Crossbreeding

[Parront]

I would like to hatch my own meat birds . would you recommend a fast growing pure breed to me. My BCM Cockerels took a few weeks longer then the Red broilers But seem to be far superior. The BCM hens are not worth the trouble.

I have to say, I am still pretty new here, I have raised chickens in the past and am getting back into the game. I have raised the Cornish-X, and standard breeds, but not BCM.

 

[bald Rooster]

The next generation might have throw-backs to the parent or grandparents. Those birds are inbred, as another poster mentioned. They are sometimes a dwarf, or slow-growing, to add some genetic factor to the final bird. You will want to hatch a lot to get good birds, and cull out the small or undesirable ones. They do not reproduce what the birds you bought are -- but a lot of them will have the same qualities as the broilers you bought. Do you want them for starting your own home-grown meat bird line, or just to eat? That makes a difference. If just to eat, you will save time by just buying more chicks. If you want the genetic line to raise your own, it will take generations.

I guess I might have a throw back because One of the pullets I kept Is white with some gold color, She is a perfect chicken,nice ,pretty,lays nice normal eggs .no health issues as of yet but I bet she weighs 15pounds.

 

[Parront]

I guess I might have a throw back because One of the pullets I kept Is white with some gold color, She is a perfect chicken,nice ,pretty,lays nice normal eggs .no health issues as of yet but I bet she weighs 15pounds.

That is the problem, when you breed them, anything can happen! Sometimes good, sometimes not so good.

 

[Parront]

Here is a thread about starting a line from Cornish-X meat birds, you might be interested in if you have not seen it yet: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/toad-raising.1152440/