Keeping Cornish cross for full life.

[3KillerBs]

It's been done.

I would not attempt it myself because I would find the lifetime commitment to restricted feeding annoying.

I have read that Cornish X often have rather endearing personalities.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I've done it. Combination of free ranging with the rest of the flock and feed restriction (I feed once daily, in the evenings). Was over a year in age when I culled her, around 10# (I'd have to check my culling project for exact weights, the heat of her second summer was really weighing on her). She started laying around the 6-7 mo mark, and only about half her chicks had significant size/fast growth while all had dominant white. None of their offspring had the size/speedy growth, but some continued with the much hated white.

The "breed" hasn't been selected for long life, but with exercise and food controls, together with an accomodating climate, there's a reasonable chance at a handful of years, on average.

Would not be my first, second, third...hundredth choice of breed for a pet chicken, but it can be done.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

Is the last one a naked neck?

Yep!
Here’s her dad

Here she is a year older. She and her sister lay big brown eggs.

 

[CNJ]

My friend has a batch of Cornish crosses he is going to butcher and I'm considering keeping one hen to see if I can get my rooster on it. Then hatch my own hybrid chicks! I plan on cutting her food back and exercising her so she lives long enough to lay eggs. do yall think this is possible? Will her heart explode? Is it inhumane?

Thanks!

They live long enough to breed if that's what you are worrying about. What breed of rooster do you have?

I started collecting eggs to hatch as soon as they were stable. Their eggs were on the small side, but all the chicks that hatched grew large. I have a 12lbs rooster and 10lbs hens from that hatch. I crossed it with a Breese Rooster and I am happy with the results. I am currently having a problem with the crosses going broody.

 

[Tundrawooky]

My rooster is a hedemora, I don't mind broody hens I actually like them to sit on the eggs and hatch

 

[sourland]

So genetics is going to kill the bird no matter what??? Could one live over a year?

Genetics will eventually prevail, but as others have experienced she might well live over a year.

 

[CNJ]

My rooster is a hedemora, I don't mind broody hens I actually like them to sit on the eggs and hatch

At least these hens don't bite when I grab them from the nest box. I put them in an isolation cage for a few weeks to break them. The negative side of these jumbo hens are they eat a lot, so food cost is high. The positive side is I am using them to breed 3 month old broilers for frying or roasting.

 

[dirtbagchickens]

I’ve done it! It is not inhumane, they enjoy life. She’ll start to lay around a year old and you won’t get very many, but man are they huge!
Here’s my hen! She lived 2 years until sadly something got her.View attachment 3228771View attachment 3228772

And they are able to breed! Hers her babiesView attachment 3228780View attachment 3228781View attachment 3228782View attachment 3228783View attachment 3228784

What did you breed with?
Mine are 10weeks, and already been on one slim feeding a day, sometimes 2x. Have 7more to butcher but thinking of keeping one to try for eggs with a leghorn or Cochin

 

[Egg Snatcher]

What did you breed with?
Mine are 10weeks, and already been on one slim feeding a day, sometimes 2x. Have 7more to butcher but thinking of keeping one to try for eggs with a leghorn or Cochin

I bred her to a standard brown red naked neck