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

[al6517]

Well it sounds like you have a plan and that's good. I know from personal experience how much of a crap shoot this whole meat bird cross idea can be and how much time and dedication it can demand. Wishing you luck for sure and keep us in the loop.

AL

 

[Minniechickmama]

Now I am going to have to take pictures and post my birds

I have Jersey Giants that I intend to cross with Dark Cornish. Also, I have Orpingtons, Wyandottes and Buckeyes to play with crossing with DCs.
I did get some interesting birds this spring from several pairings, most of which I think I can figure out. I have one quite large cockerel who is having to go to freezer camp soon due to his aggressiveness, he is from all my pondering, Black Giant roo over a Welsummer hen. He is HUGE! Younger than my WLRCs and outgrew them in the first 2 weeks, and they were 4 weeks. He resembles a Welsummer roo and is nice breasted and well as the large frame. I thought about crossing him over some Cornish hens, but he is such a terd, he just has to go.
I have also got some that I know are fathered by my DC roo (hatchery bird) who has a nice frame, but lacks breast.
Another interesting mating was a GP Hamburg over a Black Giant hen. How he managed that, I don't quite understand because he usually falls off the big girls, but they are his favorites

Yet, another butthead of an attitude.
I do have one WLRC that I am considering keeping just purely for meat factor. He has a bad trait for his wings, the whole batch did, all seem to have split wing or at least it seems so, they all droop their pinions.
Okay, I will have to go out and get pictures later today.
You all keep cool.

Theri

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Quote:
I have a stalker!

Shhhh your not supposed to know!

 

[SteveH]

the lazy mentality of the CX may be a tough road to get through

I had no problem with this in the few crosses I hatched last year. They were big eaters, but active and busy scratching for grub in their bedding right from the get-go; where as the "pure" CX had been content to watch the other chicks dig out something to eat and then rush in to take it.

Eatmorechicken;
My own CX [from Schlecht] were built nothing like that cockeral at that age. They were bigger, cobbier, and heavier framed, even though quite thin from a restricted diet.

Those were probably around 5 months, below is one at about 7 months, quite a bit more meaty because they were being allowed more feed.............................. I just couldn't keep the breast devlopement down and still have them willing to breed at the same time. He was quite healthy and willing to cover the girls now, but unable to hit the mark. [Should have AIed.]

 

[galanie]

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If I remember correctly, it's a thread requirement that you post pictures of all potential broodstock and their offspring.

I completely forgot about that!

Here are the new brides:

And here is the baby daddy-to-be:

(For size comparison, that odd stool behind him is 16 inches high)

He's just shy of 6 months and they are 4 1/2 months. So no laying for them yet though he's eager to get in some practice!

He has other hens so they won't be overworked. Planning on letting him covering them for a couple weeks then separating them for a couple weeks to collect eggs. After that, I'll just have to see what happens before knowing what my next move will be.

Oh, and the missing tail feathers - he's got some year old girls that just don't give him any respect yet!

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
Thank you galanie. I can't really see their body type , but from what looks like softer feathering, the DC appear to be hatchery bred. It will be interesting to see the resulting chicks. I've see hatchery bred DC that have much deeper bodies and somewhat fuller breasts than my hatchery sourced WLRC did; but all of the hatchery breds I've seen cause me to wonder if a cross was already made on them................... of course they seem to be better layers with no problems that hinder reproduction.

 

[galanie]

Quote:
Thank you galanie. I can't really see their body type , but from what looks like softer feathering, the DC appear to be hatchery bred. It will be interesting to see the resulting chicks. I've see hatchery bred DC that have much deeper bodies and somewhat fuller breasts than my hatchery sourced WLRC did; but all of the hatchery breds I've seen cause me to wonder if a cross was already made on them................... of course they seem to be better layers with no problems that hinder reproduction.

They (the Dark Cornish) are hatchery bred. Sorry for the bad picture, I know it's hard to tell anything much about them there. They aren't as wide as I'd like to see, and I'm sure they'll lay pretty good for a DC since hatcheries breed for that. What a waste though. But it might help my project. Be nice to have a wider, denser cross that also lays at least 4-5 eggs a week.

 

[knjinnm]

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Have you considered keeping him for a season to produce some big hens which should be good layers (Black Giant and Welsummer ) for your project?

Joe

 

[eatmorechicken]

.

 

[SteveH]

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My CX pullets pullets will be 6 weeks old Monday, and are averageing about 2 oz over 3 lbs today. Their shapes are no different than any other white broiler's, very wide and heavy over the front, but would probably be over 2 lbs heavier if allowed to eat what they want. By the way, thanks, I tried your melon trick by putting a few crumbles in a half cantelope rind [after eating the sweetest flesh out myself

]. They decided to stay at the melon once the crumbles were gone, but then they are now being fed the same amount of wet crumbles per day as they were at 4 weeks, so are starting to be willing to try new stuff. I may try feeding rationed commercial crumbles on two days and nothing but scraps on the third. Last year I approached a nearby vegetable farmer about buying their damaged and over-aged produce [mostly sweet corn. melons and tomatoes, with melons being the main crop]; but they said anything they can't sell at premium price they feed to their own cow herd.