flavor of cornish x

[firstbatch]

New to raising chickens at all, eggs or meat, we decided to try both. We chose the cornish x for meat birds (25) just to see how it goes. We will likely over the winter do some more research and try a different breed next year - assuming the processing part goes ok. I hunt with my husband and am ok with the butchering process, as it usually falls on me to cut up the deer or elk....blah blah blah. My question is about the taste of the cx's. Our neighbor insists that they are no good. Says I should have stuck with a true breed and not gotten one altered to grow so fast, says the meat has no taste. Any input? Chicken is the only meat we buy from a store, (and an occasional turkey). I would think even if it is a commercial type bird, anything grown at home has to be better...am I likely to be disappointed in the quality of meat? They are 4 weeks, I feed them a 20% starter - just started removing feed in the evenings, they are in a 12x12 tractor outside with 2 large waterers which is moved daily. We are planning to butcher between 9 and 10 weeks.

 

[dancingbear]

If you enjoy store-bought chickens, you'll like the home-grown Cornish X's. They'll be better than the ones from the store. I'm kind of a die-hard dual-purpose fan, they have better flavor. But the store bought birds still taste like chicken, and the Cornish X's do, too. Though I prefer the more intense flavor of older, dual-purp birds, I don't at all agree that Cornish X's are no good.

Enjoy your quick-crop birds, and next year you may want to try something else. Enjoy those, too! Any home raised chicken will be better than the supermarket birds, don't let your neighbor's opinion worry you.

 

[stanglover2001]

Well seeing as you are like us (starting chickens because we only buy chicken) I've started some CornishX as well and since we just started I have no ideal if the taste is going to be different, but it should be better than the store bought. We are doing some Dual Purpose chickens as well (Barred Rocks, New Hampshire Reds, RIR's, Silver Laced Wyandottes, and a few others) and we ate some young RIR's and they weren't very fat so 2 chickens fed the both of us because we didn't get much breast just legs, and no wings (butchered at 13 or soo weeks). I don't think you'll be disappointed with the CornishX if you want chicken ready sooner than waiting months for the others to be ready because mine are at 15 weeks about to go on 16 and still aren't very big soo

I hope this helps and I wouldn't worry they'll taste good if you let them graze on grass and bugs and not do like commercial feeding! Mine are on 20% as well and it sounds like you're doing everything you should be with them.

 

[ben&momschicks]

I raised my first cornish x this spring and I will tell you that they are much better than store birds. I also raise dual purpose for meat and, to me, they (dual purpose) are even better. The only drawback with dp is the size and I let them go for 16 weeks. Your home grown cornish will be great in both taste and texture. They are not mushy like store chicken but not tough either. I like to have a supply of both kinds of chickens. Good luck.
Karen

 

[firstbatch]

Thanks for the replies...put my mind at rest. I definately imagine we will branch out into other varities of birds, but was hoping for a once thru of the whole process to decided what we wanted to do. I do like the idea of duel purpose birds.