Dark Cornish qu estion

[HappyFarmLady]

I keep reading how tastey the dark cornish chickens are. How long does it take before you can butcher them?

 

[lonesomerider]

Happy Farm Lady: No answer to your question yet; maybe I can help a little. I've raised small bunches of Dark Cornish chickens almost yearly for a number of years. I treat them mostly like any other dual purpose breed.....process when they are 12 to 20 weeks old, usually, and cook them longer and slower than the CX from the grocery store, so no broiling and no George Foreman rotissarying. They're slower growing, so before that, they're pretty small, but do have a surprising amount of meat when nearing full growth. For the very best batch of homemade chicken soup that you'll ever have, use a two or three year old Cornish hen. Tastes so good that it should be illegal!!

Mine are good grazers....first birds to hit the pasture in the mornings, and easy to get along with. Very, very healthy. Hope this helps.