First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[Chicken girl 15]

A friend and I are attempting 1 NN roo over 3 or 4 cx hens that I managed to keep to a safe weight. They are big as tanks but got there relatively slow in terms of what the others grew. Sounded like a good mix as the NN put less protein into feathers and more into meat and the cx are just big.. Oh and tasty, we cooked our first 3 tonight and my buddy (who said fresh chicken is nasty) said it was the best chicken he ever ate.

 

[duluthralphie]

A friend and I are attempting 1 NN roo over 3 or 4 cx hens that I managed to keep to a safe weight. They are big as tanks but got there relatively slow in terms of what the others grew. Sounded like a good mix as the NN put less protein into feathers and more into meat and the cx are just big.. Oh and tasty, we cooked our first 3 tonight and my buddy (who said fresh chicken is nasty) said it was the best chicken he ever ate.

I like BIG roasted chickens. Because of the predator problem I had with my turkeys, I am going to have a "toad" for Thanksgiving this year, I think he will be well over 15 pounds the way he is growing. (dressed weight)

 

[JRNash]

Which direction do you recommend the cross for the Cx side. (Cx)x (?)
Or (?)x(Cx)

 

[duluthralphie]

I like BIG roasted chickens. Because of the predator problem I had with my turkeys, I am going to have a "toad" for Thanksgiving this year, I think he will be well over 15 pounds the way he is growing. (dressed weight)

I guess I was half asleep when I posted this. Not even sure what I was thinking other than about AI and breeding. The problem was the low rate of conception and the hens getting chewed up by the spurs this past year.

I also had some "fancy" show breeds that had poor fertilization because of fluffy feathers. I need to trim them to gety them to "conceive" (sounds better than fertilize). Trimming Bert Jr helped on the number of babies I got.

Now Bert Jr is in retirement. But Bert III is inline for the job and he is larger than Bert Jr. Even though I have not decided who Bert III is yet.

I am already planning a Bert IV for the fair next year. He will hatch on April 15, tax day, by Fair time he should be huge at 14 - 15 weeks. Let's see if a CX can keep up with him.

 

[duluthralphie]

Which direction do you recommend the cross for the Cx side. (Cx)x (?)
Or (?)x(Cx)

I actually would try to use the hen for the CX side, A smaller rooster does less damage to the hen, of course that only matters in f1, Beyond that you are going to have huge birds.

Unless, you are bringing in a third line.

I do not think it makes a lot of difference as the size and rate of growth which side is which. I know there are people that would argue with that and say the rooster is 75%, but their are people that would say the opposite too. I have just not found a lot of difference.

If you want to hear something weird. Remember when I first put this generation ( the first group) outside into their pen to "free range". I picked a black chick at random., and put in with them to "teach" them how to be chickens.

He has the body shape and size (almost) of a Toad! He has no toad genetics in him. I have asked him why he looks so weird. I told him DNA does not rub off the Toads to him. I will try to get you a picture of him, if the fog goes away and it ever quits raining. The bird does not look at all like his biological brothers and sisters. He is fed a skimpy amount of feed compared to my other birds. Just unexplainable to me.

 

[Turk Raphael]

I actually would try to use the hen for the CX side, A smaller rooster does less damage to the hen, of course that only matters in f1, Beyond that you are going to have huge birds.

Unless, you are bringing in a third line.

I do not think it makes a lot of difference as the size and rate of growth which side is which. I know there are people that would argue with that and say the rooster is 75%, but their are people that would say the opposite too. I have just not found a lot of difference.

If you want to hear something weird. Remember when I first put this generation ( the first group) outside into their pen to "free range". I picked a black chick at random., and put in with them to "teach" them how to be chickens.

He has the body shape and size (almost) of a Toad! He has no toad genetics in him. I have asked him why he looks so weird. I told him DNA does not rub off the Toads to him. I will try to get you a picture of him, if the fog goes away and it ever quits raining. The bird does not look at all like his biological brothers and sisters. He is fed a skimpy amount of feed compared to my other birds. Just unexplainable to me.

My friend and I took the poultry AI course offered by WVU a couple years ago and it's really not that complicated. I could understand if folks were expected to wield two birds around to get the job completed but it's not half as difficult as many seem to think.


The cock bird is 'manipulated'......holding his whole body upside down with feet up and getting him in the mood....sort of like masturbating the whole rear of the cockerel, checking for "progress' now and again but keeping an eye on things...when the semen appears, draw it off with an excellent pippete and move onto the hen.....Oddly enough, proceed with the same mechanics as the cock but when the hen shows wetness, empty the cock's pipette directly onto the wet area of the hen and proceed with the masturbation of the hen's rear body, while still having it aimed upward... Keep her held in the up-side-down position for at least a few minutes....then set her off into a dark corner in a covered smaller cage.


Everything I've said above is quite, no, absolutely correct.


then light cigarettees all around. May be have a glass of wine for yourself....Masturbating two head of poultry has got to take something out of ya.

 

[Turk Raphael]

I actually would try to use the hen for the CX side, A smaller rooster does less damage to the hen, of course that only matters in f1, Beyond that you are going to have huge birds.

Unless, you are bringing in a third line.

I do not think it makes a lot of difference as the size and rate of growth which side is which. I know there are people that would argue with that and say the rooster is 75%, but their are people that would say the opposite too. I have just not found a lot of difference.

If you want to hear something weird. Remember when I first put this generation ( the first group) outside into their pen to "free range". I picked a black chick at random., and put in with them to "teach" them how to be chickens.

He has the body shape and size (almost) of a Toad! He has no toad genetics in him. I have asked him why he looks so weird. I told him DNA does not rub off the Toads to him. I will try to get you a picture of him, if the fog goes away and it ever quits raining. The bird does not look at all like his biological brothers and sisters. He is fed a skimpy amount of feed compared to my other birds. Just unexplainable to me.

Strange...in the solid mess of confusion I have here..there is ONE solid black bird. It's comb seems hard, shaped like the beak and comb runs together like the front end of the SR-71 Raptor. Seriously, what do you think that comes from?? I think it's a cockerel and if he is and fertile, I have great plans for him and already setting up unprecedented security for him...or her.

This is a very POOOOR pic and I'm sorry. I will try to get my friend to take some pics. He hates it because I make him do this kind of thing because he works for the Louisville Courier Journal. If he can't take good pics, he should GET FIRED... He'LL SEE THIS.

Last Edit...This bird is very long legged. There's not much room on the brooder's roost but he will get on there, one way or another. Very pushy for a hen (if he's not a cockerel) and again...he is at least 20 inches tall when standing fully erect.

Seriously...I have touched his comb many times because he's quite chummy...it feels like the bottom of a turtle shell. Firm, not at all pliable, at all.

 

[duluthralphie]

Here is my dark fellow that looks strange.






Here is one of mine next to a 6 gallon fount to give you a size reference.

 

[JRNash]

I think I will pick one of the Dark cornish x Scx to put with the hens. The Cx rooster I will try AI on the Dark Cornish hybrid hens. They have some excellent videos on YouTube. Doesn't look to complicated. The monsoon continues down here in Texas and Louisiana. Im soooooooo tired of rain

 

[JRNash]

Your birds are huge Ralph!