Hey, I think I finally got this figured out!
We've been wondering where these kind of freakish chickens come from. They're certainly not selected by nature, and if they were, they wouldn't survive long enough to make more. They're the kind of chickens that most Americans are used to eating. They're the standard rotisserie chicken. They're what restaurants use. They are what we buy in the grocery store.
But what exactly are they?
So after extensive research, I think I've finally got to the bottom of it.
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| Here's a giant White Cornish Rooster |
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| And his well-endowed White Rock wife. |
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| This is their offspring... Frankenbird. |
These are called Cornish X Rock, or Cornish Cross. Or White Broilers. The name "frankenbird" fits perfectly, don't you think?
If you saw them in person, you'd definitely agree.
They reach their full market weight in 7-8 weeks. They do nothing but EAT. And EAT. By the time they are ready to meet their Maker, they seem kindof glad. They are easy to catch.
We've raised this kind of chicken a few times. They are adorable as babies.
Not so much, once they grow up.
But they sure taste good.
And that is the bottom line, folks.
Aren't you glad the mystery is solved???
I'm getting ready to order 50 more of these strange birds. I was just curious where they came from, really. It's nice raising hormone/antibiotic free meat ourselves. OK, maybe "nice" isn't quite the word I'm looking for. It's kindof cool, though. : )
What do "frankenbirds" eat? Can you get them to their finished weight on a chicken's natural free-range diet of grass, seeds, bugs, etc... Or do you have to feed them a steady diet of typical starter/ grower crumbles? It would be great if you could get them to weight on a natural diet free of antibiotics, gmo corn and soy, meat by-products etc. I'd be interested in seeing the difference.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! These birds eat the typical feed, but need a lot of protein. They can free range but they don't really put the weight on that way. We're thinking about trying these next time. http://www.mthealthy.com/product/RR-sr They're called Red Rangers or Freedom rangers. They are more normal, and live 11 weeks instead of 8. They have more dark meat, I think.
DeleteHere's a good description from one hatchery....
DeleteCornish Rock Cross Chicken (as hatched)
Mt. Healthy Jumbo Cornish Rock Cross
The large massive Cornish Cockerels are bred to large broiler type White Rock hens. The cross produces one of the finest quality broiler type chicks that can be found anywhere. They make market weight in 7 weeks. Many of our customers report 4 lb. broilers in 7 to 8 weeks. They give you the desired broad breast, big leg, big thigh, uniform conformation, rich yellow skin, extra fast feathering, real prime broilers. We cannot overemphasize the importance of proper nutrition for your successful results from our Cornish X Rock Cross chicks! The tremendous growth rate makes it absolutely essential to feed a broiler ration to this bird. We recommend a 23% protein starter ration for the first four weeks and a 20% protein grower ration the remainder of the growing period. Because of the rapid weight gain of these chicks, we suggest a vitamin supplement.