Cornish Thread

[fowlman01]

When do hens start to get their lacing? Because I have a dark cornish now that I think this might be a roo but I'm not entirely sure

It looks like a male to me.

Walt

 

[Cedarknob]

It looks like a male to me.

Walt

To me too. On my DCs, even when they're younger than him, I've noticed the male's feathers are considerably darker than the female's first feathers

 

[al6517]

I am with Walt on this one, Yes that's a lil rooster, young DC chick hen's are much easier to spot with lacing/coloring being promanat early on.

 

[chickened]

It's a boy!

 

[Lacey1988]

*frowns* I never have any luck with straight run

 

[Cedarknob]

*frowns* I never have any luck with straight run

I usually used to get more males than females on everything ordered from hatcheries as straight run except for Cornish Rocks, and they had more females than males. Of course Cornish Rocks are the only ones that sell higher as males. If you want a 50/50 chance on sexes, try ordering from a hatchery that does not offer vent sexed chicks. [Some smaller hatcheries only offer sexed chicks from their sex-links and feather-sexed chickens, and often have lower prices than the others.]

I needed just a few Cornish Rock pullets earlier this year so bought 6 straight run at TSC, and they are all pullets. I glanced at their straight run black sex-links, and saw very few females. I usually never buy chicks from places retailing straight run chicks they order from a hatchery, because usually at least 2/3 are male except the Cornish Rocks.

 

[Lacey1988]

I know ya'll said it was a roo but I started really looking at it today and noticed its has alot of brown on it and its getting alot of the laced feathers like the hens do on its back and chest. I wish I could get a better picture of it. I had a dark Cornish roo before and the colors were completely different.

 

[Cedarknob]

I know ya'll said it was a roo but I started really looking at it today and noticed its has alot of brown on it and its getting alot of the laced feathers like the hens do on its back and chest. I wish I could get a better picture of it. I had a dark Cornish roo before and the colors were completely different.

I hope we are all wrong and it does turn out to be a female.

If the Cornish you have owned before were from a hatchery also, there is a good chance they were not colored correctly though, and it is easier to see it on the males. The hatchery birds are sometimes much closer to the color of a Gold Laced Wyandotte male, even though they are double laced, than the color of a Dark Cornish male. To me, many of the hens sold as Dark Cornish by hatcheries are colored more like Barnevelder hens, sometimes even looking more gold than red between the laces. I find the double black lacing on a gold feather to be quite striking, but Cornish are supposed to be mahogany colored, not gold or red.

 

[Lacey1988]

I guess its no telling then lol you never know what your going to get from hatchery ha. Well heres a picture of its chest I don't know if you can tell but there alot of brown on there. My last Cornish roo had a solid black chest. I'm really hoping its a hen because if its a roo its got to go I already have 2 dutch bantams and 1 SLW roo . This was taken a week ago since then the brown has widen and is laced in black

 

[kfacres]

Still say it's a male-- your picture prompted me to give a good look over my dark cornish chicks last night when I got home. I've got one that I've been thinking is a male-- and he looks nearly identical to the ones you have. My females- are obvious to me at this stage of the game compared to him.

BTW: I suppose I'll be selling or butchering when the time comes- that one lonely male Dark chick-- have no use for him.