Cornish as heritage?

[Buster52]

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If you raise it for meat (and some people do) it is a meat bird. Heck, I know people who raise quail for meat, so those are meat birds too.

If it is just about size, I got some meat birds running around my place that would beat any Cornish X you ever saw. I could question the wisdom of your choice based solely on that, using your own criteria.

 

[Bossroo]

Years ago I raised dozens of ringneck doves. When I culled the unsold extras for the pet trade, I bar b q'd or fried their breast meat. Just a few small morcel bites per breast and ooooohh so good. I guess that they technically are meat birds too. I found the cost of feed was not worth my time to continue even for the great taste. sold them all off. I raised quail by the hundreds. When the cost of feed exceeded the sale prices, I invited them all to freezer camp. I also raised a few hundred Ringneck pheasants. Much more meat and I managed to make a little money on them, not by selling them for meat but for hunting. Still not worth my investment of time and money. Your meat birds running around your place that would beat any Cornish X are most likely Broad Breasted White Turkeys, The Midget White turkeys are technically a meat bird too. How about the Pekin meat duck? I made quite a few bucks on them within 7-8 weeks of age. Or the Telouse Goose for Christmas? All great choices for poultry meat. I raised some of all these for our own use for the holidays. TURDUCKHEN , Try one for Christmas... very expensive if you could find one to purchase. Labor intesive for your own use, but, A Royal FEAST that is to die for!

 

[jaku]

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If you raise it for meat (and some people do) it is a meat bird. Heck, I know people who raise quail for meat, so those are meat birds too.

If it is just about size, I got some meat birds running around my place that would beat any Cornish X you ever saw. I could question the wisdom of your choice based solely on that, using your own criteria.

But like I said, you could then call ANY chicken- or any BIRD for that matter, a "meat bird." Why define anything then? So, if I happen to eat leghorn roos, would you then say that Leghorns are good meatbirds? How about the sparrows flying around my yard? I understand that you'd prefer not to raise Cornish X's, and I can totally respect that, but you're saying things that just don't make sense in order to make your point. The word "meat bird," or "broiler" should have SOME meaning, considering you can eat ANY chicken.

 

[SteveH]

I wasn't going to weigh in for this

; but I just don't see how anyone could say the Cornish was anything other than a meat bird . If it weren't for its unsurpassed qualities as an eating bird it would never have been chosen to cross into the birds being developed for commercial meat production and the words Cornish Rock or CornishX would not be in everyone's vocabulary . Had anybody succeeded in making the purebreds significantly better layers and faster growers we would all be eating them today . It just isn't economicly feasable to grow the the purebreds for commercial slaughter , but wouldn't be surprized to find a gourmet restaurant somewhere serving true Cornish or organicly fed true Cornish for a wallet flattening price .

 

[Minniechickmama]

Buster52, it is nice to see someone defending the Cornish because I just happen to love them. I had 8 hens that I got last summer, which didn't really lay well until it hit -20 this winter, then they began laying just about every day and their egg size was good. I was really upset when my dogs thought they were dinner and wiped out my flock of 6 hens and roo(he was an EE) Luckily, I have 3 of their offspring and they look very much like their Cornish mommas. I can't wait until they start laying. I am also trying to make room for more Cornish hens to go with my 3 cockerels that I ordered and received this spring from McMurray. I know what people say about hatchery stock, but these are looking great so far and are growing and filling out really well. I am probably one of few who really love the Cornish for all their purposes.
I say, to each their own. Everyone has their favorites and their "I will never own...." That is okay.
As for them being meat birds, anyone who says they aren't has ever picked on up and felt the meat on those babies.

 

[dancingbear]

As far as growing as much meat as possible as fast as possible, the CX's can't be beat. But that's not the most important criteria for many of us.

Some of us prefer more vigorous, active birds, that you can keep around and breed more. Even it they grow slower, even if they may not be as big. It's what we prefer, it doesn't matter that it's not what you would choose yourself.

Both of you, Bossroo, and Jaku, are well aware of this. It's been re-hashed over and over and over and over and over and over and over.....................every time anybody states a preference different than yours, you drag out this same old tired horse and beat it for awhile.

The Cornish cross is your bird of choice, we know that. I for one, am glad you have something you are happy with. Enjoy, I hope it continues to work out well for you.

They are not my choice, and I really do wish you could bring yourselves to respect other people's choices, even though they are not always the same as yours. Can't you accept that not everybody wants the same thing you do, and that it's OK if they don't? Really, life goes on, and it doesn't affect you one little bit if I or anybody else raises a different kind of chicken than you raise.

Plantguy, IMO, if you raise it for meat, it's a meat bird. If quail can be meat birds, and doves, I see no reason whatsoever that any breed of chicken you want, can't be a meat bird. If you want something that only grows a little slower than Cornish X's, you might try red or black broilers, or the colored rangers. People who raise them all seem to like them a lot. They reach table size somewhere between 9 and 12 weeks, I believe.

Standard Cornish are good meat birds, but they do grow slow. I prefer the flavor of the slower growing birds, myself.

 

[Buster52]

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If you are raising them specifically for meat, yes.

By the way, if you look up Cornish in any of Storey's breed guides, it will tell you it is a meat bird. Because they aren't that great for eggs, but great for meat. Storey guides are published by experts in the various fields.

So, there's a definition for you. Certainly beats some comment on an Internet forum, no matter how respected the poster.

 

[Bossroo]

My tired old horses are 29, 25, 22, 18, and 16.

If I should beat them I would never get them to do anything other than rebel , so I explain to them what task I need performed and when the light bulb comes on ,they willingly do them.

Some don't seem to understand what is explained to them, or are fed erroneous or prejudised information, so one has to step back and patiently explain the facts again. Eventually, the light bulb comes on for an A Hah moment. Much like your explaination to slow cook overnight one's older free ranged barnyard chicken in a crockpot over and over and over again on almost every one of your posts. Does that remind one of the teachers of the good old school days? Have fun!

 

[dancingbear]

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First of all, I was obviously referring to a common saying, not actual real live horses, which you know, so that part of your comment is just plain silly.

My crock pot instructions are not in almost every one of my posts, not even close. Just the ones in threads where somebody baldy states that older birds are useless for anything but soup or broth, which is easily and provably inaccurate, or where somebody wants to know how to have an older bird come out tender. So sorry you have a problem with that. Go bite yourself.

You seem to think that a person's breed preference can't possibly be for anything other than Cornish X unless they are ignorant or stupid. This is insulting and disrespectful to those who differ with you. We have different needs, and different tastes.

What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Is everybody who prefers a different flavor misinformed, ignorant, or just plain stupid? Maybe we ALL just need your expert guidance and adult supervision to explain to us old stupid horses which flavor is the ONLY ONE EVER MADE worth eating, and and the light bulb will finally come on, and your world will be perfect!!!!!

 

[jaku]

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I don't think anyone is disrespecting anyone else's choices- that is certainly not my intention. My view is that if we aren't looking to debate and discuss every issue to death, then what's the point of even posting? I've been on forums before where if a topic were already discussed once and is brought up again, the poster would get jumped on and told to use the search button- but that isn't fun. Yes, we discuss and debate the same things every day, and no, we probably aren't going to change anyone's opinions, but debating someone doesn't mean you're disrespecting them, it just means that you have a different opinion, and when someone asks for an opinion, they're going to get it, even if it's been discussed before. I mean, discussing "meat birds" is the only reason I come to this site. And saying that people are calling others ignorant or stupid, when that has never happened also isn't the most respectful thing in the world.

So, there's a definition for you. Certainly beats some comment on an Internet forum, no matter how respected the poster. smile

It certainly does- it just doesn't change my opinion. And I'm definitely NOT worthy of respect for my opinions on these matters- haha, I've only been raising chickens for like three years. I'm just a loser who has enough time to post on here a lot!​