Cornish Cross sexual maturity and can they breed?

[Neil Grassbaugh]

I think that breeding a terminal cross meat chicken to another terminal cross meat chicken would still produce a bird that outperforms any pure Breed or cross thereof in regards to FCR, DRG and RTC weight as a percentage of live weight. Probably outdoing even those colored meat chickens that everyone is so hyped about.

I cannot, however, imagine that more than a few people registered on this site would be capable of managing the process of producing hatching eggs from mature meat chickens. Not from the terminal cross birds or their parents for that matter.

Everyone is so certain that the "common knowledge" fact that terminal cross matings "won't breed true".

Who has tried it?

Bet the results would be more consistent than many lines of male order hatchery "breeds"

The term" hybrid" as it refers to chickens is a euphemism. Like "new and improved" on a box of laundry detergent. I refuse to use it in reference to chickens. Mules- yes, chickens - no.

Use of the term "hybrid" started over fifty years ago as a sales gimmic. It was adopted by poultry producers to capitalize on the sales sucess of hybrid farm seeds that were a vast improvement at that time. It has stuck even though all today's hybrid chickens are is a mating between to different families. Those hybrid seeds were in fact crosses between species and did not "breed true" - in most cases they wouldn't reproduce at all.

How about human parents that have different color hair and some (or all) of their children have hair color unlike either parent. Bad breeders?

Further I refuse to use the term cornish cross. To do so is to use a term that is so far out of date it is inaccurate and misleading. It would be like referring to modern humans as "improved monkeys"

I often wonder just how improved we are over the monkeys- some of the things we humans do.

 

[dadof4]

If you believe we came from monkeys.

 

[nicalandia]

Quote:
true true....just let them range free...even if they look like they are starving...

 

[VeganChick]

Hello... My Liz is a Jumbo Cornish Cross - and is 10 months old... She's huge! Of course, since I don't consume any animal products I'd never, ever consider her a meal... But am wondering what is her life expectancy? Does anyone know what "the record" is? She's about the sweetiest bird there ever was... loves attention and petting. I can't imagine not having her around.

 

[Carebear5]

BUMP... Last question was....

Does anyone know the life expectancy of a Cornish Cross? We have a group of layers and 2 CornishX left. (The others were dinner.) The last 2 CornishX are just so doggone personable and fun. They free-range. We have to help them in and out of the coop. (They can't walk up the ramp, but they will wait patiently for us to help out.) They run around the best they can with the other girls, but they are definitely part of their group. (They are the snugglers over all the other girls at night.)

Anyway - we're looking at close to 20lb birds right now. (At least the one is about the same weight as my toddler.) They are 4.5 months.

Any idea on if we can expect any eggs out of them - or are they just going to be the buddies of all the kids in the neighborhood? (They know their names and come when called.) How long until they are going to die?

 

[BirchHatchery]

i have 8 cornish rocks that were hatch february 28th they run around find food on their own even in this 90 degree heat they forage for food and dont pant like normal cornish do the roos probly wiegh 8-10 bout perfect as the breeder stock do also and the hens weigh around 5-6. i feed them 4 cups of layer feed in the mournin and nothin else wat else they wanna eat they forage for wich if i was home all the time i wouldnt even have to feed them layer feed in the mournin but i have to because their penned up untile i get home from work but when their let out they eat cherries grass weeds bugs and luve to pick the wheat off and eat it their very entilgent birds and Strong! not weak or lazy like normal ones are but if u want to raise em for breeding you need to start them on strict diet starting before their ever Featherd or they wont have a strong body system good luck

 

[johnscalido]

Judging from the responses it seems that Shnookey wants to know "How do you produce fast growing broilers/ Cornish 's like the parents".

 

[slc]

In order to get a CX to breeding age and condition you'll need to literally starve it. If I were to consider trying to outcross a CX I would look at finding a restricted feeding plan that includes items that can help with the breed's endless hunger. Chard is very low in calories and high in bulk for example. People have crossed CX to Delaware to create the Corndel at one time. Too bad that didn't continue.

Personally I'm giving the Label Rouge Redbro breed a try. They claim to only be a week or two different than the CX and they live to breed just fine.

 

[SteveH]

I haven't had the heart to restrict feed as much as I probably should , but mine are still healthy at 8 and 1/2 weeks so it remains a question if they will breed . I'm feeding 17% grower at enough to last them about 6 hrs , plus a vitamin supplement in their water . They have to browze after the feed is gone if they want to eat more . I sat the tractor on one's leg while moving it this morning and she had a slight limp after .

I've caught a roo sparring with an EE roo and play mounting a sitting pullet ; so it looks good so far . I'm figuring them to reach breeding age around 24 weeks .

 

[Bossroo]

SteveH... Please remember that even the established hatcheries are having some difficulties with many chicks hatched from pullet small eggs. It may be wise to let the hens to mature a little bit before collecting hatching eggs. Have fun !