Cornish Thread

[trifecta]

I've been looking for some Cornish (Indian Game over here) for the past year. We had some hatchery birds when we lived in the states and I loved my little pack of velociraptors! I finally bought 2 pairs this past weekend from a local breeder via the poultry club's auction. They are still in "chicken jail" aka quarantine for another 3.5 weeks. I was originally going to try to rehome one of the cockerels- one is a bit bigger than the other and has figured out his crow a bit more, so I am guessing they are 4 and 5 months old respectively. We planned on breeding them for meat birds for our own use- originally just crosses with our other DP birds but if I'm able to integrate the cockerel(s) rethinking purebreds too.

From what I have read so far on this forum with the difficulties in propegating this breed, that it might be best to hang onto both for now? Thoughts? Obviously I was going to wait for them to clear quarantine before rehoming, but was considering one of the cockerels to be surplus to my needs. I'm starting to think better safe than sorry to hang onto both. Funny bc a week ago I was thinking I would just keep the pullet and hen but the 2 guys are really friendly birds.

I'm surprised at how docile they are. The jubilee hen is completely insulted with chicken jail and believes she is too good for that nonsense, wants to be held, etc. I gave her a bath as she is molting and was looking a bit rough and she loved it. Hilarious. Also the difference in "heftyness" between these birds and my hatchery stock is amazing.

 

[Fat Daddy]

Good morning! Congrats on your new birds! I love Cornish!! I have raised both Dark and White large fowl Cornish for several years now. I believe your plan is wise... I always try to have a back up rooster on hand too... no matter what breed I'm working with. I have tried several crosses of Cornish and other DP birds. I have yet to find one that is consistently better than the pure Cornish for the table... There are always a handful of good ones in every batch. But more that are less.... Most folks that try, forget to hatch a control group beside the "experiment" cross. Without the control group, it's easy to misinterpret the results... My results have mostly produced birds that lose the breast of the Cornish and gain longer, lanky legs. I don't mind long legs on a meat bird. But the meat to bone ratio always seems to suffer. Good luck with your birds. I'd like to hear about how your project works out! Bill

 

[Dave C]

I really like your blue rooster. Do I see Blue in the tail feathers of some of those Hens or is it just tricks of the light?

Thank Bill, he's a nice bird but most importantly matured early and at a nice weight.

Yes I have 2 blue laced Pullets in with him.

 

[trifecta]

Good morning! Congrats on your new birds! I love Cornish!! I have raised both Dark and White large fowl Cornish for several years now. I believe your plan is wise... I always try to have a back up rooster on hand too... no matter what breed I'm working with. I have tried several crosses of Cornish and other DP birds. I have yet to find one that is consistently better than the pure Cornish for the table... There are always a handful of good ones in every batch. But more that are less.... Most folks that try, forget to hatch a control group beside the "experiment" cross. Without the control group, it's easy to misinterpret the results... My results have mostly produced birds that lose the breast of the Cornish and gain longer, lanky legs. I don't mind long legs on a meat bird. But the meat to bone ratio always seems to suffer. Good luck with your birds. I'd like to hear about how your project works out! Bill

Thanks! I was really impressed with the carcass quality on the white Cornish thread (which is what got my brain working on the project). It will be a few months before they come back into lay but I may try hanging my solar light up in the coop in a few months when the girls have feathering back. I'll try to catch up reading all the back posts in the meantime.

 

[Fat Daddy]

Thanks! I was really impressed with the carcass quality on the white Cornish thread (which is what got my brain working on the project). It will be a few months before they come back into lay but I may try hanging my solar light up in the coop in a few months when the girls have feathering back. I'll try to catch up reading all the back posts in the meantime.

Im humbled you are familiar with my birds. Thank you! You mentioned "difficulties in propagating" earlier. My birds have always produced 2 eggs every three days, once they get up and running. With cockerels or second year roosters, my fertility was always poor the first few weeks of the breeding season.... A couple of years ago, a elderly cornish man posted a comment on another forum that hit me... He felt cornish males took longer to be "ready" for the breeding season than the females. He said he always took his breeding pen roosters and put them under added light two weeks before he expected his first eggs. When spring rolled around the next year, I did just as he suggested. When the first egg of the season was laid, the roosters were put back in their respective pens. This was last year. My fertility was scary high right from the start..... I neglected to isolate my males this year. I set my first 18 eggs of the season 10 days ago. 6 were viable..... Guess who wont forget to add lights to his roosters two weeks early next year?!? For the record, I have also found that roosters bred close to the SOP body type, Dont breed well after their second season. They do fine if you A.I. them, so its not a fertility issue. Its a mobility issue. Once they "fill out" they simply are too wide to get the job done consistently.... Using a rooster, that was past his second season. Just because I really liked him. Has torpedoed several of my breeding pens for a season.... Bill

 

[moomoodiddy]

Culled out my 2 spare dark roosters tonight.
Could of advertised them locally, as they are always in demand.
but decided to cull them for the table, as I'm trying to eat as much home grown chicken as possible.

These birds were only on Layers pellets, living free range and chased Pullets around all day.
So I was very pleased with the 3.8kg & 3.3kg live weights at 28 weeks.
I will be processing them in the morning but by the feels of them, the amount of Breast meat on them is very pleasing for a pure traditional breed.

Did you cull them straight from the yard or did you keep them up for a few weeks to ensure taste. I know with some meats you can taste if they have consumed strong flavored grasses like wild garlic.

 

[moomoodiddy]

So I have a couple broilers from a local commercial farmer that were left at pick up day and a couple of weeks ago one started laying, although she has only laid three. I knew they were technically able to lay eggs but did not think they would make it to that age. Has anyone else had experience with this? I doubt they are actually viable eggs.

 

[trifecta]

T

...

So I have a couple broilers from a local commercial farmer that were left at pick up day and a couple of weeks ago one started laying, although she has only laid three. I knew they were technically able to lay eggs but did not think they would make it to that age. Has anyone else had experience with this? I doubt they are actually viable eggs.
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There are lots of threads on this- several people have gotten their commercial broilers (cornishX) to laying age with feed restrictions and exercise. You may want to read the "toad" thread as that is a CX crossed with something else- this thread is focused on purebred Cornish, not hybrid crosses.

 

[moomoodiddy]

T
Quote:
I'm aware of the topic of the thread, just wanted to throw an experience out there. I am not really wanting to add another thread to keep up with. Thanks though, I may just have to check it out from curiosity. I did talk to the poultry farmer today and he is having broilers laying before they leave the farm at 8 weeks, seems odd. Since broilers are not bred for this characteristic, I wonder it is in correlation to another.

 

[Dave C]

​Did you cull them straight from the yard or did you keep them up for a few weeks to ensure taste. I know with some meats you can taste if they have consumed strong flavored grasses like wild garlic.

I culled straight from the yard.
They were very good quality birds and my reserve breeders, but to many Roosters around the place forced my hand.

Normally if the were reared for the pot I would confine them in a Rooster finishing pen and take them at 16-18 weeks.

My main breeder Rooster in with the Pullets now was 6.3lb at 16 weeks.