Jersey Giant x Broiler?

[afre13]

I have done some research and have come up with an interesting idea.

A usual Jersey giant takes about 18 months to fully mature. Even though they are considered dual-purpose, I think two years is a bit of a while to wait for meat.

I was wondering if I could cross a jersey giant with a broiler chicken (Cornish x) to create a chicken with a relatively larger than average body, but with a growth rate higher than a jersey giant but no so fast that it causes health issues like the cornish x's get.

Is this a reasonable idea? Has it been done before? Leave me you thoughts and opinions.

 

[Michael OShay]

A good friend and neighbor of mine tried that very thing a number of years ago and was disappointed with the results. Not only did the growth rate slow down considerably with the offspring, but the mature adults were smaller than either his Cornish cross or his Jersey Giants. On the upside, they didn't have the health problems that Cornish cross typically have.