Just buy 100 cornish cross birds and raise them to adulthood. Then put the healthiest hens in with the biggest sweetest Plymouth Rock or similar meaty but gentle rooster/s you can find and hatch their eggs. At that point start selecting for the traits that you want. The bad stuff in the CC's DNA wants to go away and with a little selection pressure from you it goes away fast. You will have to cull a lot of birds but they're good eating in that first go round anyway. This is just an idea extrapolated from my procrastination in butchering some cornish cross birds. I'm not certain of the specific strain they were but know they came form Jenk's hatchery. Those that remained healthy and weren't culled on schedule have contributed some really good characteristics to my flock. Ultimately the CC is just a highly selected bird of convoluted lineage. Like any domesticated animal or plant it wants to revert to its wild form. Only our selection for the prettiest blooms, or white feathers, or bad legs and unsupportable muscle growth keeps them from becoming ideally suited to their environment. I say experiment and have fun with it but don't fall into this recreating the CC trap. It would end the same way. What's that about insanity and repeating stuff or something? Above all, please be kind to our fine feathered friends. Good luck!
P.S. To answer the original poster's question. I would focus on the body confirmation and lifestyle of the source of my parent stock above breed. I got some dark cornish hatchery birds that are pathetic but have eaten easter eggers that were surprisingly meaty. There you go. Easter eggers are great all around birds. They forage well and are fairly intelligent and wiley while still being friendly. They aren't really a breed though are the? Oh well that's how I'm voting.
