Cornish Thread

[sambat]

Since the size and type traits carry heavier from the hens than roosters, to get the meatier cross, I have used the Cornish females.  The Buckeyes, being that they have Cornish blood in them, already have (or should have) a good meat quality to them, but the combination has produced larger frame but meatier birds this way.  Even the hens were in excess of 8 pounds.

Interesting, I've always have heard it was the other way around and that the reason the male is used in the broilers cornish X is that the male gives the double breast. I recall reading that they can do it the other way around but that the offsprings is not quite as big. I want to say they called them conkling or something along those lines

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

They are half plymouth rocks so they should lay pretty good

I'd be very interested to know exactly which breeds were used to create those cornish rock crosses- I'm guessing white cornish, white rock, RIR and ? - It's a huge secret. But it goes to show just how plastic the chicken genome is, if you select carefully, what can be done.

I'd really like to see an exhibition cornish done for dinner- although I guess they are too valuable for that to ever happen!

 

[sambat]

$100 dollar bird, cooked and sides ...will taste great Im sure but you will certainly have buyers remorse lol

 

[sambat]

I'd be very interested to know exactly which breeds were used to create those cornish rock crosses- I'm guessing white cornish, white rock, RIR and ? - It's a huge secret. But it goes to show just how plastic the chicken genome is, if you select carefully, what can be done.

I'd really like to see an exhibition cornish  done for dinner- although I guess they are too valuable for that to ever happen!

Broiler industry has way more technology and genetics studies than us. I think best we can do is get good show quality cornish hens and good show quality plymouth rock roosters, the get you some Cornish Rock broilers and free range them and do your best to raise them to maturity. Cross the Cornish X rooster with show quality cornish hens and the Rock rooster with Cornish X hens. Then choose your best of each and have two separete flocks one for the sire and one for the hen.... Im working on doing this myself. Might sound birdbrained but sure am going to give it my best shot!

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Broiler industry has way more technology and genetics studies than us. I think best we can do is get good show quality cornish hens and good show quality plymouth rock roosters, the get you some Cornish Rock broilers and free range them and do your best to raise them to maturity. Cross the Cornish X rooster with show quality cornish hens and the Rock rooster with Cornish X hens. Then choose your best of each and have two separate flocks one for the sire and one for the hen.... Im working on doing this myself. Might sound birdbrained but sure am going to give it my best shot!

Just for fun and for colour I've ordered some hatchery buff rocks to cross with my dark cornish rooster (this will be a 2017 project). I had not thought of doing this for the meat potential. But, I doubt I would cross a plymouth rock with a cornish if I was after a meat project bird- I'd probably use a Malines. Too bad the turkey headed Malines seems to have disappeared, that's the one I'd really like.

$100 dollar bird, cooked and sides ...will taste great Im sure but you will certainly have buyers remorse lol

 

[wyndotte lover]

I only have one meat bird and dad I think is a redranger mom is white leghorn he's taking after his dad but he is white and is getting big I want get a Cornish or a white rock to cross with him

 

[sambat]

Well we know the Cornish Rock works so thats why I am going with it. Wouldnt mind a Cornish Dorking or something like them

 

[Minniechickmama]

Whatever is in the Cornish Rock Crosses, it is a 'recipe' going back decades. The lines used to produce what we get from hatcheries today has been developed and selected for for 60-70 years. Here is one image I found that was from a comparison using photos of the same aged birds from the same angle that were on the same exact diet. It had to be part of an industry study.



If the breeders continually and carefully and very selectively bred the bird with the greatest mass and fastest development, that it is not hard to believe they have achieved this change over the time period since it began. I am certain that they must use AI to produce the offspring they do, but I would find it hard to believe that any genetic alterations took place. Look at pure Cornish, they get pretty huge, the difference is that they take a long time to do it.

 

[Minniechickmama]

The reasons I do enjoy raising the CRX for my freezer is that they are done in 8-9 weeks (depending on how big I want them to get) and that is it for raising them. Also, my family enjoys the tenderness of them and the amount of white meat they produce. I have plenty of pure birds, but I have a market for them to sell at 4-6 months that relieves me from feeding them out longer to reach the size I would want them to be. I do can some of the pure birds though so that their meat is tender and they make for quick meals when I am short on time, the flavor is amazing and the meat is so tender it falls apart.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Interesting, I've always have heard it was the other way around and that the reason the male is used in the broilers cornish X is that the male gives the double breast. I recall reading that they can do it the other way around but that the offsprings is not quite as big. I want to say they called them conkling or something along those lines

I have had a number of breeders advise me that if I want bigger birds, use bigger females. If I was to influence the color, find a better colored male or one with better egg color if that is what I am looking for. Size and type come from the girls and color comes from the boys. In comparing that rule of thumb to what I have produced, I must agree that it works more that way. We would think that bigger males would be key, but it is not from what I have found.