens have proven to be some of the best laying hens I’ve ever owned and are faithful, daily layers of HUGE brown eggs. They started out laying a few double yolkers but it’s now just jumbo single-yolked eggs. The rooster I have over them is an 11 pound, 31 inch tall project rooster of mine...so I’m anxious to see the outcomes of these chicks.
The CX hens will be 1 year old next month, roost naturally, and behave like normal hens. Becoming layers has actually helped a lot, as far as health goes, because energy is going into giant egg production rather than meat. I’ll keep everyone updated on the chicks!
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They look great! Looking for the very last pellet of food!

 

[Blw18]

20 Cornish cross chicks have hatched with several more due in the coming days. They’re the chubbiest chicks I’ve ever seen but are doing fantastic. Most are pea combed (from their sire) with clean legs but several also have single combs and feathered legs. All are white colored but few have black spots. The dad is a Brahma cross rooster so I’m hoping his genes will slow the growth rate and add some height.

This is their sire: