Breed Profile - Cornish Cross, a work in progress

This is a preview of a breed profile I'm currently working on. I will be raising some Cornish Cross chickens for my own use this year and will write a profile similar to the ones for other breeds of chicken. I'll be using a Cornish Cross purchased at my local grocery store, as usual, as the benchmark. This preview will be included in the finished profile when it's published sometime this summer or fall (depending on when I order chicks and get around to slaughtering them).

Mixed breed chicken on the left, pastured, free range Cornish Cross on the right. It's really not a matter of one being better than the other...

I love Cornish Cross chickens. There, I said it. And I'm not ashamed of my love for this bird. The modern Cornish Cross is the workhorse (workchicken?) of the modern meat poultry industry. Millions of the birds are raised by commercial growers and home growers every year. It is the most commonly eaten chicken in the USA, probably in the world.

In recent years, thanks to some elements of the local and healthy food movements, this bird has gotten a bad rep, and I'd like to rectify some of this. The birds have been portrayed as being genetically manipulated (in a GMO way), given growth hormones (it's illegal in the USA to administer growth hormones of any kind to poultry), being slothful and lazy (which isn't a characteristic of the bird, but is of the growing system used), and having health problems (again, primarily issues with the growing system that many people, including the large commercial growers) use.

I'll address these issues below...

Genetics - The modern Cornish Cross chicken is the result of decades of careful breeding. It's no more a GMO (genetically modified organism) than your heirloom tomato, and was produced by the same breeding principles. That is to say, the bird's characteristics were created by breeding one type of chicken to another type of chicken in order to produce a bird that meets a set of criteria. The Cornish Cross hybrid (it's the offspring of two chicken breeds), was first introduced way back in the 1930s, which means that people have been developing this hybrid and its parent stock for over 70 years. The Cornish Cross chicken doesn't need to be a GMO, regular selection and development of parent lines through selection is ample, and an excellent example of what standard breeding practices can produce when done intentionally with specific goals in mind.

Likewise for the claim that some have made that the birds are fed growth hormones. First off, it's illegal to feed growth hormones to chickens, and second, the selective breeding of parent lines have made the use of growth hormones in these birds unnecessary anyway. Anyone who's raised Cornish Cross chickens can attest to their rapid rate of growth even on low protein feed.

As to the birds being lazy and prone to structural and organ problems, it all depends on how they are raised. If they are kept confined to small tractors or pens and fed a high protein feed, they definitely can develop structural and organ problems. They also will not move around much. If you're restricted to a small space and provided with lots of rich food that was just a few feet away, you wouldn't move around much either. Add to this the naturally placid temperament of the birds and it's no wonder they behave the way they do.

However, when allowed to run loose and fed a lower protein feed, they will be much more active. Raised in such an environment, they will grow slower and the meat will be firmer (although never tough). When paired with dual purpose chickens, or with turkeys, they will be just as active as those birds for the majority of their lives. However, even raised that way, the Cornish Cross should be slaughtered no later than 6 months of age for cockerels (males) and slightly longer for pullets (females). There comes a time when the birds will get so heavy that they really do have trouble moving around. I once raised a small flock to between 5 and 5 1/2 months of age. I was intentionally raising them to be very large birds, and ran them with a flock of free range layers. The birds were fed twice a day and foraged for part of their food. The smallest bird, a pullet, dressed out at over 6 lbs. The largest bird, a cockerel, dressed out at 10 lbs 15 oz.. That's a chicken the size of a small turkey. At that point in the bird's life, he had gotten so big, he was actually having a hard time getting around. But up until a couple of weeks prior to slaughter he had been doing pretty well.

When fed properly, and especially if they're allowed to have exercise, there are very few organ and structural issues with these birds, at least not the Cobb 500, which is the strain I've been working with for several years. And they do have a sweet and placid temperament, especially when compared to extremely active birds such as White Leghorn layers. Cornish Cross can even be paired with more active or flighty birds and have a calming effect on those nervous breeds such as White Leghorn, and species of bird such as Guinea Fowl. I've used them to calm guinea fowl keets, which are extremely active and nervous.

The Cornish Cross I will be raising in 2016 will be used in this breed profile when I slaughter and process them. As always, I will be using a Cornish Cross of comparable weight from my local grocery store as the benchmark that my birds will be compared to. There will be some differences, but not a lot as far as type and quantity of meat. The real difference is in the eating quality. That is, my birds are raised very differently than the large producers' birds. My birds have firmer meat due to the activity and the fact that they're older at slaughter than the store bought birds. The reader will be able to see differences and similarities in build and darkness of meat, quantity of fat, etc. in the photos I'll include.

When I buy my benchmark birds, I purchase birds from the same producer (aka "integrator"). It's a common brand, but I don't disclose which brand or what store the bird was purchased from as these profiles aren't meant to be a "better" or "worse"  set of comparisons. They are meant to inform people of the differences between the bird that everyone is familiar with, and various other breeds and crosses. Intrinsically, there is nothing wrong or right about any breed, cross, or production system. What matters is what you like to eat and what you'd like to try that's new to you. For people who are not familiar with other breeds of chicken, it can come as quite a shock to find that most breeds are very different than what they are used to. And too, the growing systems can make those birds even more different.

When a person is used to a plump, round, Cornish Cross, and they are confronted by a lanky bird with half the breast meat, long drumsticks and skinny wings, it can be a little off putting. But knowing what you're getting into, as they say, is half the battle. And if you're interested in different birds or production methods, and cooking with them, the adventure is definitely worth it.

All content in this article, including images, © Joanne Rigutto, unless otherwise noted.

Breed Profile - Light Sussex chicken

I eat a lot of chicken. I used to buy all of my chicken from the store, but many years ago I began raising my own chickens, both for meat and for eggs. Until 2 years ago, my meat chicken of choice was the Cornish cross, the work horse (or work chicken) of the meat poultry industry. Home grown Cornish cross, when raised properly, are superior in flavor than those bought at the store. At least in my opinion they are.

In 2014 I started cooking with dual purpose chickens (birds used for both egg and meat production). Since then, I've cooked almost exclusively with these breeds. I've been cooking with and eating birds from young cockerels (4-6 months old) to aged hens and roosters. While I still like the Cornish cross for some things, I've found that you just can't beat dual purpose birds if you like to make dishes that are rich in flavor which require somewhat longer cooking times that a young Cornish cross can't take.

In order to share the information I've garnered about these wonderful birds, I've been writing profiles of the different breeds I've been working with, and will continue to write profiles as I add new breeds and crosses to my repertoire. I'll also be posting recipes from my upcoming cookbook about working with various breeds.

 

Light Sussex hens (left) and Light Sussex rooster (right)

Pictures © Farwest Hatchery, used with permission.

Sussex chickens are a large, dual purpose bird used for both egg and meat production. They come in a variety of colors, the Light Sussex being used for this profile. As always, a Cornish Cross chicken purchased from my local grocery store is used as a benchmark in all of the pictures. I use a store bought Cornish Cross as a benchmark bird because that's what most people cooking at home will be familiar with, and readers will be able to see the differences in body type as well as meat and, where visible, fat. In general, most other breeds of bird will have noticeably darker meat than the store bought Cornish Cross. This is due to multiple factors, not the least of which is breed characteristics. But it's also due to the way the birds are raised. A Cornish Cross raised at home will be more or less similar to one purchased from the store, depending on how the bird was raised (I'll be writing an article just on Cornish Cross chickens later this year), but the rest of the chicken breeds will be very different. Which is the purpose of these breed profiles.

The Sussex chicken is a very old breed, and are believed to have been present during the time of the Roman invasion of Britan around AD 43. Sussex roosters can reach live weights approaching 10 lbs., with the hens being lighter at around 7 lbs.  Pullets can begin laying as young as 4 1/2 months. Cockerels may begin breeding as early as 4 months.

They are a calm, inquisitive bird with a lovely temperament and are very easy to work with. Both the males and females tolerate each other well with little fighting. They rarely become agressive or territorial toward people, but, being very curious, they do like to explore new things and any contrasting object. They will readily accept handling and will follow you around when you are in the pen or around them in a free range environment.

Cockerels can be large enough for slaughter as early as 5 months, and will, of course, be more tender than aged birds. Aged birds will have a larger carcass size and more meat.

They have white skin and yellow fat which renders well for Schmaltz (the oil rendered from chicken fat). The rendered oil is mild flavored and excellent for cooking. Mature birds can be fed a richer feed to increase fat production if desired.

The skin on mature roosters is thicker than what you will find in a store bought Cornish Cross. It can be left on or removed for cooking. If removed, it can be saved to use in stock or broth. The skin on younger roosters and all hens is, of course, thinner and thus more tender.

The body and legs are longer with darker meat on all parts than the Cornish Cross. The breast is smaller than a Cornish Cross. The drumsticks and thighs are longer and with slightly less weight than a Cornish Cross, but, being a darker meat, is richer. Both the breast meat and tenders (deep pectoral muscle) are dark and remain tender even in aged birds if prepared properly.

Cooking recomendations for aged birds (older than 6 months of age)

⦁ Breast and tenders - suitable for all cooking methods. On birds over 1 year of age, the breasts will need to be tenderized or braised, but the teners (deep pectoral muscle) can be pan fried or stir fried as long as the tendon is removed.

⦁ Thighs - best for braising, cut into strips and marinated for stir fry or pan frying, grinding. They can also be pounded and tenderized for pan frying.

⦁ Wings - best for long, slow braising, pressure cooking, canning.

⦁ Drumsticks - best for long slow braising, shredded or chopped chicken after braising, pressure cooking, canning.

All images used in this profile are of the same birds at various stages of processing.

Light Sussex (yearling roosters) in the back, a Cornish Cross from the store in front. The Cornish Cross weight a bit over 6 lbs., the Light Sussex roosters weighed between 6 and 7 lbs dressed. This picture also shows examples of the differences between dominant roosters and subordinate roosters. The larger carcass in the rear right corner was a dominant rooster. All three birds were the same age at slaughter and came from a uniform flock. That is, all of the birds in this flock as well as the parent flock, were all uniform in their genetics. The Cornish Cross was from a large commercial producer and was probably 6-8 weeks old at time of slaughter.

Also evident, is the body type and way that the muscles are developed on the different ages and types of bird. Part of this is due to the age difference between the Cornish Cross and the Light Sussex birds, but also, is due, in the Light Sussex birds, to the difference in dominance between the 3 roosters.

Leg/thigh attached comparison. Cornish Cross are at the bottom of the picture.

Note the difference in color of the meat between the two types. The thigh and drumstick meat is the dark meat of any chicken, and it's darker on the Light Sussex than that of the Cornish Cross. This is primarily due to the difference in type, but also due in small part to the age of the birds (the Cornish Cross being considerably younger than the Light Sussex) and the amount of activity that the two types have engaged in.

Leg/thigh detached. Light Sussex above, Cornish Cross below.

Boneless breast meat, skin on. Light Sussex above, Cornish Cross below. In this image, the tender (deep pectoral muscle) had been removed from all breast halves.

All content in this article, including images, © Joanne Rigutto except where noted.