This article aims to provide information to anyone curious about the chickens we eat, how the Cornish Cross originated, and how to raise your own meat chickens. Order Cornish Cross - Day Old Chicks
The Original Cornish Cross
The Chicken-of-Tomorrow contest in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s encouraged farmers and poultry breeders to showcase their best meat birds. This competition brought about the inception of the Cornish Cross. The winning bird was a Dark Cornish x New Hampshire and the runner up was a Plymouth Rock.
The first Cornish Cross birds were a Dark Cornish x New Hampshire rooster crossed to a White Plymouth Rock hen. Crossing these two winning lines became the foundation of the modern Cornish Cross. It wasn’t until the early 2000’s that the Cornish Cross became a distinct breed. I use ‘breed’ very loosely here as a poultry breed is defined as one that can naturally reproduce and produce consistent offspring in weight, body type, color, comb type, egg/meat production, and other physical characteristics. See the American Poultry Association for specific breed standards.
Modern broiler strains all utilize Cornish Cross foundation stock. Crossing Cornish chickens with Plymouth Rock chickens is not necessary as hybrid lines have been sustained for decades.
Global Companies
Globally, there are three companies that dominate the broiler industry; Cobb-Vantress, Aviagen, and Hubbard. These companies have acquired many of the best breeding lines of the twentieth century.
Cobb-Vantress is an American company established in 1986. In 1948 and 1951 Charles Vantress won the Chicken-of-Tomorrow contest with his Cornish x New Hampshire hybrids (165-166 Art & Science in Breeding; Derry 174 Poultry Meat and Egg Production Parkhurst and Mountney). Vantress focused primarily on male broiler lines and Cobb had strong female lines. In 1974 Tyson Foods purchased the Vantress Cornish Cross lines.
Later in 1994 Tyson Foods acquired full ownership of Cobb. Cobb-Vantress offers male and female lines today worldwide. Some lines of note are the MX Male, a new male line introduced in the last few years. The Cobb 500 female line is over 40 years old.
Aviagen is an American company established in 1923. They offer both male and female lines. The Ross female is available in 3 different lines. The Yield Plus Male and the Efficiency Pro Male are the current available lines. Lines from the Rowan Range brand were developed for the slower growing, organic, and free range markets. Some lines of note are the Ross 708 and the Ross 308 female lines, bred for consistency and end product versatility.
Hubbard started out as a farm in 1921 in New Hampshire USA. Hubbard offers eight female lines and ten male lines in the Premium Male collection. Hubbard lines are well suited to slower growing operations. Their lines meet the criteria for multiple specialty labels and markets worldwide.
These three global companies sell breeding birds to smaller companies and hatcheries who then in turn raise or sell broiler chicks.
How to Raise Cornish Cross Chickens
There are many guides available on how to raise Cornish Cross. From hatch to processing is usually 8 weeks. Many commercial growers now process broilers closer to the 5-6 week mark. However, 8 weeks is still standard for many backyard/homestead growers. Have a look at our processing kits.
Feed your birds medicated feed for the first three weeks, grower feed for weeks 4-6, and a finisher feed or corn for the last two weeks. Cornish Cross require heat until week 4, by that point they should be sufficiently feathered. Check out our chick brooders.
Cornish Cross are susceptible to health issues such as leg issues and heart problems due to their large size and quick growth. It is important to provide them with enough space so that they don’t trample each other and that the environment is safe and calm. Read our blog post, for a more comprehensive guide on raising chickens for meat.
Why You Can’t Breed Your Own Cornish Cross Chickens
Today’s Cornish Cross meat chickens are the results of over 50 years of selective breeding. With decades of research and development behind these birds, breeding lines and locations are kept secret. Aside from the logistics involved in raising Cornish Cross to laying age. If you were to successfully breed two Cornish Cross, the resulting offspring wouldn’t have the same rate of growth or feed to meat conversion ratio.
The birds we eat are a terminal cross, meaning that they were never meant to be bred. They are the final result of a multi-generational breeding program that focuses on male and female lines. When these lines are crossed the result is the Cornish Cross we eat. If you are wanting to raise and breed birds for meat, consider a meat breed or a dual purpose breed.
Final words about Cornish Cross
In conclusion, the Cornish Cross chicken is a manmade ‘breed’ that resulted from the need for more broilers as chicken became a staple of the American diet. The ability to create the breed was set in motion by the Chicken-of-Tomorrow contests held in the late 1940’s.
Written by:
Aryeh Wiesel
