Cornish X VS. dual purpose

[Double Kindness]

Yeah we're expecting a freeze tonight and tomorrow morning yikes! So no cornish x in the cold cold?

 

[LindaB220]

Yeah we're expecting a freeze tonight and tomorrow morning yikes! So no cornish x in the cold cold?

They just don't have enough feathers. They are more spring through fall. If you can make do with your dp birds for the winter, order as early as it's safe to ship them. Last year, people were being put off for weeks because it was still so cold and snowy. And yes, I'm hoping to keep going on the caponizing and poulardizing. (which is much easier)

 

[Double Kindness]

Pouldarizing?? Yes I have 26 dp chickens specific for freezer camp and 6 haffie/ayam cemani chicks which 4 look like roos..

 

[LindaB220]

Pouldarizing?? Yes I have 26 dp chickens specific for freezer camp and 6 haffie/ayam cemani chicks which 4 look like roos..

Caponizing = male
Poulardizing = female.
They are supposedly easier to do than the males and are more tender. BCMariac does both and I listen to her

 

[Double Kindness]

Hmmm, is it basically the same process as caponizing but removing the ovaries?

 

[Luvmybob]

You're overthinking this - a cornish X hen will start laying in the 20-24 week range - about the same as a dual purpose like a Barred rock - the difference is that (if she lives that long), the Cornish will be 15+ lbs, and the Barred Rock will be 6-7.

The fact that the cornish cross grows so fast, and gets so big allows you to harvest them well before they're mature - we harvest at the point that growth slows down and feed conversion goes up - not because the bird has matured. With the Barred Rock, you have to wait until you have an adult bird before they're big enough that they're worth slaughtering, and that means they're older, they've been running around more, and they're more muscly.

My Cornish are 6 months old and started laying at 16 weeks...I've gotten a good 3-4 dozen from my 3 Cornish X, they weigh @ 10-12 pounds.

Buy The Cornish X, my experience, they are a lot tougher than they have given credit for. I have pictures of mine if you click on my link. One of my girls got attacked by a dog and had her neck completely skinned to the bone and she made it just fine. Out of my 6 I've had no casualties, I recommend them, they are delicious!

Good Luck!

Dana

 

[LindaB220]

Hmmm, is it basically the same process as caponizing but removing the ovaries?

Yes, almost. You only do one side and you remove 1" of the tube that goes to the ovary. Easier and quicker. I'd bet they would sell better also.

Maybe @BCMaraniac could fill us in on the process?

 

[BCMaraniac]

Hmmm, is it basically the same process as caponizing but removing the ovaries?

Yes, poulardizing involves castration of the pullet. The Chinese remove the ovary and oviduct at about 4 weeks......very small birds and high risk of bleeding even at that age. The US literature from the 1880's described a procedure that involves removing the section of oviduct closest to the ovary, which is easy to do, once you find the anatomy. Removing it prevents the ovary from developing. The downside to poulardizing is that you have to wait until they are around 14 weeks of age so you can see the oviduct, because it is only about the size of a broomstraw, even at that age.....and if you don't remove closest section and the ovary develops, you will get an internal layer.

These are photos of a section of oviduct removed from a 14 week old pullet. The tine of this forcep is less than 2mm in diameter, and is running through the oviduct, which shows you how small it is and how thin-walled it is since you can see through it.





The pullets castrated by the Chinese method will develop many of the secondary sex characteristics of a rooster....very large comb, saddle feathers, more vibrant colors, etc. They don't crow, however. I haven't read anything in the American literature that states whether or not they develop those characteristics with the removal of the oviduct.

Last year was my first attempt at poulardizing, and not knowing what I was doing, I ended up without success, because the birds were too young to identify the oviduct. I ended with some pullets that layed, and some were internal layers. All are in the freezer....have already been eaten. This year is my first poulardizing efforts that yielded definite oviduct removal. I still have to wait to see if the feather/comb develop resembles a rooster or they become internal layers.

 

[Double Kindness]

That's so interesting! Hmm, much to think about!

I'm excited to get my double chinese caponizing kit soon! My dp roos are definitely not starting to get along. They are getting big though at 7.5 weeks old.

White bresse ship Monday. Ayam cemani hatch this weekend. I'm going to be busy with baby chick brooder watch #3 2014 lol.