Delaware X Cornish...

[shelleyb1969]

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I plan on keeping a trio of the wlr Cornish for pure breeding anyways. So I will be playing around with different crosses. Who knows...I may try a BCM and Cornish cross.

Those might produce really nice, big, meaty offspring.

 

[Buster52]

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Not that particular cross, but close.

I'm experimenting this year with Del over Dark Cornish and Cornish over Del. As I suspected might happen, the birds have a taller frame than a Cornish and a heavier breast and generally more mass than a Del. I'm quite pleased so far. Haven't butchered any yet, though.

The only difference I'm finding between the two crosses right now is coloring, which doesn't really matter to me, as I don't eat the feathers.

 

[Buster52]

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Their catalog is confusing. They list "Jumbo Cornish X Rock" which is self-explanatory. But they also list "Cornish Roaster" and say it is a more active bird but slower to mature - but only about 2 weeks longer than the CxR.

Yeah, that's just some very creative marketing. It's the same bird you keep a couple of weeks longer to get a bigger bird.

 

[AlbionWood]

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I don't think that's right, just reading the catalog descriptions. It's described as a different bird, and it's priced differently. Reading between the lines, it seems the "Cornish Roaster" is most likely a different strain of Cornish X - maybe not a CxR, but some other cross? It's a mystery. Maybe I'll ask them!

 

[eKo_birdies]

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Their catalog is confusing. They list "Jumbo Cornish X Rock" which is self-explanatory. But they also list "Cornish Roaster" and say it is a more active bird but slower to mature - but only about 2 weeks longer than the CxR.

Yeah, that's just some very creative marketing. It's the same bird you keep a couple of weeks longer to get a bigger bird.

no.. it's not the same bird at all. i have raised both the jumbo cornish and the cornish roaster (both from mcmurray) side by side, and can tell you from EXPERIENCE that they are not the same bird. i would place the cornish roasters in between the jumbos and the freedom rangers in terms of growth rate and foraging abilities. my roasters finished at 11-12 weeks, as opposed to 8-9 wks for a jumbo and 13-14 wks for my rangers.

ETA the cornish roasters had VERY few of the "normal" problems the jumbos have, like going down on their legs. they seemed to be much healthier birds in general. that said, i will probably never raise anything other than freedom rangers based on the taste of the finish product alone!!!!!!!!

 

[shelleyb1969]

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Not that particular cross, but close.

I'm experimenting this year with Del over Dark Cornish and Cornish over Del. As I suspected might happen, the birds have a taller frame than a Cornish and a heavier breast and generally more mass than a Del. I'm quite pleased so far. Haven't butchered any yet, though.

The only difference I'm finding between the two crosses right now is coloring, which doesn't really matter to me, as I don't eat the feathers.

Yeah...feathers leave an aftertaste.

Please post with your opinions/results after your first butchering. I'm very interested to know all the details.

At what age do you plan on butchering?

 

[shelleyb1969]

Well, it seems I'm off to a very bad start with this project. Of the 12 WLR Cornish eggs, only 3 are developing. The others had busted air cells and were scrambled. I'm not going to hold my breath that these 3 will make it to hatch...the odds are against them. I guess I should start trying to find some more hatching eggs and give it another try. All 3 of these eggs will need to hatch as pullets in order for me to make a go of it at this point.

 

[SteveH]

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That's too bad Shelley . Sounds like our good old U.S.P.S. has been at work

 

[slc]

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Their catalog is confusing. They list "Jumbo Cornish X Rock" which is self-explanatory. But they also list "Cornish Roaster" and say it is a more active bird but slower to mature - but only about 2 weeks longer than the CxR. (Then just to confuse things even more, they list "Cornish Game Hens" but from the description it's clear these are just female CxR.) Those "Cornish Roaster" are the ones I wonder about; because the description sounds as if they are NOT CxR, yet there is a sidebar "Please Note: Cornish Roaster, Cornish Game Hens, and Jumbo Cornish x Rocks are hybrids..." So does anyone know what those really are?

And getting back to the topic: Are there any breeders in the West providing White Cornish that we could try crossing with our Delawares?

There are different strains of cornishX produced by the international breeders. Check out Sasso and Hubbard and you'll see different options for breeder parents etc. The roasters may just be a different strain of cornishx from the fastest growing jumbo strain. Still all cornishX though.

BTW. According to the chicken calculator you can produce pure white cornish by crossing solid black (silver) to wlr. The wlr is dominant white which will replace black coloring but extend red. Black trumps red and dominant white trumps black.

You could in theory create a solid black cornish line by introducing a solid black breed (black broiler etc.) to dark cornish and back crossing to dark cornish until you have good solid black cornish stock. Breed that black line to white laced red and you'll get all pure white cornish.

 

[goatranch]

I am so glad to see this thread. I am working on that cross as well (Del & Cornish). I have some Del pullets just about ready to start laying. I was given a beautiful White Leghorn Roo. I don't know what that will do to the meatiness of the bird, right now I am just having fun with crossing the birds I enjoy having. I kept back one of my jumbo cornish and he will never breed. He is way too lazy. The only way he would have any interest in the hens is if they had an ear of corn strapped to their backs!!!! Good luck to everyone that is trying to breed a sustainable flock. It is alot of work, but also fun!