when will we stop calling them "cornish cross"?

[Oregon Blues]

While I don't think Cornish and Cornish Cross look alike, I can certainly see the Cornish influence in the Cornish Cross. Cornish genes are where the heavy legs, wide stance, and heavy shoulders come from.

OP, you are not going to get the name of CX changed. Maybe since Pure Fowl Cornish are few in numbers, you'd have better luck getting their name changed. If you communicate well, you should not have any issue with people mistaking your birds for CX. At a minimum, a short sentence to teach would take mere seconds of your time.

Other than that, trying to get a well establish name used for a high population bird resembles beating your head against a stone wall. The wall is very unlikely to move before your head gives out.

 

[WinklerFarms]

While I don't think Cornish and Cornish Cross look alike, I can certainly see the Cornish influence in the Cornish Cross.  Cornish genes are where the heavy legs, wide stance, and heavy shoulders come from.

OP, you are not going to get  the name of CX changed.  Maybe since Pure Fowl Cornish are few in numbers, you'd have better luck getting their name changed.  If you communicate well, you should not have any issue with people mistaking your birds for CX. At a minimum, a short sentence to teach would take mere seconds of your time.

Other than that, trying to get a well establish name used for a high population bird resembles  beating your head against a stone wall.  The wall is very unlikely to move before your head gives out.

Well said!

 

[Cedarknob]

I have Cornish, and do find it a bit frustrating that so many people, whether they've owned chickens for many years or just getting introduced, confuse those called CX, Cornish Cross, or Jumbo Cornish with the breed. I even find it a bit frustrating that so many think they can buy true Cornish from a hatchery, and call those Cornish. [It's the same with those sold as Ameraucanas by the hatcheries or individuals who either do not know what true Ameraucanas are, or those who do and just trying to get an extra buck from their Easter Egg birds.] However, Buster is correct. Those who know the difference understand the terminology, some can be taught, and a few will either be unable or unwilling to learn.

I consider the "Cornish" from hatchery stock to be crosses, and highly doubt that they are even lower quality pure breds. They almost always lay better than Cornish, and sometimes have a bit of Cornish look to them., They do not have true Cornish bodies, or the heavy shanks, often lack the heavy brow, and too often lack even the close, hard feathering of Cornish; though they do show some Cornish influence. So do those sold as "CX" or "Jumbo Cornish". LOL

These males are some of my Cornish; the first picture of a young White Cornish cock, the second a Dark Cornish cockerel, and the last are two DC chicks just old enough that the older one's head has feathered.









Note the indented naked keels visible in the first and last pictures. You will seldom see that on hatchery "Cornish".

 

[enel 1]

Nice hatchery Cornish, enel 1, but I was talkin about the Real Deal.

The distinctive features of the CX are the feet and legs, the heart shaped back, the comb, and breast meat, and those look more like Cornish than anything.
Real Cornish.

actually that particular bird is from eggs I got from.Sands poultry,from here on the BYC,I do have 3 hatchery pullets and 1 hatchery cockerel that are about half the the size of that particular bird,I have a real nice little cockerel with a real wide stance and some massive legs,but my birds are free to come and go from the coop and he was the only one I could get a pic of that day,

 

[enel 1]

While I don't think Cornish and Cornish Cross look alike, I can certainly see the Cornish influence in the Cornish Cross. Cornish genes are where the heavy legs, wide stance, and heavy shoulders come from.

OP, you are not going to get the name of CX changed. Maybe since Pure Fowl Cornish are few in numbers, you'd have better luck getting their name changed. If you communicate well, you should not have any issue with people mistaking your birds for CX. At a minimum, a short sentence to teach would take mere seconds of your time.

Other than that, trying to get a well establish name used for a high population bird resembles beating your head against a stone wall. The wall is very unlikely to move before your head gives out.

good point! maybe we should go back to "Indian game"

 

[enel 1]

Cedarknob, come on man,you and Al own the nicest birds on this forum,most people can only see birds like yours...well,here on the BYC,I should of got eggs when I had the chance,my bad!

 

[Oregon Blues]

Cedarknob, lovely birds.

 

[Cedarknob]

Thank you both. Cornish are rare, but there are several breeders of them that frequent BYC, they just seldom post pictures and some seldom post period. Hatching eggs from decent Cornish are seldom offered for shipping, and you know for sure they are hatchery stuff if they are selling them at $20 or $30 a dozen. I bought some "Cornish" chicks from a hatchery several years ago for a cross breeding project. They had absolutely nothing to add to any breed of dual purpose chickens; a decent quality White Rock from a breeder could have been used to improve their bodies in a cross, certainly not the other way around, unless I was looking to slow the growth rate and breed a less meaty bird than a quality White Rock. LOL Dedicated Cornish breeders, who have struggled to keep this beautiful breed going, hate the idea of letting a decent Cornish go to someone looking to cross them, especially to a flock of hatchery types.

Terms like "Cornish Rock", "Cornish Roaster" or "Cornish Cross" may be a bit misleading for the new person, and I've even read explanations on several websites that the Cornish are crossed on White Rocks [and also Delawares for the "Corndell"] to get them. The truth is that was done back in the beginning, though even then those were specific lines of those breeds that were used to produce the cross breds for commercial meat.purposes. I am only guessing, based on the body shape, that they are the distant ancestors of today's breeder lines for the broad breasted white broiler.

 

[free burd]

on reading the website of a private canadian breeder the term 'commercial broiler' was used and i knew exactly what this was the second i read it. then my presumption was, oh, all of canada calls them this. (?) it's more appropriate in my understanding of things. simple and obvious. 'commercial broiler hybrid' if you want to nitpick. what are they called in europe and australia?

 

[Appylover]

I was sold a "dark cornish" by a guy. He swears he got her from a reputable breeder. After looking more into the breed I have come to suspect she is a black sex link. She is more stream line daintier stance and just I guess refined less blocky thinner legs. Although she has some feather coloring of the dark cornish she is FAR from that. But hey I never went looking for a cornish dark or white so her breeding means nothing as long as she produces eggs for me.

As for the Cx well when I bought my first 3 birds I was told they were Cx's. I knew enough to know these birds were the same birds used in the "cornish game hen". What I did not know is they are no differant than the store bought chickens just younger. Since then I have gone from uninformed chicken owner to buying and butchering out my own meaties. I do plan on developing my own strain of meat bird hopefully. For my own use of course but the NN and dorking are probably going to be my parent strains. I want the flavor of the dorking and the feathering of the NN. I hope this works if not no big deal.