Trying to figure out what cross of breeds for my own meat birds

[milleryardchx]

I was thinking since it seems you can't purchase normal white cornish anywhere! What do you guys think if I purchased white rock hens and breed them with a white laced red cornish rooster. Would the chicks be a faster growing bird than pure heritage chicks, but not as fast as cornish-x mistery meat bird? has anyone done this mix and liked the results for meat birds? how was the breast meat size and legs? And taste for that matter?

EDIT

I have been reading a bit and the Delaware used to be the meat bird of choice. Has anyone put a Delaware roo over cornish hens or would you do a white rock over cornish hens? I had a delaware rooster a few years back and he was huge!

At the end of the day I want a sustainable flock of birds that I take the eggs when I want meat birds throw them in the incubator and 21 days later I have a new meat flock for the season. And quite a few people in my area I know what the same thing so fertile eggs or chicks would sell fast.

 

[Bossroo]

YUP... a number of people have... a definate improvement in terms of rate of gain ... not as good as a Cornish X ... and they taste just like chicken.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

yep taste like chicken!

 

[milleryardchx]

haha I know it taste like chicken

Im just trying to make a good meat bird that you know walks on its own before butchering and wants to graze.

 

[Buster52]

A friend (Al) is breeding White Cornish to White Rocks with spectacular results. This is one of his culls I was able to steal from him. He is 3/4 Cornish, 1/4 White Rock (or is it the other way around??) He is 7 months old.

He has a roo still in his flock that is half again as big. He is selling me a bunch of his hens to breed to this big guy. So, I'm already half way to my sustainable meat bird flock.

 

[Cowgirl71]

I've been thinking about doing this too. My only suggestion is that I would recommend a White Rock rooster over Cornish hens. Cornish males often have trouble successfully breeding.

 

[aurorarose25]

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I want some... I was hoping for a trio to get started in meat chickens... does he still have some available?

 

[Buster52]

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I want some... I was hoping for a trio to get started in meat chickens... does he still have some available?

I will ask him, but I think he is keeping the rest. He also gave (yes, gave) me about 30 chicks from this line, and they are out in my tractor now. If those do well, I will be happy to share the results.

I think he is wanting to focus more on his Cornish lines and so is splitting up his meat bird project with me.

 

[milleryardchx]

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If you have 30 chicks and hens coming I would be very intorested in hatching eggs from you next spring!! Like 2 or 3 dozen eggs. It would take a while of growing a few generations myself out of the equation. Plus we are starting to build our farm house this summer and will be ready for our meat flock by spring.

 

[milleryardchx]

Thanks for the info I have read issues with fertility in cornish hatchin eggs but I didn't know if it was the rooster or the hens having messed up eggs or something geneticly.

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