Bigmagic
Hatching
- Nov 25, 2016
- 1
- 0
- 7
Good Morning to everyone. I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving yesterday and survived the turkey comas. I have been considering raising Cornish hens for eggs and meat for quite some time and I see I have a great deal to learn.
While growing up we raised cattle, hogs, and horses but never chickens. I no longer live in the country but rather a suburban setting (I know what you're thinking. I think the same thing). I am hoping to pick many of your brains to learn what I can before I get started. I have been doing a lot of reading online trying to soak up everything I can. Please forgive my ignorance when asking questions. I just want to make sure I know what I am doing as I go along. Thank you all for any information you can give to me.
While growing up we raised cattle, hogs, and horses but never chickens. I no longer live in the country but rather a suburban setting (I know what you're thinking. I think the same thing). I am hoping to pick many of your brains to learn what I can before I get started. I have been doing a lot of reading online trying to soak up everything I can. Please forgive my ignorance when asking questions. I just want to make sure I know what I am doing as I go along. Thank you all for any information you can give to me.
! Great to have you aboard! If the Cornish you are referring to are Cornish Cross - like the picture in your avatar - I'd advise against that breed for egg production. The Cornish Cross was engineered to be a fast grower for the chicken industry....like 6-7 weeks old is all at butchering time. This rapid growth has come with a cost....as the breed was designed to gain weight in a hurry, health problems often develop in birds past prime butchering age. They are, simply put, eating machines. The hens will lay eggs at the at an age greater than 20 weeks, but their food intake must be managed carefully so they don't develop the aforementioned health issues. And even then, I don't think they are reckoned very prolific layers and would be expensive to feed for the return in eggs. There are other breeds...practically any breed in fact, that would be better suited for egg production. Now, having said all that, the standard Cornish chicken (not Cornish Cross) is reckoned an adequate layer and tasty meat bird...but the trade off there is that they are slower growers than the Cross. Now, there are so called dual purpose breeds. These were what everyone raised 'back in the day' prior to mass marketing of chicken... breeds such as Rhode Island Reds, Delaware, Rocks, etc., were what farmers raised...the hens were egg layers and the roosters were eaten. Some folks still go this route with these types. A word of caution....they are tasty, but a different kind of tasty than one would be used to from the grocery store or KFC. Good, just different. And, they are a minimum of 16 weeks of age before they are big enough to process. Hope this didn't come off as preachy. Just want you to have a positive poultry experience! Best wishes! 
