cornish breeding

[fresheggs4u]

I have an interest in rasing meat bird and trying to become a little more self sufficient. I have just purchased some cx, but was wondering when breeding cornish with other breeds to create a meat bird would the rooster be the cornish or would the hen? If i mixed a barred rock and cornish - would i get a large breasted bird?

 

[Timmy]

A Cornish cross is a Cornish cock over a white rock hen, but its not that simple. there are other breeds and blood lines crossed in and its actually a 4 way cross going back to the grand parents of the bird they sale you as a Cornish cross. Your best bet is to order Cornish crosses and raise them to eat every year. Or if you want to be self sufficient get a nice dual purpose breed like rocks or orphingtons and raise them.

 

[Illia]

Quote:

- However Orpington has no H in it.


Cornish X are hard to consider "self sufficient" as they require special care and a strict, limited diet to actually be able to raise to the point of breeding. I would highly otherwise recommend using "Freedom Ranger" meat birds, REAL Cornish (the heritage purebred type) or some other meat cross. That way they live like normal chickens but provide plenty meat, and possibly even eggs depending on the breed or hybrid.

 

[Timmy]

oops

I'm the worst speller around. If a word is not in my spell check I'm probably gana spell it wrong. Anyway reel Cornish take a long time to mature so they are not great meat birds and if you were able to raise your Cornish crosses to sexual maturity they would not pass on all the traits that make them what they are to there offspring.

 

[OSUman]

Theres a huge thread about this topic in the meat birds section here https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=316007
Theres quite a few people working on a sustainable meat bird. In my opinion if you get a really good line of a fast growin breed (Plymouth Rocks, RIR ect) they will be the best self sustainable meat bird.