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

[Gold Griffin Chicken Mom]

My Frankenbird laid an egg! At least there's circumstantial evidence she did.

"Ford Prefect" ran away from home and went hitchhiking (hence the name). My husband brought her home in his jacket sleeve on February 12. Her feet were scratched from running on pavement and through the farmers' fields. Snowy, who turned out to be a rooster, was Ford's mommy for about a month. Ford moved outside with the babies hatched on Christmas Day. Recently we left the Christmas Boys in their pen and Ford and the other girls moved into a special pen.

This morning after their breakfast I returned to water everyone. Ford was in the nest box making a racket. It wasn't quite Egg Song. I helped Ford out. She seemed unable to turn around without stepping on eggs. The egg beneath her was damp. The other egg came from one of the Red Sex Link hens.

I think I'm going to watch that nest box closely and try to collect a couple of more eggs and set them. The rooster with her is a large Ameracuana.

For what it's worth department: Ford isn't stolen property. Hubby saw the owner and the owner gave Hubby the bird. Due to Big Company bio-security rules, the owner could only cull Ford since she had been on walk-about. I had never heard the "I'm a Happy Chick" for hours on end until Ford sang it for us... the whole... night... long!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Cute story! Glad you were able to save her! Hopefully she repays you with big fat eggs!

 

[al6517]

Quote:
LOl heheheheheheeee I am waiting with eager anticipation

 

[MobyQuail]

we just happened into a Bantam WLR Cornish Roo and 2 hens, eating quality of course. I was very impressed when I went to grab him up. Did not realize he was the HULK in a chicken suit.
gonna have to catch up on this thread, for now they are penned together, but may throw a chunky, low rider, blue rock hen in there with them on your advice...

 

[Gold Griffin Chicken Mom]

Quote:
It really surprised me how much a meat bird would want a mother! Otherwise Ford has had a normal upbringing. She's a rare thing: a meatie that knows how to be a chicken.

I honestly hope Ford can survive our hot Summer and give me some eggs to hatch. The children were concerned we were going to eat Ford, but once one of my roosters INSISTED Ford was a girl, the cook pot became less of a reality. Now if Ford provides us with a bunch of cockerals, I'll be happy to put culls in the freezer.

I read this thread from page one and wistfully hoped one day I could have some Cornish X birds of my own. Now I have one. She's made it to Point Of Lay.

What sort of male should I mate her to? My Ameracuana boys at one year old are larger than the Barred Rock boys that are nine months.

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
I misinterpretated that on the first reading.

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
Bantam Cornish, for my limited experience of seeing them, are typier than many hatchery based large fowl Cornish, and I've always been curious how they would produce if crossed on large fowl. Please let us know how this works out.

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
It really surprised me how much a meat bird would want a mother! Otherwise Ford has had a normal upbringing. She's a rare thing: a meatie that knows how to be a chicken.

I honestly hope Ford can survive our hot Summer and give me some eggs to hatch. The children were concerned we were going to eat Ford, but once one of my roosters INSISTED Ford was a girl, the cook pot became less of a reality. Now if Ford provides us with a bunch of cockerals, I'll be happy to put culls in the freezer.

I read this thread from page one and wistfully hoped one day I could have some Cornish X birds of my own. Now I have one. She's made it to Point Of Lay.

What sort of male should I mate her to? My Ameracuana boys at one year old are larger than the Barred Rock boys that are nine months.

I found my CX, raised on controlled diets, engaged in almost all normal chicken behaviors; the exceptions being scratching for grub and cooping up at night in the summer. They would step in their feed, when possible, and scratch........................... and some learned to step on the side of some round feed pans, I used for extra feeding space, to slide all the feed to the side they were standing on

but never did see them try to unearth anything. In the summer heat, they often preferred to go back out at night and sleep on the ground. The most active cockeral took the spot of alpha roo, and was really good about sounding the alarm if he spotted the shadow of any bird flying over that was crow size or larger.

Stange that the Ameraucanas are larger than 9 month old PBRs, but I would use one since that is the case. I was making that cross only because my objective is a blue egg layer with bigger/better meat qualities................................. the offspring were showing promise but were no where near some of the CX crosses others have shown here.

 

[primal woman]

I guess it is time to chime in here. I hope the commercial cornish crosses are not 'improved' by making them lighter etc due to many people having problems with them dying.

I raise mine differently and don't have any problems. They perch, they scratch, they go forage, they come in at night. EVERYTHING any other chicken does. DON'T feed them a bunch of corn you guys. In fact, when free ranging in the summer, they get NOTHING from me. They go find their food on their own. Their breasts are wide and full. My hens are about five months old now. I'll cross them with my pure cornish. I won't attempt to raise a cornish cross rooster for breeding, although it likely could be done.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I would like to hear from you when your's are around 18 months old.