First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[mountain mom]

Red Nugget, I am laughing so hard thinking of your silkie roo! They are so funny. I really miss my silkie.
And I agree with Ralph. I bet if the girls submit to him, he will be able to take care of business. You may get some crazy looking birds!

Next spring my flock is going to grow.... a lot... all in the name of "4H" for my daughter... hehehe.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Ive been reading through some other threads that go back years. Ive came to the conclusion that there is a lot of close minded opposition to people developing their own backyard meat strains. Ralph you've ALLREADY exceeded the goals I had set for myself by a large margin. I CAN'T wait till mine are old enough to start. I don't care about feed conversion or how many eggs I get.If you want those things buy proven breeds. This is about exploring possibilities.Enjoying the birds. Quality of life.Theirs and mine.lol It amazes me how strongly people will oppose any thing that goes against the establishment.

I noticed that as well - as I read through the various threads, it started really irritating me. It was almost like whenever you wanted to post something about having a good meat bird developed at home, you had to post a disclaimer ("I KNOW these won't grow as fast and big as CXs...") to forestall the inevitable discussion of the special grandparent lines of CXs. While I do realize some folks come in thinking they can just cross a Dark Cornish and a White Rock and they'll have the commercial CXs, that doesn't mean all attempts at improving meat breeds by hybrid crossing should be discouraged.

It comes down to being about using crosses for production (vs. improvement of a specific breed), which not everyone gets. Interestingly, in that book I have from 1941 from WW2-era UK (in which the primary focus is eggs, and any meat from excess cockerels was a secondary, though important, consideration), all birds are expected to serve a dual purpose - no other option. While it lists a number of breeds, it advises hybrids for production, commenting somewhat derisively that if you are willing to sacrifice uniformity in color for more vigor, and lists several breeds and recommended crosses, and discusses the pros and cons of each (egg production, meat incl. breast size, broodiness, and sex-linkage).

Even more importantly, people with domesticated animals of all species/types have been breeding animals to be specifically adapted to their specific location/climate forever. With the exception of breeders who are devoted to bringing back or preserving rare breeds, I personally think that this is a very good thing - it's like selecting plants that do best in your garden to save seeds from. Eventually you have plants that do best in your yard/soil/climate.

I've actually cancelled my CX order for this Fall (please don't kick me off the thread!!!

), because my waitlisted order for Naked necks from Ideal is coming early (like, Fall 2015 instead of Fall 2016 early!) - I can't raise them and the CXs all at once with my existing space/facilities. I'm going to raise and cross Naked Necks and New Hampshire Reds for meat (and they will probably lay OK as well). The Naked neck gene is dominant, so crosses will also have (mostly) naked necks, making them more heat tolerant (very important here in south central Texas) and easier to pluck. (Oh, and Naked Necks taste really good!) Once I have my rooster(s) in place, I plan to get a small batch of CXs next year, and save a hen or two from that batch to make some NNxCX crosses, as well as possibly NHRxCX crosses (if I keep a NHR rooster as well as a NN one). What I like about this is that I can ultimately have smaller batches destined for the freezer/oven throughout the year, and not being constrained to bigger batches (though I may still do that sometime).

I'm also getting Muscovy ducks next spring, to raise for meat - but that's another thread...

- Ant Farm

 

[Red Nugget]

I have no doubt your silkie could do the job.    
Thanks. I'm not sure I will try to hatch any CX Silkie crosses. But you never know.

A person that does not get a huge grin and smile over a teenage rooster crowing lacks a sense of humor.
I hope he gets better at it someday. I can't get much done if he's going to sound and look like this all the time. I'd stop all the working just to try and get him to do it again. LOL

 

[Red Nugget]

Red Nugget, I am laughing so hard thinking of your silkie roo!  They are so funny.  I really miss my silkie.
And I agree with Ralph.  I bet if the girls submit to him, he will be able to take care of business.  You may get some crazy looking birds!

Next spring my flock is going to grow.... a lot... all in the name of "4H" for my daughter... hehehe.

I guess they would look pretty funny. Giant white ball of fluff with black skin? Or would they be little and look like CX?
I've been smiling all morning. I never thought I was going to get a high from having chickens. I'm so glad we did this.

 

[JRNash]

I agree Ralph.

 

[holm25]

More show pics....


MM you're back!!!! I am not actually selling all my poultry. I have sold everything I am going to except for some roos and young pekins. And possibly 2 muscovy drakes.

 

[mountain mom]

I guess they would look pretty funny. Giant white ball of fluff with black skin? Or would they be little and look like CX?
I've been smiling all morning. I never thought I was going to get a high from having chickens. I'm so glad we did this.

Chickens bring such a bright spot to your day! Even to my DH's day... and he has been a naysayer from the start!

As far as looks, here is my best guess...
Black skin would be a dominant trait, I don't know about the feather type though. Size, I would assume you would get a mixed bag. Some big, some medium (the most likely) and some bantam. I am not great at the gene business of chickens though.

 

[Red Nugget]

Chickens bring such a bright spot to your day!  Even to my DH's day... and he has been a naysayer from the start!

As far as looks, here is my best guess...
Black skin would be a dominant trait, I don't know about the feather type though.  Size, I would assume you would get a mixed bag.  Some big, some medium (the most likely) and some bantam.  I am not great at the gene business of chickens though. 

It could be very interesting. I'm such a newbie and have yet to hatch a duck egg after 3 tries. So if one goes broody I'll let her be a mom and see what we get. I think I'll sneak in the duck eggs then too. DH is like your DH I think. But the other day when one of the kids that visit started to chase the chickens, he was the first one to their defence. He told the child if you stress out my chicken she won't lay any eggs. So don't chase her. He had never claimed one before.

 

[JRNash]

I was outside for most of the day today.First time since getting sick.Temp was over 100 humidity a meager 25%. Wasn't bad.lol. what caught my attention was my meatballs playing keep away with the other chicks. Running full tilt from one end of the pen to the other. I know they are hot,I misted water more than once today and kept a large area beneath an oak wet. They like lying in the wet cool dirt. It really surprises me how active they all are in this heat.

 

[duluthralphie]

Chickens bring such a bright spot to your day! Even to my DH's day... and he has been a naysayer from the start!

As far as looks, here is my best guess...
Black skin would be a dominant trait, I don't know about the feather type though. Size, I would assume you would get a mixed bag. Some big, some medium (the most likely) and some bantam. I am not great at the gene business of chickens though.

MM I posted this for another person that was in need of edukating.

On another thread but, just for you: