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

[al6517]

Looking good Steve, I am glad you got at least some to hatch, that should help your project and move it a little further along. What are your plans for spring ??.

AL

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Hi Al!
WMR - what the heck is your name? anyway I beat this drum all the tiem but no one ever takes me up on it; I think someone (who like dark meat) should try a meat bird cross with silkies . . .

I had some for a while, and I couldn't believe how big the breasts were on the roo's, sure they were bantam but that could be beefed up in two generations, and I hear they are all dark meat. I think it would be cool but I don't have enough room for one more project

but can you imagine a silkie FR cross??? or a silkie CX cross???

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

LoL that would be CRAZY a silkie cx cross

I have limited room too, or else I would probably have a hundred projects going on!

And I agree exactly with you Steve, FR similar to the CX, but not so much feed going towards breast meat, sounds great! I think I am going to go ahead and do that afterall, looks like I'll be preocessing six cornish this Thursday instead of two!

Oh and my name is Cari.

It's in my siggy.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
A Silkie meat bird cross............... Katy have you hit yer noggin on somethin LOl. I have had silkie meat and although it was tasty it is horrifiing to plate, with all that black skin

gross to say the least, me for one I do eat with my eyes first so count me out on that project LOL. I trust your holiday season was a good one.

My Incubators & hatchers are now set-up and ready to start humming, now if my birds would cooperate in the fertile egg department I will be happy as a pig in slop.

AL

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Do you have fertility issues with the straight cornish?

 

[al6517]

Naw not really to speak of, some can have issues due to their wide bulk and short leg's, my old hulk is one of those kinda guy's. The whites mainly show this problem as good ones can be a bit on the awkward side, That's why I got me a new young white Cockrel.
There are way's to improve fertility but you really got to stay after them and then once they get that way it's a crap shoot at best.

AL

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
Thanks Al . Right now I have the two new Dark Cornish in a pen with the 4 CX , 3 EE , and two Ameraucana . I'm not sure the cockerals are getting busy yet , and either the cold weather or two moves in two weeks upset the girls , but they cut back drasticly on eggs . Hopeing to set some eggs from them in Feb. . By late spring or early summer I should be able to assess who stays as breeders , and eat or sell the rest at a nearby swap meet . I intend to breed some pure Ameraucana this year also , as I picked up a blue cockeral from a great line that won both shows he was at , and have some very nice B/B/S pullets to put under him . I'm also thinking hard about buying eggs or chicks from the Dark Cornish's breeder this winter . Man , I got to watch it , thats a lot of chickens isn't it ?

 

[al6517]

I was out feeding yesterday and had to move these 2 project roosters I hatched in july, so it's about roosting time and I pick them up and was just flabergasted at their size. Mostly because of where they were muscled up, they are tall and very wide but I was really amazed at their heft, it seems that in the last 3 wks or so they have filled out more than I ever expected. So I put them on the scale and they weighed almost 11lbs, these were the result of my crossing a show bred White Rock rooster over a Cornish cross hen. They pretty much look like giant white rocks with tighter more compact feathers, wide breast and fairly stout leg's, They have a good upright stance and are very agile and active. I am really happy with this, now on to the next step which would be to breed them back to the Cornish cross hen's and see what they produce and what the differences will be.

AL

 

[knjinnm]

Quote:
Hi Al,
Did you get hens from the show bred White Rock rooster over a Cornish cross hen cross? If so are they laying yet and how well?

Joe

 

[SteveH]

Quote:

That sounds great Al .