Crossing Cornishes

[chickencraz]

I know if you breed Cornishes with rocks you get fast growing meat birds, but are there any breeds you breed Cornishes with that don't have the same problems as Cornish/Rock Xs. I am not necessarily thinking of meatbirds.

 

[donrae]

Are you talking about Cornish Cross, the meat birds? or like Dark Cornish/Indian Jungle Fowl?

If the second, I've mixed them with Ameraucana and have wonderful, hardy hens that lay large blue eggs and are fiercely protective broody momma hens.

 

[chickencraz]

We have bantam red laced white Cornishes. I don't really want a cross like the Cornish crosses people buy for meat and was wondering if you could breed them not to create those.

 

[KoopOnTruckin]

The Cornish Crosses that are sold from hatcheries are not just cornish mixed with white rocks. They are instead a closely guarded "recipe", all of the best stock they have. So if you are just looking at mixing red-laced Cornish and white rocks, you won't get "fast" growing hybrids, in fact at a 22-24% protein feed, they will still only be a shadow of the "Cornish cross" that you could buy from hatcheries. I'm working on a mix of the 2, Dark Cornish and White Rocks, you can see my progress in the below thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1124100/meat-bird-project-delaware-white-rock-dark-cornish

The quick answer to your question is "yes", you will likely not be anywhere near the quick growing hybrids that the hatcheries sell. If you do stumble into that combination, please let me know!!

 

[donrae]

It would actually be hard to get the fast growing meaties from a first generation cross.

Check out the meat bird section, there are some threads about folks starting with your type of birds (although maybe not bantams) and crossing them.



You won't have any of those issues with your birds.