Cornish Thread

[trifecta]

2 questions...
How many weeks do your Cornish typically lay for? I was about to start everyone under lights this week, but I'm leaving for a week at the end of July and don't want to miss out on fertile eggs for hatching. Hubby doesn't know it yet but he is going to build me a second coop so I can hatch out every Cornish egg this year. I'm thinking I might pull all roosters out this week and put them under lights. When I get back the first week of Aug I can put the 2 hens in the lighted pen and pull the other roosters out so my breeding trio is under lights.

Second- have you ever had a broody pullet??? We got back from vacation and my dark pullet was "missing". Found her in a nest box guarding eggs. She got over it quickly but I wasn't expecting it- as far as I know she has never laid an egg!

 

[CLSranch]

My large fowl dark Cornish laid (with some slacking) all winter.

I almost asked why the lights in the middle of summer then looked at your location. Not summer.

It could increase your fertility and production having lights. I just kept mine separate long enough before spring so that when they started to sit they would be with the roo's I wanted them to be with. 6 wks is a good time frame I'm told.
I have a bantam Spangeled Cornish that just started setting. Out of 4 hens I get 2 eggs a week (small even for a bantam, and for a long time no yolk). I just put them in the dogs bowl with her breakfast.

 

[trifecta]

Yup pretty short days here. Over the last 2 weeks the eggs have really slowed down- the dark LF pullet is probably just old enough to start laying and may have started as I recently started finding very round pullet eggs- unusual shape compared to my other girls. The LF jubilee hen has almost all her feathers back after a very hard molt so I think she will start laying again soon.

 

[CLSranch]

I chose Dark Cornish because they are good setters

 

[Fat Daddy]

My Cornish start laying mid march, our early spring, and by mid august they are finished. fertility drops to almost none by mid July. This was both LF Darks and Whites... It's common in Cornish to see eggs that are not "egg shaped", some aren't even symmetrical. Sometimes it's hard to tell which is the small end they are so round. This does not seem to effect hatchability. I sometimes have to candle to find the air cell... I also fight a constant battle with pullets try'n to go broody. If she makes up her mind she's gonna sit. She'll stop laying and stay on the nest and growl at me even if there are no eggs at all. Once she stops laying, you will likely have to break her before she'll start laying again. If you hope to force them with lights out of season. I'd recommend starting your cockerel on 15hrs two weeks ahead of the pullets. It takes the roosters a bit longer to get on board. The pullets wont lay like it's spring but you can get some hatchable eggs. Good luck

 

[Fat Daddy]

I got this egg today from a two year old White Cornish hen in Pen "C".... but they pop up regularly.... It's hard to see in the pic but it not only almost round but kinda mis-shaped too...

 

[Fat Daddy]

Ten of this seasons oldest chicks. They range from 9 to 11 weeks old. Some are showing traits I'm looking for. Some will taste just like chicken!....

 

[Dave C]

Very nice shape to them

 

[Dave C]

This threads gone a bit quiet!!!

How's everyone's chicks and growers coming on?

Here is big Blue, I have some nice sons of him to choose from for next year.

 

[firstlight]

Is there anyone in the PNW with good quality cornish? I'm open to any color.

I butcher 300 chickens a year and hope to transition from cornish x to something more interesting so we can use our culling to improve the breed. Cornish seems like the obvious option. I can incubate eggs or brood chicks, or start with a breeding group. I've just been surprised about how tough they are to find.