Oh, the shame of it all . . . my meaties were so small

[goosemama]

Yes everyone's invited to my house for Sunday dinner - only one hang up you'll have to wait until the middle of December when hopefully my meaties will be ready.

To Denise and Chicknjane whose meaties didn't turn out as heavy roasters as they would have liked - what about using them as fryers? It is a weird concept to think the same bird (Cornish Cross) is butchered small size for Cornish Game hens, then with a little more weight a fryer, a little more its a broiler and finally around 5-7lbs its the roasting chicken you ate at Grandma's Sunday dinner table.

Even at the less than perfect weight - were they not useable as fryers etc. or were they tough? Take heart - there is always boiling them for chicken & dumplings, chicken stew or soup!

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
I'd always heard Cornish Game Hens were standard Cornish a bit on the young side, not Cornish X.

 

[jaku]

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I'd always heard Cornish Game Hens were standard Cornish a bit on the young side, not Cornish X.

Nope, Cornish X's

 

[petrelline]

Hey chicknjane don't feel bad about your meaties. They'll still taste good and every chicken is a learning chicken. At least that's how I look at it.

 

[Thamnophis]

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I guess if your raising birds for meat the cornish x's are they way to go, but they are such unpleasant little monsters that I would rather raise and eat a "normal" bird, even if it is less plump.

Its a matter of aesthetics and finances, and to each their own, of course. But if cornish x's were the only chickens available, I would raise ducks

The more traditional chicken breeds can produce a decent quantity of eggs and still be decent meat birds if harvested early. But most importantly (for me) they are beautiful and interesting to have around the farm yard.

Cornish X's can barely walk - sometimes can't walk, or won't walk at all. They poop all over themselves and just lay half dead from bloat in their pens. Gross.

 

[silkiechicken]

When kept up on, which is a lot more work, Cornish x aren't THAT bad. They grow into a 8lb body in 6 weeks instead of 6 months, just imagine doing all the cleaning for a standard flock in 6 months, but in six weeks.

Mine have always been able to walk, albet waddle, and ranged around fine. They really are one of the calmer and friendly breeds too once you get to know them. Of course, if you are weak of stomach, might not want to get to know your birds.

 

[Slywoody]

What a great place to come to for info!!!!

A novice could come here and with a couple of hours of research end up with the exact product they had in mind. Hats off to all the staff and members of BYC!!!!!!!!!!!!! BYC ROCKS!!!!!!!!!

 

[WalkingWolf]

I have the black broilers from Ideal and I love them, I bought them at a time when I could free range them and no they were not ready to butcher in 6 weeks but I had no intention of that. I wanted a bird that would have a good sized breast and would survive free ranging so it would be economical. Besides the fact that the people who buy my birds will not buy the white cornish X. They are used to a gamer bird from their home country and do not like supermarket fowl. So I feed them less because they free range, I sell them at around 20 weeks and I get $10 for hens and $15 for roosters.

I will be buying another batch around Feb or April, feed them for 4 weeks and then turn them loose to find their own food. I am keeping one roo though to try crossing to RIR hens to see what I get, if it is a good size birds with the same breast size I may not need to order from Ideal.

 

[petrelline]

Are the black broilers some sort of black cornish hybrid (not cornish X?)

 

[WalkingWolf]

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I would imagine with the breast size they have Cornish in them, but they do not get big as fast and they do not have the health problems. They are essentially what is called a black ranger. They free range very well and so far I have not had one die of a heart attack. They are active in the yard and run with the rest of the birds, though they cannot fly very high. They can easily be contained in a yard with a 4 ft even a 3ft high fence.