Cornish Rock Meat Bird Breeding Project

[nicalandia]

I've made F1 crosses with CX. Could barely tell they had any CX in them. I'm going to back cross consecutive generations just to see what happens. You speak as if you have tried this yourself. Have any pictures?

DPxCornishx F1s should be twice as productive as Dual Purpose breeds, this is simple genetics backed by actual research data that goes back at least 50 years. But those research works were done on controlled environment with detailed variables, something quite difficult to do on a backyard setting, I suspect you could get better results if the F1s were subject to a broiler type feeding and rearing

Here is a recent(Circa 2014) research on F1 and Reciprocal cross between Comercial type broilers and RIR and Barred Rock

https://www.researchgate.net/profil...es-2-Carcass-quality-and-blood-parameters.pdf


Lohman Dual
These are the F1s I am very interested on(Broiler Breeder Male x Lohman Brown Laying hens) very impressive F1s where the males are about 5 pounds at 8 weeks of age and the pullets lay about 260 eggs per laying cycle which would produce alot of fertile eggs for a Back Cross to CornishX males.
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://www.schweizerbauer.ch/tiere/gefluegel/eine-rasse-fuer-ei-und-poulet-13986.html

 

[trescloudy]

DPxCornishx F1s should be twice as productive as Dual Purpose breeds, this is simple genetics backed by actual research data that goes back at least 50 years. But those research works were done on controlled environment with detailed variables, something quite difficult to do on a backyard setting, I suspect you could get better results if the F1s were subject to a broiler type feeding and rearing

Here is a recent(Circa 2014) research on F1 and Reciprocal cross between Comercial type broilers and RIR and Barred Rock

https://www.researchgate.net/profil...es-2-Carcass-quality-and-blood-parameters.pdf


Lohman Dual
These are the F1s I am very interested on(Broiler Breeder Male x Lohman Brown Laying hens) very impressive F1s where the males are about 5 pounds at 8 weeks of age and the pullets lay about 260 eggs per laying cycle which would produce alot of fertile eggs for a Back Cross to CornishX males.
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://www.schweizerbauer.ch/tiere/gefluegel/eine-rasse-fuer-ei-und-poulet-13986.html

View attachment 2335444

Those are good looking birds. I'm sure all kinds of .... Well Bred heritage varieties would make a great initial outcross. I would go for something meaty but that's me. I'm not really trying to kill the egg count right now but you know I'm starting to realize why I got more isas and amber links. I plan on working those into a true breeding line close to the amberlinks structure. Yes, I know ISAs are hybrids. Sometimes it's just about having fun though. I've actually done some inbreeding with ISAs in the past. Was interestingly fun enough to revisit that project. Some ISA hens can get a cool pencil pattern going on.

Anyway back on topic. Thanks again for participating @nicalandia. Appreciate your input. I put my birds on a diet because of your advice along with Ralphies and others. My broilers are doing better already. About to post a video.

 

[trescloudy]

Took this video last night. These broilers are about 13 weeks and are quite large. But they seem agile and I swear I saw one of the roosters doing the chicken dance at one of the hens. All the birds roosters and hens are doing excellent on their new diet of a light feeding every other evening and limited scratch in between the feed days. Keeps them looking for whatever they can find on the mornings of feed day. I might put the drinkers outside during non freeze months and always just keep feed inside to make them work for their food and water once im totally set back up.

I may have to change my plans and divide the "best" 2 roosters and put them together with their best complimenting hen/s if this diet project keeps working. Of course this may be wishful thinking but these cockerels do seem a little frisky already.

 

[nicalandia]

I'm starting to realize why I got more isas and amber links. I've actually done some inbreeding with ISAs in the past. Was interestingly fun enough to revisit that project. Some ISA hens can get a cool pencil pattern going on.

I have done extensible research on both lines and know just about everything worth knowing about them, if You have a question about their genetics you can let me know and yes You can actually breed them.

You can check my thread about it
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...derstanding-the-genetics-behind-them.1322163/

 

[trescloudy]

I have done extensible research on both lines and know just about everything worth knowing about them, if You have a question about their genetics you can let me know and yes You can actually breed them.

You can check my thread about it
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...derstanding-the-genetics-behind-them.1322163/

Is there any way to distinguish an Amberlink rooster from an ISA brown rooster?

Seems we have similar interests in using modern specialized hybrids to create similar and viable offspring. I think maybe im more into creating sustainable true breeding inbred lines but we are on similar paths if I'm correct.

Anyway my theory is that the industry has put a lot of science into creating these "super hybrids". So the "best" genetics are right there and selective breeding could be a way to create a sustainable flock from top selected genes.

Going back to modern broilers, I think after several generations of inbreeding the incredible rate of growth could and likely will be slowed down while keeping a great deal of bulk but less bulk than modern broilers. So maybe a bird between the bird that we ate in the 70s and the bulky bird we eat now but with a more tasty, moist and kind of oily and fine textured meat.

That's what I want to accomplish with this project. I know it's a lot to pull off but I think its feasible but likely somewhat timely. I love this kind of challenge though. Best part is there are really no rules. It's kind of serious but rules dont always put dinner on the table. Then again, that rule might get shit canned later on. For now it's about having fun with a goal in mind.

 

[Compost King]

CX breeders feeding off a compost pile. I just cleaned out a cage with a lot of spilt feed in it. So no giving them chicken feed rations tonight. I have them exercising and scratching though that hopefully that leads to good health. I believe they are on week 13 or 14.

 

[nicalandia]

Is there any way to distinguish an Amberlink rooster from an ISA brown rooster?

They have the same genetic make up(eWh/eWh, Mh/mh+, Co/Co, S/s+, I/i+) you can't tell the difference in color nor it's genetic potential

 

[trescloudy]

View attachment 2339172
CX breeders feeding off a compost pile. I just cleaned out a cage with a lot of spilt feed in it. So no giving them chicken feed rations tonight. I have them exercising and scratching though that hopefully that leads to good health. I believe they are on week 13 or 14.

Yeah, that's the way. Make them work for their feed.

They look good too.

 

[trescloudy]

They have the same genetic make up(eWh/eWh, Mh/mh+, Co/Co, S/s+, I/i+) you can't tell the difference in color nor it's genetic potential

You know those guys at the hatchery were laughing at me and probably knew what I was up to lol. They didnt do a thing to separate them. It's good, I like white birds. My best shaped rooster of the bunch has the most interesting colors too.

 

[nicalandia]

You can't sex Amberlinks by color, the good news is That You have all of the genetics to recreate RIR, White Rocks, Columbian Rocks, ISA Brown and Amberlink colors, I like the simplicity of all White.