Chickens breed profile
Cornish Cross
Also known as: Cornish Rock, Jumbo Cornish Cross
- Commercial meat hybrid
- U.S. (commercial cross of Cornish × White Plymouth Rock)
- medium
- Temperament: docile
Cornish Cross is the commercial broiler standard worldwide — 6–8 weeks to market weight. Not a free-range bird; not a heritage bird. Used appropriately for what it is, it's the most efficient meat-conversion animal in livestock.
Production & size
Mature size and output.
Female weight
5–7 lbs
Male weight
6–9 lbs
Reproductive traits
Gestation
21 days
Seasonality
year round
Maternal
fair
Health & climate
Parasite resistance
fair
Heat tolerance
fair
Cold hardiness
fair
Humidity tolerance
fair
Common health concerns
- Leg problems and ascites from rapid weight gain
- Heart failure in birds held past butcher weight
- Not suited to true free-range — too lethargic to forage adequately
Management requirements
Experience
beginner friendly
Housing
moderate
Fencing
standard
Feed system
grain based
Market access
Commercial market
excellent
Direct-market appeal
fair
Direct-marketing operations increasingly favor slower-growing alternatives (Freedom Ranger, Red Ranger) for pasture claims.
Primary purposes