The Dark Cornish from BC Kev have hatched!

At the Salmon Arm poultry swap I swapped a dozen of my Ameraucana eggs for a dozen of BC Kev's standard Dark Cornish and crosses. 4 were discarded during candling. Of the 8 remaining, all have hatched! Thank you, Kev, and thanks for advising me to put a blanket over my incubator (I think that was you), because of the wide temp fluctuations in my house. This was the best hatch I've had this year. How did my eggs do for you?

I had 7 Ameraucana eggs under a hen for 2 weeks, then threw them in the bator with the Cornish for the last week and they ALL hatched! So happy! Also, 4 out of 4 Light Sussex and 5 out of 8 Welsummer. Very good, all in all.

I was just about to send you note. I did the same, 8 for 12. Very nice looking birds. The blanket trick can really help. I am using it with an old incubator I have, but I am using a foam cushion. Let me know what you think of Cornish as they grow. I am really pleased with my birds and how they are laying etc.

I'm sure you will find my birds have good egg colour. Were they all blue/splash, or did you get some wheaton? Some of your birds look like they have blue in them. What would they have been crossed with? There is also a black one, and one has feathered shanks. Very nice, healthy chicks. I am pleased.

The one with the feathered shanks is crossed with a light brahma, I am very curious about how quickly that one will size up. The others are either pure dark Cornish or Cornish white Wyandotte crosses. I did catch a partridge rock rooster sneaking into the pen, so maybe he caught some of the hens before the Cornish rooster chased him off.

five wheaton, 2 blue and one splash is what it is looking like. I really like the blue of your eggs so am hoping for lots of hens.

Yes, the blue-wheaton rooster really improved the egg colour.

BCKev, I have been trying to get some pics of the birds I hatched from you, but they are shier than mine. I have done my best...

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There are 7 birds, but these were the 3 I could get shots of. Most of them have feathered shanks now. I don't think any of them are pure Cornish, but they are very colourful and pretty.

It is neat to see the crosses. I have not had as many crosses as I have had purebreds. The crosses you have will be with light brahma, what are you noticing re: sizing up, are they same or quicker. I have managed to keep back two crosses and they sized up early but are slightly bigger now. I was just looking at the americaunas I got from you and they are starting to show their colours, they are going to be very nice birds a good addition to my flock.

The feather shanked birds do seem to be slightly larger than the others. Only 1 looks like it may be purebred. I will try to get better pics on the weekend. They are better about running toward me when I come with the food now. I am not really noticing the characteristic Cornish legs in any of them so far. Does that develop later?

I am not sure how the legs will develop with the crosses. This is my first year trying them. I do find the legs do come a little later with the purebreds. I was just looking at some of mine last night and am amazed at how much smaller the Cornish look but when I pick them up they are heavier than the larger looking breeds. I was looking this morning at some recent hatches and the crosses are about a third to half bigger than the rest. Interesting to see how it all comes out at butchering time.