Cornish Crash

A friend knew a lady who had ten Cornish Cross chickens she was looking to give away.  The birds were raised to compete in the county fair, and were no longer needed by the person who raised them.  My friend cannot bear to kill a chicken.  And of course I could not turn down free young chicken!  In exchange for thinking of us, I am also going to provide said friend with a couple of these chickens dressed out nicely. 

I don't raise this breed on my farm.  I prefer heritage breeds.  I raise Black Australorps, a couple of Turkens, and a French Black Copper Marans rooster has been the "Top Roo" to the hens, which has resulted in Marans /Australorp cross offspring as well.  I also have heritage turkeys. 

The Cornish Cross is the majority of what is for sale in the supermarkets in America.  The genetics of the breed have been altered by cross breeding into what becomes a non-sustainable line, meaning the birds will not reproduce by themselves into the same "thing" they are when you get them. 

These birds are not normal.  They mature at about 37 days, whereas a normal chicken matures at around 126 or more.  They have short, stubby and weak legs, weaker immune systems, heart problems, and ZERO flavor.  They are voracious pigs at feeding time, filling their gullet in seconds to the point they can barely move.  Because of their bad legs and aching joints, they lay around a lot, only adding to the problem. And because they lay around a lot, they're always dirty and they stink. 

The heritage breeds, on the other hand, move like stealth torpedos through the dewy pastures of the morning, catching bugs and eating a variety of vegetation.  They're clean and they are healthy.  And the flavor of these birds cannot be touched.

Enjoy your Cornish Cross if you prefer big breasts, lack of dark meat and most definitely lack of flavor.  I prefer to stick with my heritage breeds.  Though I won't turn down a free chicken dinner!  After all, are people starving in China - didn't your mother tell you so?  

Does this Chicken above look happy? 
 

Now does it look happy?