Why are Cornish X white?

[Joeschooks]

I know very little about chicken genetics. Since neither pure bred Cornish nor barred rocks are white, can anyone explain to me why Cornish Rocks/Cornish Cross are white?

 

[keesmom]

Well, both Cornish and Plymouth Rocks do come in white varieties. In the US that is, not sure about the UK.

 

[lazy gardener]

CXR are bred with white feathers b/c the white feathered birds dress out easier.

 

[Joeschooks]

Well, both Cornish and Plymouth Rocks do come in white varieties. In the US that is, not sure about the UK.

Ahh! I didn’t know that!

 

[RUNuts]

I heard that it had something to do with having a lighter color skin that "looked" cleaner than the darker birds. Not sure why I remember this.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

The white color is preferred by the farms and intergraters (like Tyson etc) that produce chicken meat because the carcass do not show 5 o'clock shadow with their darker pin feathers as badly as the lighter colored (white) birds. This saves the consumer the trouble of standing over the flaming eye of a gas stove and singing off the fine little feathers. Sort of like "OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND" as it were.

 

[Mosey2003]

They don't used Barred Plymouth Rocks, they use White Plymouth Rocks. Rocks come in a variety of colors. And the White Cornish.

It's because dark pinfeathers show under the skin, and white don't. Personally, I like to see them so I can take them out.