Good meat bird cross over Australorp?

[Goddess Sekhmet]

I'm currently breeding Australorps for the benefits that the hens give; have just processed some unneeded roosters at 5 months, but they were a little underwhelming...

If I wanted to cross something over my Australorp hens that was closer to a good meat chicken, what would you recommend and why?

I'm in Australia, so not really sure if we have 'Cornish' here either - so happy for advice and recommendations

 

[Ridgerunner]

You might chat with your neighbors to see what is available in Australia and how you might get it. Someone may have produced the bird you want and be willing to share breeding stock or hatching eggs. Or they can tell you how to get Rangers or Cornish X.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...and-that-funny-little-island.598568/page-3461

What do you consider a good meat bird? What qualities are you looking for? What did you not like about them? Give us some help in knowing what you are after.

For thousands of years people have been raising chickens and feeding their families using chickens that have a smaller carcass than the cockerels you just ate. I grew up on one of those farms and have raised Black Australorp so I'm really confident saying that. Still, there are ways to do better, depending on how much you are willing to put into it and what you want.

Dual purpose chickens like your Australorp produce a fair number of eggs and a reasonable meat carcass. The Cornish X and Ranger types are meat specialists, you don't raise them for eggs. The commercial egg laying hybrids produce a lot of good sized eggs but not much meat. They specialize in eggs. You can produce a bird that gives you a better carcass without sacrificing that much egg laying ability compared to your Australorps but don't expect to match the specialists with a dual purpose bird.

 

[Goddess Sekhmet]

Thanks for your response

Probably due to being used to the supermarket birds, and seeing quick the Cornish X grew in the US - I was likely wanting something akin to that.

I've just found out that Cornish = Indian Game here in Australia, so I might give that a go in the spring and see how well the offspring grow

 

[RiverOtter]

For mutts, your best bet is actually a Leghorn rooster. Not kidding, they throw fast growth and a much greater proportion of breast meat when crossed over a heavy breed hen. Pullets from the cross are basically Sex Links, as far as growth and laying go.

However, like any crossbred, the next generation will be all over the place for size, growth and laying.

 

[nicalandia]

I'm currently breeding Australorps for the benefits that the hens give; have just processed some unneeded roosters at 5 months, but they were a little underwhelming...

If I wanted to cross something over my Australorp hens that was closer to a good meat chicken, what would you recommend and why?

I'm in Australia, so not really sure if we have 'Cornish' here either - so happy for advice and recommendations

If you could just feed restrict some actual cornishX hens and cross them with your Australorp rooster

 

[Ridgerunner]

e just found out that Cornish = Indian Game here in Australia, so I might give that a go in the spring and see how well the offspring grow

Indian Game are not the Cornish X, they are true Cornish. The Cornish X is a hybrid that has been developed for commercial meat qualities. Your Indian Game is more of a dual-purpose breed (though supposedly not great at egg laying) that was one of the parent breeds used way back when to develop the Cornish X.

People developing their own meat chicken lines often use Cornish in that breeding program because they tend to have a lot of breast meat but they do not have the growth rate of the Cornish X.

 

[nicalandia]

Indian Game are not the Cornish X, they are true Cornish. The Cornish X
People developing their own meat chicken lines often use Cornish in that breeding because they tend to have a lot of breast meat

I have seen Dark Cornish Rooster mates ti Cornishx hens an they Cross is very meaty

 

[Goddess Sekhmet]

Loving all the responses so far

I think it will be a worthwhile experiment between a Cornish rooster and Leghorn to see which one yields a better/quicker meat bird over my Australorp girls. Winter is due here in Australia soon, so it's likely I'll have to wait until spring for my 'experiments'

 

[nicalandia]

Loving all the responses so far

I think it will be a worthwhile experiment between a Cornish rooster and Leghorn to see which one yields a better/quicker meat bird over my Australorp girls. Winter is due here in Australia soon, so it's likely I'll have to wait until spring for my 'experiments'

Actually the Leghorn x Australorp cross was very popular many many years ago, it was called the Austrawhite and it was a prolific layer of tinted eggs, but tinted eggs fall out of favor led to the cross breed being not popular anymore. They are not know for being meaty or anything, mostly a prolific dual purpose breed.