is this a Dark Cornish rooster?

you probably are sick of me and questions about dark cornish chickens but I am certain I know what a pullet looks like now, not sure about what a rooster looks like.  I googled images online and I think I have one (always thought he might be and then worried he was half black australorp).  Would enjoy anyone's thoughts on this please, tried to photograph him this morning and these are the best of the bunch  -  of the 8 roosters I have in the bachelor pen he is the most shy, "don't touch me or I think I'll die" kind of guy, and then all the others conspired to protect him from the paparazzi and got in the way.  They relaxed after a while and my memory card was full so I thought I'd try extract the better ones.  If he is dark cornish, please, thoughts on conformation would be appreciated.  Auntieevil and I want to know    .   She has some too.  I think he is approx 5 months, give or take a week or two.  

I think so, young, right? And Hatchery Cornish, not breeder Cornish. I have a dark Hatchery Cornish Rooster but he is almost a year old. Quite magnificent but not as awe inspiring as a proper breeder Cornish...

I believe he looks like a hatcher Dark Cornish to me.

I got him from BCKev and I am not certain of his source, he often has difficulty with his internet but I can ask him. Kevin was trying out different crosses to see what makes a good meat chickens as I understand it and tried dk cornish with other heritage breeds - several other chicks I got from him were dk cornish x's (one with black australorp but that one is a pullet who is laying, another is x with buff orpington I think and another with white wyandotte which is a handsome rooster now). Not knowing what a dk cornish rooster looks like to begin with I was not sure if it was a x with black australorp. Yep, he's young still and I don't think finished filling out at all - I am hoping for more chunky chunky. Feathers are as soft as a cochin :-). His legs are not as thick as I imagine they can be for a rooster especially. Thanks for thoughts. Love more from anyone else who wants to share.

Definitively a hatchery Dark Cornish

I would suspect if he was an Australorp cross his comb would not be as tight as it is. Really just speculation.

Hi Rosewood, thanks for the photograph.  I have an untrained eye, I know you can all see very clearly the differences but I had never seen one of these chickens six months ago  -  learning curve is big.  Have watched them (two pure bred pullets and the possible rooster + muggle crosses) grow up all runty and scraggly, now starting to look a bit better.  My guy certainly looks less broad than yours, and sort of gangly by comparison.  Not sure what level in the pecking order he is but his attitude is not "I'm the boss"  which is evident in your dude I think  -  he's the shizbah aye, so glossy and strong!  want to touch those feathers   .  How old is he?

yeah coopslave, the comb is like a large pink raisin! those rediculous single combs, not good for winter at all. the chickens who lay the biggest eggs seem to have the single combs - so far, just started really.

Here is my 2013 hatch hatchery DC - very simalar. Mine came from Triple J. The hatchery DC girls are laying up a storm. This fellow is a funny guy. I like to watch him with his hennies. He's very polite but gets his job done. Hehehe. I just use mine as general laying flock. The girls lay a medium to large egg with a few double yolkers thrown in for fun.
I should add he was 16-18 weeks there.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f57/18/64/03/46/image18.jpg

This one is my favorite.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f57/18/64/03/46/image19.jpg

A pure white cornish cockerel for comparison.

Not from a hatchery I assume?

thanks Karaandblue, you fella sure is handsome, standing there in the afternoon sun like a chicken God,  very obliging poser   .  although they are very similar your guy is a bit beefier and filled out, good to see and for sure I think this is what we have now.  I am thinking we must have stock from hatchery lines.  Thank you.

Thanks also Authentic.  Apart from the color differences, are white cornish considered the same deal as dark?  -  in terms of meat and laying?  ta.
Ooh oh, is that ABoyNamedSue?? it is isn't it!!!

Heda, no, from Schipperkesue!

Magdelan, I don't really know much about the cornish, even though I have the one. I think they are rumoured to be delicious. I think fertility can be an issue in the pure cornishes - probably why hatcheries seem to have leaked some other breeds into the mix.

yes, it is ABoyNamedSue!

I thought he looked familiar! Very handsome!

authenticfarm wrote:Heda, no, from Schipperkesue!

Magdelan, I don't really know much about the cornish, even though I have the one. I think they are rumoured to be delicious. I think fertility can be an issue in the pure cornishes - probably why hatcheries seem to have leaked some other breeds into the mix.

yes, it is ABoyNamedSue!

what a love. and doesn't look scarred at all from being told he is going to be eaten every time you see him   .

what breeds would they have put into the mix I wonder - I can't eat the boy now and the girls are laying so that is that.

Heda do you raise them for eggs or meat or just because you like them? or all of the above   

Authentic you need to add those funny head shots you got of ABNS today. Hehehehe

Magdelan wrote:thanks Karaandblue, you fella sure is handsome, standing there in the afternoon sun like a chicken God,  very obliging poser   .  although they are very similar your guy is a bit beefier and filled out, good to see and for sure I think this is what we have now.  I am thinking we must have stock from hatchery lines.  Thanks.

No problem. They are pretty neat birds. I put 3 others into freezer camp at 14 weeks. They were 4 lbs dressed. Perfect for me. I know he isn't anything special but he's an interesting fellow. The DC seem to be fairly cold hardy as well and I have one hennie who wants to set some chicks in the worst of ways. She can raise some others this spring/summer instead I figure. Lol

I don't think Heda has Cornish, but I could be wrong. I have both dark bantams and LF whites and yes, Sue is one of mine. He is young and still needs to body out a little more but he looks nicely proportioned, broad level back, wide stance, deep head, heavy brow.

Why do I keep them? They are rumoured to be hard to keep in the cold...but mine are doing fine. They don't lay a lot and grow slowly. They only get fertile when it is warm, but I am giving them another chance and collecting eggs right now.

Why do I keep them? Probably for the same reasons people keep bulldogs. Their incredible beauty!

I should take a new picture of him; he is quite a chunk now.

Sue, ChickenSue did really well without a heat lamp during this last cold snap. He snuggles in with his girlfriends and seems quite happy. I am now trying to teach him to roost like a normal chicken, but he has a ramp to get back down in the morning.

Schipperkesue wrote:I don't think Heda has Cornish, but I could be wrong.  I have both dark bantams and LF whites and yes, Sue is one of mine.  He is young and still needs to body out a little more but he looks nicely proportioned, broad level back, wide stance, deep head, heavy brow.

Why do I keep them?  They are rumoured to be hard to keep in the cold...but mine are doing fine.  They don't lay a lot and grow slowly.  They only get fertile when it is warm, but I am giving them another chance and collecting eggs right now.  

Why do I keep them?  Probably for the same reasons people keep bulldogs.  Their incredible beauty!

I just checked to be sure, Heda said she has a hatchery DC. I appreciate your description of what are considered good features. I am going to wait and see if he fills out more before deciding yay or nay about keeping him.

Having seen your ABNS Authentic, I think he is far more handsome and beautiful than my roo (who shall remain nameless until his fate is decided). Love to see some head shots :-).

I got mine from Triple J too but mine were hatched I think first of May last year so bigger - and very dominant. I am going to cross the rooster to the Mistral Gris hens I kept from last year's meat birds - see if they can produce a satisfactory meat bird for home use. Just seeing if Mistral Gris crosses well. I have four hatchery dark Cornish hens from that same hatch that I might cross to a Buckeye rooster, I dunno. Just messing around with crosses. I had quite a few hatchery Cornish roosters but all but one went to freezer camp a few months ago. Small but well shaped for eating.

heda gobbler wrote:I got mine from Triple J too but mine were hatched I think first of May last year so bigger - and very dominant.  I am going to cross the rooster to the Mistral Gris hens I kept from last year's meat birds - see if they can produce a satisfactory meat bird for home use.  Just seeing if Mistral Gris crosses well.  I have four hatchery dark Cornish hens from that same hatch that I might cross to a Buckeye rooster, I dunno.  Just messing around with crosses.  I had quite a few hatchery Cornish roosters but all but one went to freezer camp a few months ago.  Small but well shaped for eating.

Heda are your hens laying well? Mine seem to be laying up a storm. Mine from Triple J were hatched in June 2013 and that picture was from end September - October 2013 (I don't remember). Are they flighty by any chance? Mine were crazzzzzzzy chicks - but they've settled quite well - however put any pressure on and the crazzzzzzzy returns. Lol. I enjoy them.

Yes, they are laying well (but irritatingly are still not convinced by the nesting boxes - lay all over the floor) but I won't start my incubator until March so cannot be tempted. They are basically free range which I find helps prevent craziness - and I try never to corner them in the coop. Nothing like the Buckeyes who run up to stand on my toes in the morning and quite like being picked up and cuddled. Triple J and I agreed - they ARE crazy as chicks - holy moley! But as you say if you don't pressure them they are fine as adults, just not friendly. The rooster is right on the edge of aggressive. There are a lot of young Buckeye cockerels who share the coop and he won't let them in the coop at night at night so I have to shoo him back from the doorway to allow them to run in. They are in a well insulated little building with no heat and seem just fine.

I don't mention my Cornish often because I'm not breeding them for SOP or even to be pure - they are to produce mixed breed meaties any way I can figure....

Yes mine as well - pretty layers for my laying flock and for meaties. I just wondered on the similarities that's all. I think they are quite pretty and if they continue to lay like they are they are welcome to stay. I like how heavy they are even though they are not a big bird. So I figure to cross them with something and see what type of meaties they produce.
My roo tends to be ok - but I don't have any others in with him - just the hens. I can't wait til spring when I can let them out to free range.

heda gobbler wrote:  I am going to cross the rooster to the Mistral Gris hens I kept from last year's meat birds

Heda that should be a sexlink cross. I am not really versed on the genetic make up of the Mistral Gris but they are a barred or cuckoo feathered bird aren't they?

If you are putting a Dark Cornish over them the male chicks should have whites spots on the heads and the female none. The males will grow up to show some barring and the females will be black with possible red in their throat area.

Dark Cornish, mainly the show quality ones, are noted for not being as successful at treading hens because of their short, thick legs and wide stance. That is were some of the fertility issues can come from. Many of the breeders in Australia do AI or will keep a male a little longer in the leg for breeding.
This is why the hatchery ones don't have any trouble. I knew one breeder down there that would have to check her cockerel pen a couple times a day because if the nuggety little boys got on their backs they were like turtles and would just wait for her to come and set them upright. I personally think that is getting to extreme.