Cornish Thread

[kfacres]

It was meant as a joke....

I know, but as I have already stated over and over, not everyone participating on this site is as understanding and realistic minded as I am.

Yes, there are GMO occuring, but it is to fill a very specific void and create something much needed. To modify these chickens isn't needed, can't be afforded, and isn't needed.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I know, but as I have already stated over and over, not everyone participating on this site is as understanding and realistic minded as I am.  

Yes, there are GMO occuring, but it is to fill a very specific void and create something much needed.  To modify these chickens isn't needed, can't be afforded, and isn't needed.  

Well I disagree about the void that needs filling...but I knew you were speaking in terms of breeding not gene modification.

 

[big medicine]

Back to the egg thing for a moment. Dad's good white large fowl did tend to lay smallish, oftentimes very round eggs, sparingly.

When I got to playing around with my current project birds, there was a noticeable increase in size, darkness, and frequency of eggs. But for the first couple generations after breeding back to the good whites I had a unusually high rate of prolapses in the pullets. Maybe as high as 15 - 20 %. It seemed to have weeded itself out, as those prone to it never got the opportunity to pass this possible egg passing issue on to any offspring.

So the small egg thing might not necessarily have developed solely as a result of focusing on meat production and neglecting egg production. I wonder if the increased muscle mass of good Cornish somehow reduces flexibility, (maybe elasticity is a better word) making it more difficult for Cornish hen to pass a larger egg ?

 

[JRNash]

comparison of the "innards" should be pretty straightforward

 

[JRNash]

GMO's.... what to say. some estimates go as high as 80% in the US current food supply. Whether you're for or against. As long as business is conducted by profit margins, they are here to stay.And it's not necessarily a bad thing. The comment I made concerning the potentials were WITHOUT genetic manipulation or rather gene splicing. They were talking in terms of selective breeding. Look at corn. the possibilities are endless

 

[oshun55555]

Just a heads up, if we are here to learn.

So glad you posted that, that whole Roo thing makes me crazy, I don't even call the mature birds Rooster, In my yards I have Cock Birds

 

[QueenMisha]

Is this thread just for Standard Cornish or are banties welcome too? Is there a specific Bantam Cornish thread?

Either way, I picked up some awesome Black banties today. A young Blue too but he's way too jumpy to get a picture of. Here's some pics of the Blacks.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Back to the egg thing for a moment. Dad's good white large fowl did tend to lay smallish, oftentimes very round eggs, sparingly.

When I got to playing around with my current project birds, there was a noticeable increase in size, darkness, and frequency of eggs. But for the first couple generations after breeding back to the good whites I had a unusually high rate of prolapses in the pullets. Maybe as high as 15 - 20 %. It seemed to have weeded itself out, as those prone to it never got the opportunity to pass this possible egg passing issue on to any offspring.

So the small egg thing might not necessarily have developed solely as a result of focusing on meat production and neglecting egg production. I wonder if the increased muscle mass of good Cornish somehow reduces flexibility, (maybe elasticity is a better word) making it more difficult for Cornish hen to pass a larger egg ?

Any idea of what the egg weights were before (you dad's) , during (Prolapsing hens), and after? (Now). How does the egg size of the hens you have now compare to the ones that were prolapsing? Did you notice any difference in body shape in the hens that lay larger eggs just fine, after the prolapsing hens were culled?
My Cornish eggs have gone from under 40 grams when they started laying to consistently in the mid 45 gram range now(as promised- thanks Hellbender!

). Mind you these are not exhibition Cornish but a bit more typey than most hatchery ones.. At first I was expecting that 55-60 grams should be possible but now I've learned that eggs that size would be detrimental to the hens. But, I'm still curious what a good Cornish shaped hen is capable of, without causing harm.


Queen Misha, I do agree, Cornish look very, very good in black.

 

[JRNash]

Gumbo and Dumplings

 

[JRNash]

Hatchery stock. color and build are off.