My Dark Cornish project

[archeryrob]

Week 14 results - Forgot to hit reply.

 

[archeryrob]

week 16 - the two rooster looking better fought like hell trying to weigh them. 1788 broke my one bowl trying to get away and 1786 bite my arm and gave me a blood blister. It seems I need another plan as they are just getting bigger and stronger. 1786 had such a full crop that he weighed the heaviest. It was so full it felt like a tumor. I checked others and were they filled up before roosting too, but not this much! 1788 is starting to look like a tank walking around.

 

[archeryrob]

Week 17 - 1786 has taken over as number 1 in weight and 1776 is showing some beautiful tail plumage feathers.

 

[Compost King]

Thanks for taking the time to go through all this for us.

 

[archeryrob]

I was doing this for myself as I have no idea about how this breed grows and when would be the best time to harvest them. I figured a growth chart would be helpful and a resource to look back on later. If it helps others, then there are pluses to all of it. Then other can try and teach me something also.

I have the two roosters I like size wise, both are just short of 5 pounds now. 1 is 1 oz off and the other 3 oz off. They are gaining 4.5 - 5oz a week. The other two roos are 11 - 12 oz off, but the one is showing pretty tail feathers. I don't know anything either on judging them by body style and appearance. The two big rooster started getting tank looking last week and one of the smaller this week is tanking. The other small rooster look gawky compared to them and long boned basically. So I am not sure if he's a late bloomer and could get bigger than all of them, or just stay skinny. A couple weeks more will tell. Ideal hatchery lists the Roos at 10# and hens at 7.5# but no idea on how long to get there. They could be tough by then. So far at 17 weeks and I am half way there on their size of the birds.

I have 4 maybe 5 nice hens by weight but waiting to see how they all progress. Most are black with brown mottling in the feathers and one or two showing more brown. It seems to be they are the odd ones, but one of the brown is the bigger hens. So I don't know which ones to cull and which ones to keep. The wife says keep them all, she likes watching them. She said if I grow any for meat they can't leave the pen and free range. Then she likes them. The biggest rooster 1786 has a group of hens already and forages with them near the house. making him more special.

I wish I could find more about dark cornish to read, but anything cornish on a search engine is dominated by cornish cross and you can't find anything else. I feel like I am dwelling in my ignorance of the breed and just learning as I go here.

 

[Mosey2003]

The weights listed on hatchery websites are usually pulled from the breed standard, I know I looked at Rocks on a few sites and they list the standard weights. Anyway, rooster and hen weights will be at 1 year or later, technically. So it's hard to say when your birds will get where. I wish I had the time and patience to do this tracking too.

 

[archeryrob]

I guess I'll know if one is chewy and tough, I waited too long to butcher.

 

[Sara L]

I guess I'll know if one is chewy and tough, I waited too long to butcher.

Make sure you rest the meat, sometimes it's the rigor mortis causing the meat to be tough and not the bird. Or use a Crock-Pot and make shredded chicken if you think it's going to be tough.

 

[Compost King]

My 20 week old birds were cut into small pieces covered in egg whites and cornstarch then deep fried for Chinese Food and they seemed plenty tender.

 

[archeryrob]

Week 18 - 1786 is really shaping up as the #1 Roo. 1788 used to be and he's taller and leggyier. so we shall see. He's might stay backup as they roo's aren't even fighting. 1786 did the love dance for a hen and she paid him no attention. LOL Maybe when they are ready to lay eggs in a few weeks. The pink shows the promising hens for breeding, IMO