Cornish Cross and Dark Cornish

White Cochins, Golden Comets, and Barred Plymouth Rocks are the only varieties I've had sufficient experience with to really rate.  But I've stumbled across some other chickens that deserve a mention, especially in the broiler world.  The term "broiler" refers to any chicken that is eaten at a relatively young age.  While you can raise a dual purpose breed like the Barred Rock to the broiler stage, most people who want to raise meat chickens go for a special variety, the most common of which is the Cornish Cross.

The Cornish Cross is a hybrid between a White Plymouth Rock and a Dark Cornish.  Like Golden Comets, the resulting hybrid vigor is a bit astounding.  While the parent breeds take 12 to 20 weeks to reach slaughtering weight, Cornish Crosses may get there in as little as 8 weeks.  People also love the big breast on Cornish Crosses, very different from the slenderer breasts on more traditional broiler breeds.

However, Cornish Crosses have some major issues.  They grow so fast that they often overload their hearts and legs and die before getting old enough to slaughter.  If I thought our White Cochin was a lazy hen, I'd be shocked by the lack of foraging ability among Cornish Crosses --- I've been to visit operations where the pastured birds spend all day sitting in the shade, panting.  Connoisseurs of chicken meat also note that Cornish Crosses lack the subtle flavor of old-fashioned birds (although I've also heard pastured poultry farmers who raise traditional breeds lament the way that their customers turn up their noses at the more flavorful meat --- it is probably an acquired taste.)

This year, we're going to be experimenting with one of the parents of the Cornish Cross --- the Dark Cornish.  This traditional broiler breed is reputed to take up to twenty weeks to reach slaughter weight, but they are excellent foragers and are nearly feral in their ability to fend for themselves.  I'll be sure to let you know whether the Dark Cornish are worth the extra time.

While you're waiting on our results, check out our homemade chicken waterer.  We use them in our chicken tractors and plan to add them to our forest pasture as well.