Cornish Rock Eggs?

[jus1jack]

How long does it take for Cornish Rocks to start laying, or will they? I just Got an 11 wk old hen today. I hear it is hard to get them to live
past 1 year. What can I do to help one to live as long as possible?
Would like to her with a Barred Rock roo. All suggestions welcome...

 

[SpringChickens]

They will lay, although not very well. I think only 1 or 2 eggs/week. To extend her lifespan, only feed for 12 hours at a time (12 on, 12 off). The feed restriction is the most important thing. I'm not sure when to expect them to lay, but I would expect it to be late; probably well after 26 weeks.

If you notice her comb turning purple, she will probably die within the next 24-48 hours, so brace yourself for it, or cull her yourself.

Good luck with her. Some people on here have significantly extended the life of a meat bird, hope you have the same success.

 

[silkiechicken]

Well... not only is it often a challenge to get them to lay, they do not breed true because they are a mutt. They are born from a cross between a cornish hen and a rock rooster who have been selectively bred for 60 or so years to produce an F1 offspring that you see as the cornish rock.

 

[jus1jack]

Quote:
Thanks for the info. She is so big. I'll be on the look out for her comb turning.

 

[jus1jack]

Quote:
I figure it's a long shot but I had stumbled on an article about the worlds largest chicken a "White Sully" named "Big Snow". http://www.the-coop.org/wwwboard/discus/messages/5105/1552.html http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_worlds_largest_chicken

Not a lot about it on the net though I think it may be a "Big Snow Job"

But I was able to get a White Rock hen from a neighbor so I thought I'd give it a go to come up with something different. Possibly have my very own mutts. thanks for the info...

 

[drjcooper]

Quote:
Sorry Silkie,
You may have made a typing mistake. It happens to us all sometimes, however, I am sure you will recognize the logic in my next statement.
A "Cornish Rock" Is typically a White Cornish Rooster (Good luck finding of one these to buy, the commercial chicken farmers hold onto to these like gold and I have never seen a hatchery or likewise to have access or sell them), Crossed with a White rock.
A Cornish hen is not a very good layer. You may get one to two egg/week if you are lucky. However, a white plmouthrock hen will produce 160+ a year. It wouldn't be very economical to use the Cornish hens for anything rather the producing more Cornish roosters, or broiling them.
The reason white is the chosen color in the industry is because the pinfeather pigmentation is not present therefore the carcass/skin looks slightly more appealing on the shelf. However, I would put a Dark Cornish/ Barred rock, Dark Cornish/ Sussex. Dark Cornish/Delaware against almost any white Cornish/Rock as table birds.
In regards to the question of breeding the Cornish rock hen....Sorry, I think you will have poor luck. You don't want to get too attached to these little chicks. Their muscle structure grows so much faster then their skeletal system, digestive system, and neurological system. Their breast get so large, they have been known not to have the energy to get up a drink water on a hot day. Its common to find them dead if not butchered between 6-12 weeks from a variety of developmental issues. They are freaks, and great on a rotissori.

Is their any real reason to want to breed them back to a Plymouth rock even if possible? They simply do not have a history of being a long term healthy bird.

If you want to produce a big bird, try a Jersey Giant. We have a rooster who is huge, although I don't know how much he weighs exactly. He is nearly 2x the size of our Barred Rock Roo (Who is not little)!
We are considering breeding our Blue Jersey giant hen to a Dark Cornish just for fun. Could be interesting.

 

[demonicangel]

Not at all true. My Cornish rock hens are now 5 months & going strong.
They are also producing 1-2 eggs a day..
Sorry Silkie,

You may have made a typing mistake. It happens to us all sometimes, however, I am sure you will recognize the logic in my next statement.

A "Cornish Rock" Is typically a White Cornish Rooster (Good luck finding of one these to buy, the commercial chicken farmers hold onto to these like gold and I have never seen a hatchery or likewise to have access or sell them), Crossed with a White rock.

A Cornish hen is not a very good layer. You may get one to two egg/week if you are lucky.  However, a white plmouthrock hen will produce 160+ a year. It wouldn't be very economical to use the Cornish hens for anything rather the producing more Cornish roosters, or broiling them.

The reason white is the chosen color in the industry is because the pinfeather pigmentation is not present therefore the carcass/skin looks  slightly more appealing on the shelf. However, I would put a Dark Cornish/ Barred rock, Dark Cornish/ Sussex. Dark Cornish/Delaware against almost any white Cornish/Rock as table birds.

In regards to the question of breeding the Cornish rock hen....Sorry, I think you will have poor luck. You don't want to get too attached to these little chicks. Their muscle structure grows so much faster then their skeletal system, digestive system, and neurological system. Their breast get so large, they have been known not to have the energy to get up a drink water on a hot day. Its common to find them dead if not butchered between 6-12 weeks from a variety of developmental issues. They are freaks, and great on a rotissori.   


Is their any real reason to want to breed them back to a Plymouth rock even if possible? They simply do not have a history of being a long term healthy bird.


If you want to produce a big bird, try a Jersey Giant. We have a rooster who is huge, although I don't know how much he weighs exactly. He is nearly 2x the size of our Barred Rock Roo (Who is not little)!

We are considering breeding our Blue Jersey giant hen to a Dark Cornish just for fun. Could be interesting.

 

[bobbi-j]

How long does it take for Cornish Rocks to start laying, or will they? I just Got an 11 wk old hen today. I hear it is hard to get them to live
past 1 year. What can I do to help one to live as long as possible?
Would like to her with a Barred Rock roo. All suggestions welcome...

Another thing you'll want to watch for is potential leg issues. Cornish Rocks are notorious for those, too. They are not bred for longevity, rather to get to a good butchering size in minimal time. You may want to look up forum member Beekissed - I believe she had good luck with keeping some Cornish Rocks beyond their normal lifespan.

 

[VanUnamed]

I have kept a cornish hen (ross, aviagen). She is 5 months old, she lays almost an egg a day, started 2 weeks ago. she is very big, 13lb, but she still manages to jump up into the coop (it's 2 10 inches steps).

 

[Debbie09011970]

How long does it take for Cornish Rocks to start laying, or will they? I just Got an 11 wk old hen today. I hear it is hard to get them to live
past 1 year. What can I do to help one to live as long as possible?
Would like to her with a Barred Rock roo. All suggestions welcome...

I had one live for a long time free range (1-2 years maybe) but I don't remember her ever laying an egg--not even once.