Dark Cornish Crosses

[archeryrob]

Thanks Frank, I had planned on making an small isolated run and coop just for breeding. How many hens do you limit the rooster too?

 

[Fairview01]

@Fairview01 that dark Cornish hen has amazing color. I don't even know where to get a breeding set from. I'm going to have to start going to farm shows and auctions to begin meeting the poultry public.

That particular hen has placed BIS in many shows. I have her daughter also. These 2 and a cockerel were gifted to me by mentor to get me started in darks this this year.

Will send you a link.

Thanks Frank, I had planned on making an small isolated run and coop just for breeding. How many hens do you limit the rooster too?

Most every cornish expert will tell you 3 hens max. I will tell you that I routinely put six hens with my young cockerels. During hatch season i set 40 eggs every 7 days. When i experience more than 2 or 3 infertile eggs in the set the problem has always been with the hens. A rooster will have favorite hens in his harem that he will start visiting more frequently , sometimes to the exclusion of others. These hens are 'easy'. They dont protest his advances, they squat when hes close even if he has no intention to cover and they have a tendency to mill about him. When treats are thrown in the run they are the first to accept food from him. They are his floozies. The fun girls that never get to meet Mom. Rofl.

The other reason people have problems with the perception of high infertility are thin shells. Cornish seem to be prone to laying eggs with thin shells. These eggs are fertile but most die straight away because the shells are so thin before any noticeable embryo development. The solution is not just providing free choice oyster shell either.

 

[archeryrob]

The solution is not just providing free choice oyster shell either.

Is there a solution? Added fish meal pellets to the breeder coop layer pellets?

 

[Fairview01]

@archeryrob

Thats the jam up cock bird i got this weekend to go with the hen below

 

[archeryrob]

Looks good Frank. I want to get some better darks when I can.

 

[Kkhermstead]

I bought my breeder trio from a show breeder. The rooster was about 9lbs when I bought him at 6 months old. The hens were 6-7lbs. I may ship eggs next year, I was going to this year, but I had a baby back in June. The only things I hatched this year was guineas to sell. I hatched a lot of chicks from my trio in 2018 but I didn't weigh them as they grew. however, I got several 8+lb carcasses from my 6 month old cockerels.

I understand this is an old post, but any chance you’re still breeding the dark Cornish? I’m doing some of my own research trying to figure out what would work best for our plans. I have some large English orpingtons that we process the extra cockerels around 6-7ish months and get 5-7lbs dressed. I have been debating Delawares, bielefelders, Bresse, and now Cornish. I’m looking for a good dual purpose for decent/large egg size and good meat, that I can sustain and keep breeding. Autosexing or sexlink qualities would be a plus!

I bought my breeder trio from a show breeder. The rooster was about 9lbs when I bought him at 6 months old. The hens were 6-7lbs. I may ship eggs next year, I was going to this year, but I had a baby back in June. The only things I hatched this year was guineas to sell. I hatched a lot of chicks from my trio in 2018 but I didn't weigh them as they grew. however, I got several 8+lb carcasses from my 6 month old cockerels.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I understand this is an old post, but any chance you’re still breeding the dark Cornish? I’m doing some of my own research trying to figure out what would work best for our plans. I have some large English orpingtons that we process the extra cockerels around 6-7ish months and get 5-7lbs dressed. I have been debating Delawares, bielefelders, Bresse, and now Cornish. I’m looking for a good dual purpose for decent/large egg size and good meat, that I can sustain and keep breeding. Autosexing or sexlink qualities would be a plus!

I have darks left but I’m considering moving to just whites. In my experience, I’d rather have egg layers and meat birds. Dual purpose makes an iffy show on both sides. Getting a dual purpose bird to dress out at 5-7lbs really doesn’t happen except for old big roosters. Depending on where you are, I’d be willing to sell my stock. I haven’t done a test, but the darks are somewhat autosexing but it isn’t as clear as it would be with legbars.