New at raising chickens

[patrickd123]

Hello from Florida!
We have an acre of land and I'm hoping to raise Cornish Cross for eating and Rhode Island Reds for the eggs. I will have them in ample space and keep the Rhode Islands in separate areas from the Cornish Cross. Is it possible to develop an "everlasting" crop of the Cornish Cross chickens or will I need to get new chicks every year? I would like to find a way to buy 30 starter chicks from the nursery, then use them to create a perpetual supply of them. Is it possible?
Thanks!

 

[Earthdale]

Cornish x do not breed true so you would have to get new ones every year or consider a larger heritage breed.

 

[patrickd123]

Cornish x do not breed true so you would have to get new ones every year or consider a larger heritage breed.

thank you!

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

If you browse the meat bird section of the forums you'll find many threads from people trying to keep a sustainable flock of meat birds. It's HARD -- and none of them ever get anything close to the size and growth rate of a Cornish X.

Cornish X are a 4-way hybrid "terminal cross" that grows so rapidly and so extremely that it's hard to even keep them alive into adulthood.

 

[Earthdale]

I find they taste better though.

 

[Penpal]

We started with Cornish Cross and RIR. Found the RIR tasted better than the Cornish, I'm sure it's a personal matter. There are a couple of other fast growing meat birds you could look for. Chanteclers, Red Rangers.