Dark Cornish Meat Birds

[BCMaraniac]

Myself, I want something self-sustaining. I don't want to have to keep buying chicks when I can hatch my own. I'm going to have chickens anyway, so why not have them provide me with both eggs and meat, the way my goats can give me both milk and meat...sort of a two for the price of one deal. The Cornish cross won't give me eggs. Other breeds will give me less meat, but I think it's a fair trade. I trade the same way on the goats...I get one that makes enough milk, even though it is a bit less meaty than a meat breed, but I still get enough of both. I also want to be able to free-range my meat birds to cut down the cost of feeding them...with the coyote and stray dog population here, a heavy slow bird like the Cornish cross just isn't realistically going to be able to free range safely; they are too heavy to run away.

I'd rather do it myself than rely on someone else to provide me with food; that's the whole reason for having my livestock in the first place. Buying a bunch of chicks, raising them, killing them, then having to buy more...that's not what I consider raising my own birds. I may as well just order my meat already prepared by the case...when you throw in the cost of feeding and time spent working on them, it would be about the same in the end.

Now if it was feasible to put some Cornish cross on a diet and raise them up to breeding age and get them to mate naturally, and be as low maintenance as regular chickens and hatch out some nice meat birds that way...but I don't think that's really going to work, especially with the hot, hot temperatures we get here in summer. I've heard from local people that have tried them that if you don't get them butchered before summer here, they die from the heat. We're talking weeks of 105-ish degree weather with no break, even lighter weight animals suffer some from that, even with shelter they get very hot. It just doesn't seem like anyone has been able to do this.

So I'm thinking of putting together a small meat flock of Cornish with white and barred Rocks (since I already have those available to me), Buckeye, Sussex, and Dorking, all seem to be fairly heavy types but still lay well enough that I can get plenty of eggs both for eating and hatching. I'll be using hatchery stock, since that is all I can afford and I'm not interested in raising purebreds anyway.

Same here. I like being able to go from egg to table right here on the farm. I have Copper Marans, and have thought about crossing with a DC to add breast tissue to the carcass. I caponize my roos so I can grow them out larger while maintaining the quality of the flesh.....and have a live source of protein in the event of some interruption in the power grid or other unforeseen situation making refrigeration/freezing unavailable.

 

[biologynerd]

I actually have a freedom ranger, dark Cornish, and Cornish cross pen. Just for that purpose that u are talking about my Cornish x hen is like a bowling ball but is around 6.5 months so we shall see if she will last to lay eggs. I can't wait. I have marans too but after much research, I really want a bigger faster growing bird. But u gotta use what u already have, there's nothing wrong with that. As far as predators, I got the electric netting which is supposed to prevent coyotes and dogs and such, and allow u to freerange. I still have Cornish x cuz u can't beat the feed:meat conversion rate and growth rate and I was able to get cockerels for 2.08 after tax and shipping. (Just until I get chicks from my Cornish x, dark Cornish, freedom ranger pen)

I will let u know if it's possible.
The problem on here is finding dark Cornish that are big enough.. Mine are just smaller and slower growing where unless I found a good source I wouldn't recommend ordering from any hatchery.
My local white Cornish lady who had awesome birds isn't selling until she puts her eggs on eBay first which sucks... But if she does I will be happy to send anyone who's interested her info. They were huge...meat houses! haha.

 

[jacobchristmas]

I have Dark Cornish from McMurray, and I do think they are a little on the small side, BUT, they are nicely shaped and have great dispositions. Very sweet and docile birds, not flighty or skittish. One of mine even became broody and hatched chicks. 

 

[jacobchristmas]

mcmurray has them as good mothers so i was hoping to ler them hatch slme baby chicks out.

 

[biologynerd]

Opinions on whether my best hen and roo are worth keeping to try to improve to get to show quality? Or am I way too far off?

Thanks.

 

[kauaifeerange]

Do this birds get broody? How is it for them to breed and hatch naturally?

 

[Bill Matthews]

Thomson,
Are your mcmurray Cornish about the same size as my ones on here from them? They are 5 months old in these pics... Just wondering if they are even worth trying to breed. Maybe they have a very slow growth rate? I thought they should be full grown by now

This is a relatively old post as things go but seems to be a general theme here......Your Dark Cornish look really good for utility purposes...The Hardcore Show Breeders would probably say "forget it." McMurray cornish are smaller than heritage stock but actually grow faster......You might try Cackle or Mt Healthy...Some of their breeds are larger than McMurray's....Also, if Duane Urch or Sand Hills have
them their's most likely would be larger and closer to Show Stock, generally speaking......I always liked the McMurray strain because of it's relatively quick maturing and excellent table qualities....In the 1940's and 1950's many hatcheries crossed Dark Cornish with New Hampshires or Whit Rocks for faster meat gains...Good Luck...

 

[kauaifeerange]

Whats the best way to breed them

 

[COChix]

Hi,we have some Dark Cornish from Meyer hatchery, they are 20 weeks. Some grew fast and are pretty big now. A couple are on the smaller side, I notice the one's that are smaller are the better foragers and seem to do ok with free range, I am trying to decide what to do with them, allow to grow to maturity and then harvest, keep one for breeding with out BO roosters and for minimal eggs. Have not been able to find alot of information on them. Here are some pictures they aren't the best. We have 4-5 and one i cannot even get a pic of because she runs and is skittering. 3 are pretty friendly and two are not.

 

[SIMZ]

@COChix It's nice to see your pictures! We bought a few Dark Cornish from Meyer and they're 3 weeks now. Now I know what to expect. Our plan was to cross them with our Marans roosters and try to hatch a few.... we'll see. I was hoping they would be really friendly and possibly make a nice broody hen. It will all depend on how they lay...or should I say how much they don't lay.