Starting my own meat birds dark cornish and cross with white rock

[Fat Daddy]

enjoying this thread. Question. Why not just breed dark cornish and eat them? Why cross with rocks/whatever? I am asking as I just got some dark cornish chicks, was planning to raise/breed them for meat birds.

If you have good cornish stock to begin with, this works very well! I have followed this method for several years with both dark and white cornish.....

 

[lpatelski]

enjoying this thread. Question. Why not just breed dark cornish and eat them? Why cross with rocks/whatever? I am asking as I just got some dark cornish chicks, was planning to raise/breed them for meat birds.

Dark Cornish are great eating birds all on their own. I cross them for a better rate of gain/faster growing bird. I also like a lighter feathered bird for plucking.
Here are a few of my Dark Cornish/ CX cross birds:














Pure Dark Cornish (4 months)

50% Dark Cornish 50% CX (3 months)

 

[MCBirdman]

that makes sense, thank you for the reply

 

[lpatelski]

RB1 "Harambe" cockerel 5/8CX 3/8 Dark Cornish

DOH 4/20/2017 egg weight: 67g

Weight update
Hatch weight: N/A sorry
4/30/17: 10 day - 260g
5/04/17: 14 day - 370g
5/06/17: 16 day - 445g
Estimated rate of gain 445g-60g(est hatch weight)/16days = 24g/day





4/30/17
5/6/17

 

[Chickenheadmate]

What will crossing the 50%/50% with something like a delaware or new hampshire do?

Dark Cornish are great eating birds all on their own. I cross them for a better rate of gain/faster growing bird. I also like a lighter feathered bird for plucking.
Here are a few of my Dark Cornish/ CX cross birds:














Pure Dark Cornish (4 months)

50% Dark Cornish 50% CX (3 months)

 

[CNJ]

I used Murray McMurray's Cornish Roasters - slower growing. My birds grow faster than heritage Dark Cornish, but slower than The CX type. The group meat pics are birds taken at Cornish game hen size ~2 pounds dressed weight. My 50%DC / 50%CX birds usually attain weight by 4 to 5 weeks. I like Cornish game size so this is what I am breeding for weight and age wise. They are nice and breasty, well proportioned at all stages of growth. This is what I am breeding my chicks to look like. Quail sized to adult - all look correct.




foundation Murray McMurray Cornish Roaster hens
Foundation Dark Cornish Cock bird

Hello, did you manage to get your cx/dark cornish to be all black meat birds?