The Cornish Cross chicken is one of the most common meat chickens raised today. This fast-growing hybrid was first developed in the 1950s and has become the chicken of choice for commercial meat production. But what exactly is a Cornish Cross and what makes it different from other chickens?
History of the Cornish Cross
To understand the Cornish Cross, we have to go back to the 1940s and the “Chicken of Tomorrow” contests. These competitions, sponsored by A&P grocery stores and supported by the USDA, were held to develop a better meat chicken. Breeders submitted eggs that were hatched and judged on criteria like feed efficiency and amount of breast meat.
The 1948 contest winner was a White Plymouth Rock entered by Henry Saglio of Connecticut. Another top finisher was a Red Cornish chicken entered by Vantress Hatchery These two birds were then crossbred to create the predecessor of the modern Cornish Cross
Over the next decades, breeds were refined for fast growth, meat yield, and breast size. Major breeders like Cobb and Aviagen (Arbor Acres) emerged and continue developing high-performing Cornish Cross strains today.
What Makes the Cornish Cross Special?
So what exactly makes the Cornish Cross chicken special compared to other breeds? There are a few key traits:
-
Rapid Growth: The Cornish Cross grows incredibly fast, ready for processing at just 6-8 weeks old. They reach slaughter weight twice as fast as heritage chicken breeds.
-
Efficient Feed Conversion: These chickens use feed very efficiently, converting it to meat instead of energy for activity. They have excellent feed-to-meat ratios.
-
Abundant White Meat: Through selective breeding, Cornish Crosses develop very large breast muscles and abundant white meat. The breast can make up 20% of body weight.
-
Inactive Temperament Unlike active foraging heritage breeds, Cornish Crosses tend to be inactive and calm They conserve energy for growth, not physical activity.
Different Types of Cornish Crosses
While all Cornish Crosses share common traits there are some subtle differences between types
-
Cobb 500: Very fast early growth and round body shape. Massive breast development.
-
Ross 308: Similar to Cobb 500 but with slightly less rounded body. Often called “Jumbo Cornish Cross.”
-
Ross 708: Slower early growth but catches up by 4-8 weeks. More balanced body and meat distribution. Sometimes called “Cornish Rock.”
Raising Cornish Cross Chickens
If you want to raise Cornish Crosses at home, there are some important things to know:
-
House them with adequate space – at least 1 square foot per bird. Overcrowding causes stress.
-
Feed them high-protein starter/grower feed to fuel their rapid growth.
-
Monitor their feed intake carefully. Limit feed to prevent obesity.
-
Encourage activity to support bone/muscle growth since they are prone to inactivity.
-
Processing is recommended at 8-10 weeks old before they become overweight and suffer health issues.
-
Avoid heat stress since they are prone to panting and heart issues in hot weather.
-
Extra steps may be needed to keep their living area clean as they produce a lot of waste.
Why Cornish Crosses are Used for Meat
It’s easy to see why the Cornish Cross chicken is the go-to meat bird for large poultry companies as well as small backyard growers:
-
Reaches slaughter weight twice as fast as heritage breeds, allowing for quicker turnover.
-
Greater ratio of meat to bone compared to traditional breeds.
-
More abundant, plump breast meat suits customer demand.
-
Quiet, docile temperament is easier to manage in commercial barns.
-
Requires less feed overall thanks to very efficient feed-to-meat conversion.
Welfare Concerns
The extremely fast, breast-heavy growth of Cornish Cross chickens has raised some welfare concerns, however:
-
Fast weight gain stresses bones and organs like the heart.
-
Inactivity leads to muscle and skeletal disorders.
-
Large breasts can cause leg deformities and difficulty walking.
-
Rapid growth outpaces heart and lung development.
To avoid welfare issues, smaller producers try to allow Cornish Crosses more space, light activity, and a more balanced diet. But inherent traits like massive breast size remain problematic.
Alternatives to Cornish Crosses
Backyard growers or small farmers who want chickens for meat may want to consider some alternatives:
-
Slower growing heritage breeds like Plymouth Rock.
-
More active dual-purpose breeds such as Rhode Island Red.
-
Red Ranger or Red Broiler hybrids that are healthier and more active.
-
Pastured poultry breeds like the Jersey Giant.
These breeds don’t grow quite as fast or have as much breast meat. But they allow for a longer, healthier life and more activity.
The Cornish Cross chicken has transformed the poultry industry thanks to its rapid growth, feed efficiency, abundant breast meat, and calm temperament. This crossbreed allows companies to bring chicken to market weight in record time. However, some of the same traits raise welfare issues that are important to consider. Less intensive, pasture-based systems may want to explore some alternative dual-purpose or heritage breeds for meat.
Health of the Chicken
Cornish Cross chickens were bred to do two things exceedingly well; eat and grow. However, this can often come at a cost to the overall health of the bird. Leg abnormalities, heart conditions, getting overweight to the point where they just don’t move effectively. We saw all of these factors pop up in our batch of 25 birds.
We also lost more Cornish Cross along the way. A few died early on as chicks. At least one died because its legs didn’t develop correctly and it just couldn’t get the regular access to food and water it needed. I unfortunately ran over a couple with the chicken tractor because they just don’t like to move, and we lost a couple that way. And one even died of a heart attack on the short transport across the street to be butchered.
We did not have any of these issues with the Freedom Rangers. They looked and acted like healthy, hearty chickens all throughout the process.
The hatchery sometimes gives you more chickens than what you actually order. For the Cross we started with 27 and ended up with 18 in our freezer. With the Rangers we started with 26 and ended up with 23.
Freedom Ranger chickens had the clear advantage on health.
As a homestead, we wanted to consider both the quality of life of the chicken and the overall experience for our family as chicken growers.
To be quite frank, Cornish Cross chickens are sad birds to have around. At least that was our experience. Many of the typical qualities of a chicken were bred out of them so they move less and eat more to gain weight as quickly as possible. They are also bred to have fewer feathers, adding to their sad state.
Freedom Rangers look and act like any other chicken you’ve seen before. They peck, scratch, forage, and have all the instincts and mannerisms you’d expect to find in a chicken.
We found SO much more enjoyment as a family raising Freedom Rangers chickens. And they seemed to enjoy their quality of life more also. In fact, looking back, we had so few pictures of the Cornish Cross because there just weren’t many moments in raising them that we wanted to capture on camera.
This was the area we were most concerned with. When we asked the local feed store where we ordered the chicks about Freedom Rangers, we were met with, “If you like tough chicken, then go with the Ranger.” That was a bit discouraging, but we stayed open-minded and optimistic.
In the end, both Cross and Ranger chickens were tasty and juicy. But we hands-down prefer the taste and texture of Freedom Rangers! They had more red, dark meat that was packed with flavor. And the texture was just right with any dish and cooking method we tried.
Cornish Cross give you the giant white meat breasts you see nicely packaged in grocery stores that, in our opinion, have a spongy texture. Again, the Cross tasted great. But something about the texture and disproportionately large chicken parts was a bit off-putting.
Our experience and preference between Cornish Cross vs. Freedom Ranger Chickens.
After raising both Cross and Ranger meat chickens, there was a clear winner in our minds. The categories we considered are: the health of the chicken, quality of life, taste, time to get to weight, cost, and butchering.
Meat Bird Chickens ~~ Cornish Cross ~~ Is It Worth It?
FAQ
What two chickens make Cornish cross?
Cornish Cross chickens are a hybrid resulting from crossing a Cornish chicken (specifically a Dark Cornish) rooster with a White Plymouth Rock hen.
What are the disadvantages of the Cornish Cross?
Cornish Cross are bred to grow unnaturally fast, often to the detriment of their health. These birds are prone to a variety of health issues due to their rapid growth, including skeletal issues and heart problems. Essentially, they’re obese babies by the time they hit your plate.
What is the difference between Cornish chicken and regular chicken?
Because they’re harvested so young, Cornish hens’ meat is exceptionally tender. Their high skin-to-meat ratio makes them remarkably succulent too. Cornish hens are as versatile as conventional chickens, but cook faster and feel more special.
Do Cornish Cross chickens lay eggs?