This is probably a stupid question, but here goes: are cornish game hens the same thing as cornish rock hens, just butchered younger? Thanks!

-- Stacey (stacey@lakesideinternet.com), December 12, 2001

Answers

Well, around here they are Cornish Rock Game hens. So that is even more confusing. I am not sure, but I know that the huge white chickens that are double breasted are raised to 4 to 6 weeks and butchered to make the cornish game hens you see in the grocery store. (The ones that look like tiny baking hens.) The others are grown for longer and butchered at between 6 and 8 weeks. I think that the ones that I got given to me were around 7 weeks old when I got them and they got huge! You have to give them a lot more protein in their diets or they have trouble with their legs. Not a nice thing that someone did with their genetics. We had Fatty Patty for a long time! She was the one out of 74 that I just couldn't give away. Got too attached. She did not live as long as some of my other old timers. The others live for at least 10 years or more and she only lived to be about 3.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), December 12, 2001.

Cornish Game is a breed that has been around along time and is recognized in the American Poultry Association with a section to itself in the APA's Standard of Perfection. Cornish Rock or Cornish Rock Game hens, with the "Rock" in there, indicates they are the same as Cornish Cross which is a hybrid developed from the Cornish Game crossed with Plymouth Rocks (white) and used strictly for meat birds.

-- David A. (scott@micronet.net), December 12, 2001.

As far as leg problems. You simply add a soluable supplement to thier water to avoid that unless you have a problem with that. I raised them when I lived in S. Wisconsin and never had leg problems with mine by doing that. You can get it through Mc Murray nursery, but their expensive. Try your local grain mill or a local store that caters to farmers needs such as Farm & Fleet in our area. It's much more affordable!

-- katie (Wi-cashcrop@excite.com), December 12, 2001.

From my experience, same-same. Start with what is generally called a "Cornish Rock cross". These are the standard meat birds. If you butcher them at a dressed weight of about 22 oz, it's a "Cornish Game Hen", sex notwithstanding. Let them grow to 6 weeks and they'll dress at 3 1/2 to 5 lbs. At 12 weeks they'll be 8 lbs or so, some larger. GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), December 12, 2001.

Oh...btw...they will lay large eggs, but it isn't very economical to keep them. They will just sit around the feed bowl and eat and eat and eat! What is that feed additive? Sounds interesting! We put some game bird feed in with their regular feed to up the protein. They do not do well on chops or scratch alone. Not high enough protein. IT would be great to know what the additive was. Hubby probably knows.... but he isn't home yet. So...I will ask ya'll! :~)!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), December 12, 2001.

the cornish cross we had in Texas would've never laid eggs!;) At about 8 or 9 weeks(sometimes sooner) they'd just start dropping dead if we hadn't gotten around to butchering them. They were strictly meat birds, not long enough lived to be anything else.(The climate probably contributed).

-- mary (mlg@aol.com), December 12, 2001.

We let our Cornish Rocks get really big and then roast them. Our most recent one dressed out at 9 lbs and fed our family of 4 for 10 meals. The chicken legs looked more like turkey legs but they sure were good.

With us getting so many meals out of one I'm beginning to think I have more than I know what to do with. I have 14 left. We are going to butcher 4 at the weekend, one to eat and the other 3 are going into the freezer. I'm still kind of slow at preparing the bird, it takes me about 50 minutes to kill, pluck and clean out the innards of one bird. Hubby and I are going to do 2 each at the weekend.

-- Anita in NC (anitaholton@mindspring.com), December 12, 2001.