Homegrown Cornish crosses

[Molpet]

How many generations did it take.

I didn't harvest any of the 1/2 CX until they were years old, so I'm not sure what they would have weighed at 16wks. The next generation dressed out that big.. the bjg cross had taller longer bones.. the br were compact like a CX.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I didn't harvest any of the 1/2 CX until they were years old, so I'm not sure what they would have weighed at 16wks. The next generation dressed out that big.. the bjg cross had taller longer bones.. the br were compact like a CX.

Some hatchings of my unknown Roo over my CX hen are listed in my project thread, with weights. Short answer is that about half the offspring got the "size gene" and were markedly larger than their siblings, and about half did not. NONE approached the size of a true CX (and honestly, mother hen while huge didn't bulk up as quickly as others have reported for the breed). Some of that is due to free ranging and not offering a free feed diet, but I doubt is all of the explanation. The female offspring who got "the size" bulked up like their non-Cornish background male siblings, which isn't a bad thing.

ALL got the dominant white with color leakage genetics, which I didn't want and have been culling out.

 

[Molpet]

ALL got the dominant white with color leakage genetics

Same with me. But I wanted white so they dress cleaner. 2nd gen had some barred, which I liked.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Same with me. But I wanted white so they dress cleaner. 2nd gen had some barred, which I liked.

as you know, I'm engaged in a culling project, rather than a breeding project, so I have MUCH less confidence in the parent lines than your own project can offer. TY for the 2nd Gen info, I'm just dipping my foot in with a 1st Gen roo, but still mostly original parent stock back crosses.

 

[Alex_Zurago]

I didn't harvest any of the 1/2 CX until they were years old, so I'm not sure what they would have weighed at 16wks. The next generation dressed out that big.. the bjg cross had taller longer bones.. the br were compact like a CX.

How tall were those Jersey Giant Crosses?

 

[Molpet]

How tall were those Jersey Giant Crosses?

About a third taller, they have a longer keel also. But not as much breast meat

 

[Alex_Zurago]

About a third taller, they have a longer keel also. But not as much breast meat

So by inbreeding the f1s could you get one closer to the Jersey in size with a faster growth rate?

 

[Molpet]

So by inbreeding the f1s could you get one closer to the Jersey in size with a faster growth rate?

Jersey take forever to finish frame and put on meat. Some of the inbreeding did fill out some at 16 weeks. But more at 5 and 6 months.
At 7 to 9 month some were about the same. Some looked like they still could have used some more time, but I didn't want to over winter them. They tasted great, just have to cook low and slow

 

[Torinik]

I have a meat bird, which I'm assuming was a CX, and brown laying hybrid cross. I'm on F3 this season and have to say I'm astounded at the results.
All chicks in all 3 batches were well over 1.2 kg (about 3 pound) at 8 weeks. The second batch did particularly well since I kept feeding them ad libitum for longer. They did very obviously exhibit that typical CX behavior, always hungry, laying on their bellies with head in the feeder and turning into balloons on feet. I ended up turning their feed down also.

The surplus got butchered at 12 weeks. By then they had to run with the rest and they got what I consider a normal day ration. Nonetheless, they seem to be having a growth-spurt up until 8 to 9 weeks and then it slows down. I don't know as to how far this is genetics and how much of it is related to food and running around. But if they drop death from being overweight it won't tell me much either.

I did, however, have a lot more serious leg problems with F3. This time I had day old chicks with a limp that developed in chicks that couldn't walk anymore by week 8, so more typical CX problems I'm guessing. All those have been culled when they started suffering from their leg condition, i.e. when they couldn't walk anymore and just sat around on the little roost they have.

The last batch was fed the least and they are doing really well. Much smaller than the first two batches but much more active and a lot more healthy looking with shiny feathers.

Every generation seems to be bigger and grow faster than the previous, so far, which I obviously select for as long as they're also healthy. The F3 rooster and hen I kept from the first batch are already as big, if not bigger, as the F1 hens still running around.

I'm looking forward to F4 next year, but you never know what you will get. It might turn out as astounding as this year, or leg problems or something else might put an end to this experiment. As long as it's a pass time, as it is for me, I don't see much wrong with either scenario even though I would much prefer the first. Just saying, I wouldn't want my livelihood depending on it, or invest a lot of money in it that could be spend better.

Good luck, whichever way you decide to go.

 

[Hawklynn23]

I have a meat bird, which I'm assuming was a CX, and brown laying hybrid cross. I'm on F3 this season and have to say I'm astounded at the results.
All chicks in all 3 batches were well over 1.2 kg (about 3 pound) at 8 weeks. The second batch did particularly well since I kept feeding them ad libitum for longer. They did very obviously exhibit that typical CX behavior, always hungry, laying on their bellies with head in the feeder and turning into balloons on feet. I ended up turning their feed down also.

The surplus got butchered at 12 weeks. By then they had to run with the rest and they got what I consider a normal day ration. Nonetheless, they seem to be having a growth-spurt up until 8 to 9 weeks and then it slows down. I don't know as to how far this is genetics and how much of it is related to food and running around. But if they drop death from being overweight it won't tell me much either.

I did, however, have a lot more serious leg problems with F3. This time I had day old chicks with a limp that developed in chicks that couldn't walk anymore by week 8, so more typical CX problems I'm guessing. All those have been culled when they started suffering from their leg condition, i.e. when they couldn't walk anymore and just sat around on the little roost they have.

The last batch was fed the least and they are doing really well. Much smaller than the first two batches but much more active and a lot more healthy looking with shiny feathers.

Every generation seems to be bigger and grow faster than the previous, so far, which I obviously select for as long as they're also healthy. The F3 rooster and hen I kept from the first batch are already as big, if not bigger, as the F1 hens still running around.

I'm looking forward to F4 next year, but you never know what you will get. It might turn out as astounding as this year, or leg problems or something else might put an end to this experiment. As long as it's a pass time, as it is for me, I don't see much wrong with either scenario even though I would much prefer the first. Just saying, I wouldn't want my livelihood depending on it, or invest a lot of money in it that could be spend better.

Good luck, whichever way you decide to go.

Can you list what breeds and crosses used. I'm new to this and would be interested what you crossed to get each generation.