Dark Cornish X Bresse chickens as a meat bird?

[ChickenFox]

I'm currently daydreaming of days that may be a long time off but I'm wanting to raise a small flock for meat in the future and I was wondering about crossing white bresse with dark cornish? I've had both breeds at one point but sadly didn't get to enjoy them on my table. In the future I would love to have a small flock of self sustaining birds for the table but I don't want anything to do with the traditional Cornish X broilers. I'm also trying to avoid the rangers and such.

Has anyone raised a cross of these breeds? Or a similar crossing? I've read the threads on the Toad's that some are breeding and raising and I find those highly impressive but I wouldn't need such a large bird for my needs.

I was thinking of having a small flock consisting of a Dark Cornish Roo with a couple Bresse and Cornish hens. Hatch out and raise a dozen or 2 in the spring then again in the fall to be butchered in the fall then following spring.

Thoughts?

 

[AltonaAcres]

That sounds awesome! Crosses sometimes have less issues than your average commercial meat-bird. I raised a dozen jumbo white Cornish last year. SO sad. They were huge, couldn't walk very well, they just weren't happy. I've heard dark Cornish are great! In fact I'm getting a number of them this spring for heritage meat birds. I've also heard Bresse's are the best tasting meat bird ever. I just can't find any for sale near me. excited to hear how this turns out! Maybe i'll have to try raising a few as well.

 

[speedy2020]

I would refer White Bresse x White Cornish.

 

[Mosey2003]

Sounds perfectly viable to me. Of course most prefer the white because of the pinfeathers and such, but I know White Cornish are even harder to get ahold of. Personally, I don't mind dark feathers, as I'd rather remove all the pins than cook them anyway.

You could even keep back a few nice cross pullets and breed back to the sire and see what you get.

 

[ijon]

When you do find white Cornish you will have to sell the farm to buy them.

 

[Mr D]

When you do find white Cornish you will have to sell the farm to buy them.

That is true; however, they do sell Slow-Growing Cornish Crosses. I cannot find the history of these birds, but it’s speculated that they were bred back to a pure Cornish. Their growth rate is much closer to normal birds. I have a friend who owns one and she is growing at a similar rate (only slightly faster) as other dual purpose birds and she doesn’t seem to exhibit the same bone and health problems of the Fast-Growing variety.

 

[CNJ]

I think white plymouth rocks crossed with a white bresse will produce some fast growing hybrids. White cornish tend to mature the latest, so its slow growing. The vigor comes from the white plymouth in cornish rock crosses.