Cornish Cross vs Chicken Meat

[Cyprus]

It's the feed.

As riderunner said, Cx are over 60 years removed from the simple dihybrid crossing of Cornish and White Rocks. The industry has selected for larger males (as it is the males who pass on carcass traits NOT the females) and they have also mixed in a couple other breeds along the way. So it is more than just two breeds in their DNA.

Feed is EVERYTHING. When it comes to animals, you get out of it what you put into it.
If you can't do fish, you may not be able to do shellfish. If you can't do shellfish then basically any commercial feed on the market will set you off, because their source of calcium is usually Oyster Shell. OS is known to cause reactions in people who are allergic to shellfish if they eat the eggs or meat from birds fed the supplement.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

That's good to know, I can't do wheat well, but I really can't do fish and fish meal is in my feed.

Fishmeal would definitely be a less-common protein source in large commercial grower operations. Most use soy as their primary protein source in the US. I bet if you pulled your culls and put them on a commercial grower for a few weeks, you might have better luck. I wonder also what it is in fish that you react to, since that's a pretty broad spectrum allergen possibility. Really dialing in what you're allergic to yourself, specifically, will help you raise meat that you'll be ok with.

 

[CindyinSD]

Depending on where you live, you may be able to get designer feeds that don’t contain wheat or fish meal (if you’re allergic to those things). Failing that you could get a grinder and make your own but you need to research a lot to do that and get all the nutrients and sufficient (but not excessive) levels of protein.

 

[Koyote]

My fiancee also has wheat, soy and shell fish allergies. You can buy designer feed without those ingredients, but it's pretty expensive and kind of hard to find. If you search around there are some decent feed recipes. Most are Milo, rolled oats, alfalfa and sunflower seed based with some extra herbs and kelp thrown in. We've been milling our own feed like that and it seems to work pretty good so far.

 

[CindyinSD]

What do you use for a mill, @Koyote ?

 

[Koyote]

I brew beer too, so I used the same grain mill I use for brewing. Don't think you're supposed to use it for milling feed, but it seems to work. Tractor Supply has a hammer mill that's supposed to be pretty good.

 

[CindyinSD]

I brew beer too, so I used the same grain mill I use for brewing. Don't think you're supposed to use it for milling feed, but it seems to work. Tractor Supply has a hammer mill that's supposed to be pretty good.

Thanks! I’ll check it out.

 

[Hay Belly]

I can eat Cornish Hens just fine, so my question is I read the Cornish Cross is what the meat industry uses are they in fact cornish hens, or Chicken I am buying at the grocery store?

What do you think a cornish hen is? Do you not think it is chicken?

 

[Hay Belly]

The Cornish Hen, as elusive as the Loch Ness Monster.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Ironically it sounds like you need to switch to a more commercial name brand feed like Dumor or Purina.