Red Laced Cornish X and project talk (pics p. 8)

[al6517]

Last year he had some fertility issues which I think I have gotten a handle on now, with a special performance feed mix I formulated he is doing much much better and 90% of his eggs seem good. His conditioning is really coming along well and he should do very well in the upcoming fall Show's. I have 1 doz of his eggs in the bator now out of equal quality hen's and they are developing well, He is docile but a little stand offish.

Yes he is very wide and feels like a cinder block when you lift him LOL, I was going to trim his spurs but I recently saw that they actually aid him in staying on the hen's, so I may keep them the way they are plus they aren't tearing up then hen's backs. I am very proud to have him and want some birds out of him as I know in my heart they will be of exceptional quality.

AL

 

[Ryu]

Al, see you in Dec. to pick up my Whites at Shawnee (I am so not kidding!)!

To everyone looking for Cornish. There is a Yahoo group of Cornish breeders: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/cornish_breeders/

Probably the quickest way to get in touch with most of the breeders. Though this time of year there aren't a lot of Cornish around that aren't in breeding pens. Late summer/early fall is the best time to pick up adults as the breeders cull for the winter. It takes at least 6 months before you can really tell how an exhibition bird is going to end up, really a full year for the roos to reach full width/weight.

If you join the club you will get a booklet of all the club members and a list of what varieties they keep, also a copy of the yearbook.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

great info thanks!

Would love to see pics of your chicks when they hatch Al!

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
Thanks for the info Al . So do you think its the enhanced feed , the longer spurs allowing him a better mount position , or a combination of the two ? Also , in your opinion , is it the shortness of the shanks or the breadth between them that theoriticly impairs breeding success ? I really love the body type , but really would like to see it off the ground higher .

 

[al6517]

Quote:
Thanks for the info Al . So do you think its the enhanced feed , the longer spurs allowing him a better mount position , or a combination of the two ? Also , in your opinion , is it the shortness of the shanks or the breadth between them that theoriticly impairs breeding success ? I really love the body type , but really would like to see it off the ground higher .

Steve :
First off yes I do feel strongly that the feed is paramount to his much improved condition, he has a sheen and vitality I haven't seen in him since I got him. The longer spur's do help some since they are up-turned and do not dig into the hen's back and seem to help his balance. I feel the shortness of the leg and the breadth of the chest do not help at all but the look I like, but if the shank were just an 1" longer he could get his ankles closer together for a better mounting postion, the way it is now they cannot. Lucky for me my hens are pretty stout also in the back, I also feel a less tapered rearend on the hens would also help, but the standard calls for a heart shaped back as viewed from above. AIing the big Cornish is just out of the question I spent a year trying everyday on him and he's just to stout in the back so the stroking method wasn't working.

In short there are a few problems with the build vs breedability in these big stout white Cornish that are not a problem in the other color varities of the breed, don't know why. But any change would certainly not do well in the show ring in the judges eyes, they just don't seem to care if the bird breeds or not or if just goes extinct, they care that they judge it to the standard as it should be, so the true question is how do you change the standard ??? Good luck LOL, the folks or powers that be would certainly never let any hampering of the current standard. So we are left with what we have to work with and that is the reality of it.

AL

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Showing and winning is wonderful, but I know if I buy a bird I want him to be able to reproduce. I would rather buy a bird that didn't win yet has better qualities and qualities I desire, than a breed that was bred to SOP if I can't do anything with them but feed, house and show.

You have put alot of work into your birds AL, they are handsome.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Al have you shared your feed formula on another thread? is it private?

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Quote:
says the woman with the silkied Ameraucanas . . . you KNOW you will be out there strokin' them everyday if that's the only way . . . LOL!!!!

luv ya

 

[al6517]

Quote:
I haven't shared the formula, nobody has ever asked and most are very content with comericial feed and no it isn't private, it was just something I felt I needed to do for this rooster. I am also feeding it to some of my prized Light Brahmas to see if I would get the same results and It's working on them as well, so I am happy with it. If you would like it just PM me and I would be happy to share.

AL

 

[al6517]

Quote:
I totally agree with you, what good is it to have a breed standard that is focusing and promoting physical traits that are detrimental to the breeds overall reproductive success. I have been working on improving some of these deficiancies in secret LOL because I just want to keep this breed color viable. But these whites are just so very hard to find and raise.

AL