Cornish Thread

[theoldguy]

Hi guys and gals, check out a Facebook site (Cornish poultry SOP). I have belonged to them for a couple years. I have bought birds from some of the breeder too. It is an excellent site for information on anything Cornish,LF and Bantam. Friendly people too. thanks Larry

 

[Fat Daddy]

DaveC,  they are lovely!   And they look huge, too especially the hens. Very nice. Fat Daddy do you thing the fertility rates are low because of the shape, or because the roosters aren't overly amorous? 

The fertility rates drop as the birds build gets closer to the SOP.... It's simple mechanics. The short shanks and wide spaced legs that does so well at shows. Is not conducive to natural breeding.... You'll find the best show stock are almost always A.I. bred.... Mine are not interested in mating in cold weather, or when it gets very hot either.....

 

[Fat Daddy]

Hi guys and gals, check out a Facebook site (Cornish poultry SOP). I have belonged to them for a couple years. I have bought birds from some of the breeder too. It is an excellent site for information on anything Cornish,LF and Bantam. Friendly people too. thanks Larry

+1... I'm a member as well! "Cornish Chickens Only" is another good one too....

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

My Cornish must be growing up! Four months old now. One of my roosters was flirting with a hen from my older group of mixed chickens. Up until now the older hens have run them off but today she must have noticed what a handsome dude he was- I wish I had a video of it, you could tell she was checking him out! Lucky for him the older Buckeye rooster didn't notice.

 

[Dave C]

The fertility rates drop as the birds build gets closer to the SOP.... It's simple mechanics. The short shanks and wide spaced legs that does so well at shows. Is not conducive to natural breeding.... You'll find the best show stock are almost always A.I. bred.... Mine are not interested in mating in cold weather, or when it gets very hot either.....

Thanks everyone,
Yes the fashion in the uk is the same, short sticky bulldog types, the breeder I got this strain from has bred for utility meat, eggs and fertility for along time and I'm hoping to continue that on.
Mine look leggy at the minute but will fill out over the next 2 months.
I sold 2 other breeding groups to local guys so I have some back ups and something to outcross to in the future.
The cockerel I kept was the legiest hatched this year.

 

[Fat Daddy]

Seems like long shanks are a battle everyone fights with their Cornish.... Mine are much the same. Are there a lot of cornish of good type in the UK? Here when you say "Cornish", 99 % of people think Cornish cross meat birds from the feed store....

 

[theoldguy]

It is true the closer to the SOP birds the more trouble. Pick young Cockerels with wide combs(there have been study's showing higher fertility with wider combs in the Cornish).I'm setting at 80 to 85 percent fertility.We breed for shorter legs,wider bodies and short beaks .All work against the natural mating.Just chose your breeders well and keep young breeding males. They don't breed in the cooler months as they are tight feathered birds which makes them less cold weather birds.They don't keep the heat in as well as loose feathered birds.

 

[gootziecat]

It has been my personal experience that Cornish bantams do not tolerate the cold well. Infact, one spent part of last winter inside to prevent her from freezing to death. She just couldn't take the cold. The line was from show stock, so they're pretty decent. I'm wondering if hatchery Cornish (bantams) would be able to take the cold better than SOP stock. I've never had hatchery so that is why I'm posing the question. I have an interest in some "practical" Cornish bantams instead of SOP. Thanks.

 

[CLSranch]

It has been my personal experience that Cornish bantams do not tolerate the cold well. Infact, one spent part of last winter inside to prevent her from freezing to death. She just couldn't take the cold. The line was from show stock, so they're pretty decent. I'm wondering if hatchery Cornish (bantams) would be able to take the cold better than SOP stock. I've never had hatchery so that is why I'm posing the question. I have an interest in some "practical" Cornish bantams instead of SOP. Thanks.

I
I would think so. But I also plan on giving mine a year to let the strong survive. Then breed what makes it. I'm new to this breed. But have been reading about Cornish on here and have heard of many that have had some of their Cornish sit and hatch in Dec. While the others layed the same as always.

 

[kfacres]

True Cornish will only lay from about mid April until mid August, regardless of age. As has been said many times, they are a warm weather bird. I could count the number of eggs laid from Sept until March on one hand in all my years combined.