Difference in $ male and female Cornish X

[Mrs. K]

I am ordering some Cornish cross birds for my freezer. There is what seems to me a funny price difference.

The males are the most expensive, the straight run the next and the all female is the cheapest. So do the females grow a bit slower, or don't get as big, or is there another downfall I am not seeing. I never paid attention in the past, just ordered straight run, as I didn't plan on doing anything with these birds but eating them.

MRs K

 

[3KillerBs]

So do the females grow a bit slower, or don't get as big,

That's my understanding from my reading. The males grow larger faster so they're the premium birds.

 

[Mrs. K]

Ok good, thought that might be it. Not a big deal to me.

Now I should be able to raise these up with my broody hen, after two weeks, I will pull them off and put them in the grow out pen.

 

[Geena]

Yep, the boys grow faster than the girls, but the pullets eat less and you can grow them out a lot longer than the cockerels, so it's six of one, half a dozen of another to me. One added benefit I find with all female meat birds is that the flock is 10X calmer, quieter and more orderly than a straight run batch.

 

[Welllaidacres]

Yep, the boys grow faster than the girls, but the pullets eat less and you can grow them out a lot longer than the cockerels, so it's six of one, half a dozen of another to me. One added benefit I find with all female meat birds is that the flock is 10X calmer, quieter and more orderly than a straight run batch.

Depending on if you're just raising for yourself or selling to others having one gender is also nice for consistent sizing if selling.