Cornish Thread

[JRNash]

Ridgerunner,I'm intending to put my asil "Lucky into the mix when he is OLD enough

 

[QueenMisha]

Sounds like some of the Cornish need some genetic input to put some lead back in their pencils. If only there was a breed with the right look about them that was bred to be virile and to have lots of endurance.

Oriental Games sure fit the endurance and virility part of the package and they've got the bone and the attitude... to dang long and tall though! I bet an incross would do the job but I imagine it would take ages to breed back into something resembling a proper Cornish...

CanadianBuckeye so sorry for the loss of your cockerel... I hope you get another soon!

As a side note, I'm really finding out how much I love this breed since the purchase of my new Bantam Blacks... I've been fond of them for a few years since I got my first MMH "Cornish" (not really Cornish but fun nonetheless)... but these exhibition-types are honestly such cheeky little birds. I've been likening them to "miniature bowling balls with legs and a whole lotta attitude" to my non-Cornish keeping friends. The rooster acts so tough and honestly, even though he's a banty, he sure has the muscle to back it up! Question though... I assume since these are exhibition type or quite close to it (I'll post some proper pics later and let you more experienced fellas decide their quality!), they will require AI to be bred (with success?) Anybody have any good guides to Cornish AI handy?

 

[varidgerunner]

I had a friend that worked at one of the big commercial turkey farms. He said one morning the boss man came in and lined everybody up, and asked "who want's to (I'm not going to say what he said, use your imagination) some turkeys"? To his surprise many of the people that had been there a while shot their hands up. They started handing out equipment, and said, "OK, the rest of you get to suck on the straws." Very low tech, yet effective.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Yeah, that bites. I've seen it with good Cornish, and Brahmas too. I suspect any breed, or cross that approaches that kind of mass is probably susceptible.

Once had a massive buff Brahma cock bird go all purple in the face and down within a minute, with no provocation, while I was watching. Another time I had a very promising Brahma cockerel grazing with flock in the yard. I hear a noise, look over and he is down doing the death shivers. When I necropsied him, he had an enlarged heart.

As to keeping a back up male (which I strongly advise). A few years back, before coyotes made the practice unpractical, I used to let my eating egg hens, and extra males, have run of the place after turning them out for the day. Anyway, one day after returning from being gone for a good bit of the day, I find the gate to the Cornish run open. The Cornish hens are milling about, but no sign of the cock. I found him over in the main coop, in the egg layer section, laying on his back dead. A few feet away I find my back up Cornish male also laying dead. With a half dozen spare Brahmas of various colors in the group, it was the only two male Cornish on the place who had to kill each other. It was a very hot day, which I am sure didn't help any. Luckily, I had eggs, and maybe chicks hatched by then, and was able to continue with the project.

Big medicine how awful.

Frustrating how that guy Murphy always has it in for the most important and the best! My chickens are mostly pets, so I loathe culling- of course, none of the ones that were to be culled EVER dropped dead on their own.

Varidgerunner, I know that Cornish has been added to a lot of breeds to improve them but I don't know what you could add to a cornish, Malay maybe? Pretty long legs but what else? There's a super cute bantam called a Tosa chibi that might be OK to cross with bantam cornish, but for standards- no idea how you'd do that.


Thanks Queen Misha. The cornish were a pleasant surprise, I only got them as an afterthought but like you, once I had them I really liked them. Hopefully the bantams are tougher.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

I had a friend that worked at one of the big commercial turkey farms. He said one morning the boss man came in and lined everybody up, and asked "who want's to (I'm not going to say what he said, use your imagination) some turkeys"? To his surprise many of the people that had been there a while shot their hands up. They started handing out equipment, and said, "OK, the rest of you get to suck on the straws." Very low tech, yet effective.

Ha haaa haaaa!!! Sometimes it pays to volunteer!

 

[JRNash]

if you want to get back to the birds that started it,You have to use the foundation stock they used back then.And have a dose of luck

 

[JRNash]

red breasted asil and old English game of the Darby type. possibly Malays

 

[JRNash]

The prints you see from then show a more leggy bird

 

[JRNash]

I call this guy Tyson

 

[JRNash]