Cornish cross/ rock

[Jenessa_096]

So in my family we don’t really like the breed Cornish cross or Cornish rocks. I think it’s wrong to breed them like that. It’s kind of like when people breed pugs to where they have lots of problems breathing. Why would you breed an animal to only live 16 weeks? To put that much weight on them that at one point they won’t be able to walk! And where are they can’t lay eggs! I know a lot of people use them but I find it disturbing! I’m not sure what are you guys think? I’ve seen them before but I don’t really know a lot about them. Do you guys support breeding these chickens? Let me know!

 

[Molpet]

Before CX Chicken used to be a Sunday dinner because it was so expensive. Now it's one of the cheapest proteins.


It costs me $7 a lb to raise my meat mutts... not many people would pay that when CX costs a quarter of that.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I bought a couple to just raise… they were not gross, but then I raised them the same and kept them the same as the other large chickens. So no over feeding or feeding to maximize weight… exercise encouraged free ranging as adults with plenty of space. They did pretty well, did all the same things the other chickens did. I do think their longevity was not great compared to the other chicks we raised and kept into adulthood. They just sort of died sooner than the others, of no known cause. I didn’t try to figure it out, figured it was genetic. I just wanted to see how they would fair being kept instead of slaughtered. But they were not gross, they were just as active as my other birds… but not flyers.

 

[Jenessa_096]

I bought a couple to just raise… they were not gross, but then I raised them the same and kept them the same as the other large chickens. So no over feeding or feeding to maximize weight… exercise encouraged free ranging as adults with plenty of space. They did pretty well, did all the same things the other chickens did. I do think their longevity was not great compared to the other chicks we raised and kept into adulthood. They just sort of died sooner than the others, of no known cause. I didn’t try to figure it out, figured it was genetic. I just wanted to see how they would fair being kept instead of slaughtered. But they were not gross, they were just as active as my other birds… but not flyers.

Really? I heard they die right after about 4-6 months

 

[Jenessa_096]

Before CX Chicken used to be a Sunday dinner because it was so expensive. Now it's one of the cheapest proteins.


It costs me $7 a lb to raise my meat mutts... not many people would pay that when CX costs a quarter of that.

That’s the thing we have people that locally sell Cornish cross because they say it wouldn’t be worth it for them to raise a standard breed.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Mine lasted longer than that, but it could be because they were in a mixed flock of active birds, allowed to roam a bit, and my feed is not exactly standard… no corn

But they did not last past 2 year… might try again just to see if I can improve on that

 

[Ridgerunner]

You are asking on the meat bird forum. This may not be the best forum to get a lot of sympathy or agreement to your thoughts. The Cornish X are bred to be raised a certain way to optimize meat production. A lot of us on this forum don't raise Cornish X, we have our preferences. But many do. A lot of that depends on what your goals are. As far as producing a lot of meat pretty inexpensively you can't beat the Cornish X.

You mentioned dogs. I have my preferences there too. Some dogs are bred to be companions and thrive in tiny apartments as long as their needs are met. Some dogs are bred to be working dogs and would be miserable in a tiny apartment. They need to be outside working. To me it would be wrong to put one of these tiny ankle biters bred for companionship outside at night and expect them to protect against coyotes. To me it would be wrong for people to keep a dog over 100 pounds inside a tiny apartment but I know people that do it, often not well.

I could make the same type of comparison with different horse breeds or different animals. If you are going to keep an animal it needs to be one bred for your purpose. I think that is they way for you and they to be happiest. You might be able to make something else work but that's often not easy.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I agree with Ridgerunner you got to look at purpose and other variables to pick what works for you. Also preferences… I was curious about them as I had heard so much mixed information… so I raised a few pullets with no goal of killing to just see. Could a whole bunch in a small environment lead to problems, yes… but the way I kept them they were just the big girls… eventually they all died sooner than other breeds I have kept but did last longer than indicated by many.

It sounds like another sort of cross or heritage breed would be more to your liking. The genetics of hatchery broilers is interesting if you plan to breed your own meat birds. I know many commercial lines of meat birds use dwarf genetics in the crosses, egg size for incubator is important too… there are some good threads in meat birds that allow you to see what other folks progress has been, which raising different heritage breeds or hybrids or even their own crosses.

 

[CNJ]

I first started with Jersey Giants thinking I would get giant chickens, but I was wrong. They took long to grow, and the hen I had took more than a year to reach 7 lbs. In comparison to 8 lbs Cornish Cross at 2 months and 10 lbs at 3 months, Jersey Giants are a joke.

 

[Jenessa_096]

I first started with Jersey Giants thinking I would get giant chickens, but I was wrong. They took long to grow, and the hen I had took more than a year to reach 7 lbs. In comparison to 8 lbs Cornish Cross at 2 months and 10 lbs at 3 months, Jersey Giants are a joke.

Yeah but it’s crazy that they grow that fast! I don’t agree with that!