I'm Confused how do Hatcheries get Cornish Cross hatchlings?

[Ridgerunner]

This how they're bred in most places.

This shows how they are often bred. It corrected a lot of my misunderstandings about the process.

 

[Beer can]

Why we even allow this kind of genetic manipulation is a testament to the moral fabric of our nation IMHO. Frankenchickens.

Its not genetic manipulation, just selective breeding. Same with about every farm animal cows dairy and beef, pigs etc are all bred to produce the most bang for the buck, keep costs low as the can for the most output. Chickens were actually not even a big thing before the CX.

 

[Beer can]

Jersey Giant deserve another look imho.

I liked the jersey giants. And don't believe what you hear that they are just skin and bones until they are full grown. I've processed many cockerels about the time they start crowing and they are just as meaty as any other heritage breed. They just don't reach their full potential until they are about nine month's or more. And have turkey size legs and plenty of breast, not as thick as a CX but a lot longer just as much meat. I do not want to know how much they cost me, but I know I could have bought lobster much cheaper. Lol.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Its not genetic manipulation, just selective breeding. Same with about every farm animal cows dairy and beef, pigs etc are all bred to produce the most bang for the buck, keep costs low as the can for the most output. Chickens were actually not even a big thing before the CX.

Correction: It's genetic manipulation through selective breeding/hybridization. In this case, it's purely line breeding/inbreeding which causes big health issues with Cornish X.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

There's a huge amount of genetic stock with CX including several unique proprietary lines and there's lots of linebreeding/inbreeding in non CX chickens. I can't see a correlation between line breeding and the problems CX have.

I believe it's exclusively a size problem. One that we regularly see with other giant type animals. For examples great danes and other similarly sized dogs require a special limited calorie diet and specific low impact exercise plan as puppies to avoid joint injuries, slipped tendons and heart attacks as well. Their lifespan is also greatly reduced. The same is true of most draft horses, and other extra large animals. A management plan for cornish crosses that reflects the way we raise other giant size animals goes a long way towards reducing mortality in my experience.

 

[Kusanar]

Correction: It's genetic manipulation through selective breeding/hybridization. In this case, it's purely line breeding/inbreeding which causes big health issues with Cornish X.

Your comment is confusing. You mention both Hybridization, meaning to cross multiple types, and inbreeding at the same time, it's either one or the other.. The CX is probably one of the LEAST inbred birds around as they come from 4 parent lines that are all different "breeds" (they may be the same breed but they are bred for different traits so might as well be different breeds as the genetics are so different) and most other chickens are only 1 breed and usually only 1 line of that breed not outcrossed constantly.

 

[nicalandia]

Your comment is confusing. You mention both Hybridization, meaning to cross multiple types, and inbreeding at the same time, it's either one or the other..

He is referring to the Grand Parent Lines for Linebreeding/inbreeding

 

[MomJones]

There's a huge amount of genetic stock with CX including several unique proprietary lines and there's lots of linebreeding/inbreeding in non CX chickens. I can't see a correlation between line breeding and the problems CX have.

I believe it's exclusively a size problem. One that we regularly see with other giant type animals. For examples great danes and other similarly sized dogs require a special limited calorie diet and specific low impact exercise plan as puppies to avoid joint injuries, slipped tendons and heart attacks as well. Their lifespan is also greatly reduced. The same is true of most draft horses, and other extra large animals. A management plan for cornish crosses that reflects the way we raise other giant size animals goes a long way towards reducing mortality in my experience.

Good points here. But don't get me started on the dogs. "We're breeding them to death"--Temple Grandin I just can't go there.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Agreed, they have problems.

The key here, of course, is that cornish crosses are literally - by design - being bred to death in no small part because that's the end goal. Death. You don't get chicken meat without killing the chicken. So I mind a lot less when chickens are bred to unhealthy genetic standards because they're gonna end up in the freezer by design. I mind more when it's egg hens or breeding stock.

 

[Oddyseous]

There's a huge amount of genetic stock with CX including several unique proprietary lines and there's lots of linebreeding/inbreeding in non CX chickens. I can't see a correlation between line breeding and the problems CX have.

I believe it's exclusively a size problem. One that we regularly see with other giant type animals. For examples great danes and other similarly sized dogs require a special limited calorie diet and specific low impact exercise plan as puppies to avoid joint injuries, slipped tendons and heart attacks as well. Their lifespan is also greatly reduced. The same is true of most draft horses, and other extra large animals. A management plan for cornish crosses that reflects the way we raise other giant size animals goes a long way towards reducing mortality in my experience.

Jersey Giants get bigger up to 15 lbs and are hardy healthy birds. It's not just a size problem.