Meat question: Dorkings and Dark or White Cornish

[SIMZ]

Hi everyone!

This spring I'm going to be experimenting with Dorkings, White Rocks, and Delawares in search of a good dual-purpose bird for us. I ordered them from Meyer Hatchery. I'd really like to throw standard Cornish into this mix, but not sure it would work.

Questions:

1) I've read that standard Cornish are somewhat hard to handle and don't mix well with other breeds. Is this correct? Would that be true if I raised them from chicks with the above breeds?

2) Would the dark cornish from Meyer hatchery work to get a general idea of their meat qualities? I know I could get breeder quality, but hatchery birds fit my financial, time, and space restraints for this experiment.

3) I'd rather get white cornish - I love the look! Any breeders around the Northwest Indiana area? Do any hatcheries sell them?


Thanks!

 

[SIMZ]

Oops! I forgot the Dorking question:

Will the hatchery Dorkings give a good idea of the meat qualities of the breed? I've read great things about them for meat purposes.

 

[SIMZ]

Also, do dark cornish dress out easily since they have dark feathers?

 

[kfacres]

first read my BYC page..

2nd, highly unlikely you'll ever find a breeder of LF white cornish, let alone one who'll sell you some birds.

 

[SIMZ]

Wow - thank you for the wealth of info! I really appreciate it! Your thoughts on the bantams are very interesting and something I'll be considering. Am I understanding correctly that the bantams CANNOT be kept with my LF mixed flock, but would have to be housed seperately?

Thanks again!

 

[trimpy]

Quote:
I just processed 4 dark cornish last night. Comparing them to delawares that were raised along side, there is not much difference provided you get all those pin feathers out. I only plucked the breast of the dark cornish in an attempt to increase visibility while teaching my wife how to skin chickens, which I do 98% of the time.

Anyways, my overall impression of dark cornish is "pleasantly surprised." There is no mistaking their carcass for any other chicken I have processed in the past (Delaware, Buff Orp, Rhode Island Red) as they have 2x+ the white meat. Their leg quarters were also quite large. The dark cornish were from McMurray.

I also do house my bantams separate, but out in the open they mingle and I don't have any problems. My bantam cochin roo tries to get with the full sized ladies, but they get freaked out and take off with him riding on their back. After that a bigger roo comes running and chases him off (repeat).

 

[SIMZ]

Trimpy - Thanks for the reply!

How old were your Cornish? Also, how do you cook your chickens after they're skinned. It seems so simply, but I've been scared to try it up to this point.

I went ahead and ordered 2 to raise along side my Delawares, Dorkings, and White Rocks. I'm looking forward to May to start this grand experiement.

Thanks again!

 

[trimpy]

The were 20wks old. Skinning was tough to figure out, as I wasn't pulling hard enough the first couple times I tried it and ended up using the pull and cut type method. It took forever! Now I make a cut just under the keel and pull everything open on the under side. I usually separate the skin into two sections, front and back by cut/pulling around the mid section. The front comes off like a t-shirt. The bottom sometimes needs some help from a knife along the back (its really attached back there) which I then use as a handle. I cut around the pelvis and open the cavity. I loosen things up a little and then pull by the skin/handle and all the guts come out attached. It took a while to figure out how to get everything disconnected, but when you do, it just comes right out. I use a sharp boning knife to do this btw.

I am usually making chicken soup/dumplings so whole bird in pot for a couple hours. Remove meat and bones back in pot for another hour or so. Skim and strain and add meat back to soup and finish w/ noodles/veggies/dumplings. I have started using white meat like I normally do as the yield on the dark cornish is so much more. I have also marinated and grilled leg quarters and ground dark meat and mixed w/ soy and ginger to make small meatballs which i cook in boiling asian type chicken based soups. Oh, I have also used feet in stock, but its a pain to scald and peel them (or I am bad at it).

 

[SIMZ]

Wow - Great info and tips!

This site is the greatest, isn't it?

 

[kfacres]

I keep my bantams seperate, but would guess you could mix them with other birds if crossbreeding didn't matter-- or they all were to be slaughtered.