Home-grown Meatbird ideas.....

[Omniskies]

Cornish try their best, but aren't the best broody hens around. They tend to crush their eggs. I'd use her as part of your breeding program, anyway. Even if she's only laying a few eggs that's still better than nothing. Cross her to a pure rooster that grows extremely fast: Buff Orpingtons, Plymouth Rocks (Barred Rock/White Rock, among others), New Hampshires, or any random breed rooster you have available that seemed to feather out quickly.

If nothing else you can always use her as a first-generation hen, then cross her her offspring.

Enjoy playing with her

 

[greyfields]

My dark cornish hens are the most broody of all my breeds, except maybe for the Marans. I have two separate cornish hens who have hatched their own chicks recently (after emerging from blackberry jungle).

 

[Omniskies]

We had one hen ages ago who tried as hard as she could but kept crunching her eggs. I read that this is a common problem, which is why I didn't bother with a straight run of Cornish and just went with ordering some roosters. I've heard awful things with their fertility, growth and broody skills.

Geh, now I want to change my order.

This forum is so very bad for me.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

From what I understand, some of the traits that make a good meat bird such as FCR and breast size are sex-linked traits, which is why it matters which breed is the rooster and which the hen and why you need a cornish rooster with your purebred hen.

At least, this is how it was explained to me.