Where do you find standard Cornish?

[Buster52]

I'm investigating various meat birds for home production. We don't want the Cornish X, for a variety of reasons but probably most importantly they don't breed (we don't want to order in birds every time we want to start a meat flock. Even if they could, we wouldn't get a true match because they are hybrids. I know this because I read it on this forum.

However, the standard Cornish is supposed to be a good size bird with good conversion ratio and an ability to breed true. Problem is, I can't find them anywhere! Hatcheries must be using them to get the Cross, but nobody seems to be selling them.

Our plan is to do two batches of meat birds next year. One will be (hopefully) standard Cornish and one will be Freedom Rangers. We will set aside breeding stock from both in order to test that part of it as well.

Anybody have a suggestion as to where to look for these things?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

All the hatcheries have them

http://www.welphatchery.com/rare/dark_cornish.asp

Murray Mcmurry sells them but says sold out

Steve in NC

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
I saw that before, but assumed it must be a different kind of Cornish. 8.5 pounds seems a bit on the light side for a meat bird rooster. My Orpington weighs a good 10 pounds.

What is a White Cornish, and is it different (outside of color, of course) from a Dark Cornish?

 

[Marlinchaser]

I got mine from Ideal, they have/sell not sure if available at this time, buff, Dark, and red laced. I think you will find the white cornish are the cornish cross. Some sites list the buff/dark/red laced as SLOW cornish.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

The Cornish come in white, dark, and red laced it's just a color difference. We have a small flock of the DC's, nice meat birds. They are very compact and solid, when you pick one up it's like picking up a brick, they are that solid.

The Buffs are bigger and have much much bigger leg 1/4's than the DC's, taste wise the DC's are better tasting we think.

Steve

 

[Judy]

As far as I know, you can't buy white cornish except in bantams. Ideal, for example, has dark, buff and red laced in stardard cornish. They have several colors, including white, in bantams. McMurray and Welp I believe only have the dark cornish.

You didn't say you specifically wanted white, though. As Steve said, the dark and buff are good, too, as I imagine the red laced is. Here is Ideal's page on standard Cornish:

https://secuservices.com/ideal/newideal/Products.aspx?Category=Standard Cornish

 

[Buster52]

Okay! Sounds like this is what we are looking for. Thanks! You guys are always so kind to us novices.