Cornish Cross?

[Poultrybreeder]

Hello, I have heard that one of the biggest Standard Cornish Crosses is the Dark Cornish x The White Pymouth Rock. I am going to start breeding my own chicks, so that I don't have to continuously order more from a hatchery. I have one question, would any color Standard Cornish, and any color Standard Plymouth Rock work? Like White Laced Red Cornish x Barred Plymouth Rock? God Bless, And Thanks In Advance!

 

[Ridgerunner]

You heard wrong. The Cornish Cross was developed back in the middle of the last century by selective breeding and has been undergoing "improvement" ever since. White Rocks and the true Cornish breed were used back then as a base for them, hence the name, but it’s also possible other breeds could have been involved.

The Cornish Cross is not simply a cross between two breeds. Millions of dollars have been spent so expert geneticists could come up with the current Cornish Cross. The Cornish Cross is a four-way hybrid. Four separate flocks have been develops with each of the four producing a specific grandparent. One of these flocks will produce the fathers of the mothers of the actual bird while a different flock produces the maternal grandmother, for example.

A lot of us breed our own meat birds, some working harder at that than others, but none of us can come close to the growth rate and food to meat conversion rate of the Cornish Cross.

 

[sourland]

Any such cross would produce meat type birds; however, feed efficiency and rate of gain would not equal the commercially available Cornish X. That being said, in general they would be a healthier bird.

 

[Poultrybreeder]

How long you do think it would take for them tobutcher. I know a feed that makes the chickens grow larger, just not faster.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You can butcher and eat any chicken of either sex at any age. The controlling factors are how much meat you actually get off of them and how you want to cook them. The older they get the more restricted you are in how to cook them so they stay tender and moist. That means it is personal preference and the answer will be different for you than it would for me.

 

[Poultrybreeder]

I use turkey feed mixed with other feeds for my chickens once they turn 1 month old, it really helps them get big!