Cornish chickens: A rare and stocky breed with a sweet disposition
Poor layers, muscular, stocky, and slow, Cornish chickens don’t appeal to most backyard chicken keepers. This is a bit of a niche bird, and those who love Cornish are after 1 of 3 things:
A chicken purely for meat production for the homestead or small farm
A chicken of an old, rare breed in need of preservation
A hen who is calm, sweet, and delightful (she may look no-nonsense, but she’s a muscle-bound block of love)
Do you fall into any of these categories?
If so, you’ll find everything you need to know about Cornish chickens here so you can decide if they are right for your flock and household. You’ll learn:
What Cornish chickens look like in their many different colors and patterns
Cornish broodiness (do these birds want to sit on their eggs or not?)
Cornish meat (how much do they provide and what does it taste like?)
Climate considerations for Cornish chickens (are they a good fit for your region?)
Cornish temperament (are they right for you and your family?)
Cornish hybrid chickens (for those who want the ultimate meat bird)
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Have Cornish chickens?
Cornish chicken facts
Other names: Indian Game, Cornish Game
Category: Pet & meat
Origin: England
Egg-laying ability: Poor-moderate
Broodiness: High
Meat production: Exceptional
Cold tolerance: Poor-Moderate
Heat tolerance: Moderate
Predator evasion: Moderate
Foraging ability: Poor-moderate
Toleration for confinement: Good
Temperament: Docile (with some aggressive roosters)
Aggression toward flock members: Moderate-high
Noise level: Moderate
Origin of Cornish Chickens
Cornish chickens, known as meat chickens today, were actually originally developed in England to be a cockfighting breed. The breed came about by the mixing of English Game chickens with Aseel or Malay chickens. Recognized as a breed in England in 1886, the bird was originally called the Indian Game chicken.
According to The Livestock Conservancy:
“The breed was developed to produce a superior fighting chicken and in that it was a failure—losing much of the ‘Game’ character of the parent breeds. But the cross did produce a unique fowl. About Devonshire and Cornwall, England, the ‘Indian Game’ found supporters and continued to be bred.”
The Cornish chicken was imported into America in 1877, but was not recognized (i.e., given the honor of being an “official” breed) by the American Poultry Association (APA) until 1893. At this time, it was still called the Indian Game chicken. However, the APA changed the name in 1905 to the Cornish Indian Game and White Indian Game (for the white variety).
And then the names were changed again in 1910 to just the Cornish chicken. Enthusiasts at the time felt that the reference to “Game” was both a misnomer and causing the breed to be less popular.
“[The Cornish] is the bruiser of the chicken world.”
Today, Cornish chickens are much less popular than they once were. In fact, their numbers are so low that The Livestock Conservancy has given them a conservation status of “Watch.”
However, Cornish chickens also come in a bantam (i.e., miniature) type, and this type is among the most popular bantam breeds in America today.
What do Cornish Chickens look like?
“That blocky fellow, so muscle-bound he rocks from side to side as he walks, legs planted wide apart—that’s a Cornish.”
Cornish feather colors and patterns
Cornish chickens come in 12 varieties recognized by the APA or ABA (American Bantam Association). These varieties are:
Black
Blue
Blue-Laced Red
Buff
Columbian
Dark
Jubilee
Mottled
Silver Laced
Spangled
White
White-Laced Red
In the video below, you can see an example of the Dark Cornish chicken, one of the most common varieties in the U.S. today.
In the video below, you can see examples of the Jubilee and White-Laced Red Cornish varieties. The Jubilee chickens are the lighter-colored birds. You can really see here just how massive these birds’ legs are.
What is notable about the Cornish chicken’s appearance?
One of the most notable characteristics of the breed is that hens and roosters have similar body conformations, which is not typical of most breeds. The Cornish chickens are massive with legs that are short, thick, and wide-set.
Cornish chickens also have the hard feathers typical of game breeds and so they are much less soft and fluffy than your typical backyard breed. They have little or no down.
Cornish chickens have small pea combs, small wattles, pearl-colored eyes, red earlobes, and yellow beaks, shanks, and feet.
How big do Cornish chickens get?
Cornish chickens have a massive and muscular physique.
Roosters: 10.5 lbs
Hens: 8 lbs
Bantam roosters: 60 oz
Bantam hens: 36 oz
“No other breed of poultry more closely represents the ideal of an ‘Atlas’ or ‘Hercules’ poultry equivalent.”
What do Cornish chicks look like?
Cornish chicks vary in appearance, depending on which variety they are. Below, you can see a video of one of the most common varieties of chicks, the Dark Cornish.
Cornish chicken growth
Despite having large appetites and eating a substantial amount of feed, Cornish chickens are slow to mature.
Are you getting Cornish chicks?
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Cornish chickens and egg laying
Egg color: Cream or light brown
Egg size: Medium-large
Age of lay: 6 months
Eggs/week: 1-2
Eggs/year: 50-100
Many strains of Cornish chickens are very poor egg layers, and only lay in the spring. However, some of the American hatchery strains do lay better, but none are prolific layers by any means.
The Cornish is a poor egg layer for a couple of reasons. First, because they have been bred for meat or as show birds, their egg laying production has been largely ignored in breeding regimens. Second, Cornish chicks have unusually heart-shaped bodies (when you look down on them from above) that don’t have as much room for egg production as most other breeds.
Broodiness: Do Cornish hens want to hatch their eggs?
Although Cornish hens are poor layers, they do still have the maternal drive. They do tend to go broody and want to raise chicks. However, broody Cornish hens are known to accidentally break their eggs. With their heavy, massive bodies and short legs, they’re not well-built to sit.
On the occasions that Cornish hens do successfully hatch chicks, they make doting and protective mothers.
Meat production of Cornish chickens
Cornish chickens make excellent meat birds. The have extremely large breasts and carry a large amount of meat overall. Cornish meat is incredibly tender and flavorful.
Cornish chickens do take a long time to fully mature in comparison with modern broilers (more on broilers in the section, Cornish crosses below), but once mature, you can expect your chickens to have a market weight of 6.5-8.5 lbs.
However, there is another way to eat Cornish chickens that’s very popular in America—and that’s in the form of the “Cornish Game Hen,” which is just a Cornish chicken who has been slaughtered young, before reaching market weight.
The Livestock Conservancy describes the creation of the Cornish Game Hen this way:
“Due to the muscular nature of the breed, young birds could be harvested early to produce a small, tender, flavorful, and meaty one-pound bird—the now well-known ‘Cornish Game Hens.’”
Cornish chicken hardiness: How do they do in heat and cold?
American strains of Cornish chickens do best in a temperate climate. Some English and European strains can be very hardy, but many American strains are less so.
Cornish chickens do not fare well in extreme heat, but they also don’t do very well in the cold. They should not be kept in cold climates without supplemental heating.
Cornish chickens: Free range or confinement?
Cornish chickens do well in confinement, but they do need a run that’s large enough for them to get exercise. These massive birds with their massive appetites will become obese if not given the space and opportunity for exercise.
Cornish chickens love to free range, but you need to always provide them with supplemental feed. They require a large amount of calories and cannot forage enough of their own food.
Cornish chickens don’t fare particularly well against most land predators. They are slow-moving and totally unable to fly. Although roosters can put up a fight, they will have a hard time escaping a motivated land predator.
Cornish chickens may fare better against aerial predators simply due to their large size. Many aerial predators will often avoid attacking larger chickens.
Because Cornish chickens both have short legs and can’t fly, they can be kept in runs with low fences. (However, make sure your fence is tall enough to keep any predators out.)
You’ll need to make sure your chicken coop has larger than average pop holes and nesting boxes, as well as shorter than average roosting bars to accommodate both the short legs and massive stature of these chickens. Cornish chickens will also need a little more space on their roosting bars than most other breeds.
Cornish chicken temperament: Just what kind of birds are they?
“They are amazing characters and the hens, especially, can become very tame, particularly if there is any chance of a food treat.”
One Cornish chicken keeper described her hen this way, “I’m so proud of my little Dark Cornish… She… has the temperament of a princess, hops up in my lap, and lets me pick her up when I need to without a fuss. She’s a sweetheart and I love her dearly. Loves looking at her reflection and taking accidental selfies on my phone while pecking at it.”
And this seems to be the general consensus on Cornish hens’ personalities: sweet, docile, and endearing.
How are Cornish chickens around children?
Cornish hens and the friendlier Cornish roosters are wonderful around children. These chickens are calm, docile, and placid. They tolerate young children well, and some will very much enjoy the extra attention.
Are Cornish roosters aggressive to people?
Some Cornish roosters will be just as sweet and docile as the hens. However, some Cornish roosters are very aggressive towards humans.
One chicken keeper had this to say about it: “In the 15 years that I have owned chickens with a multitude of breeds, I have never had roosters this aggressive!”
Another Cornish chicken keeper tells this story: “I have to carry a net with me every time I feed the flock, and net whichever of the roosters I have kept because they will crouch and jump at my face… When it’s time to clean the coop, I net them and put them in a dog crate to keep them from attacking me!”
And another said of her Cornish rooster, “He jumps and pecks for my face every time I bend down to fill the feeder or waterer.”
But not all Cornish roosters are this feisty. One chicken keeper said of her Cornish rooster, “He was never aggressive towards me or other roosters. I harness trained him and even took him into Rural King…”
Another said that when her Cornish rooster got a foot injury, he took the treatment “like a champion.” She said, “He falls asleep in the foot baths I provide for him, and sits nicely while I put ointment on his feet and then bandage them…”
She continued, “My original plans were to eat him when he came of age. However, after quickly becoming a favorite with my family, he has successfully secured his position… [on] our farm.”
Cornish roosters really can fall on either extreme.
How well do Cornish chickens get along with other chickens?
Cornish chickens don’t tend to do well with other breeds. Although you will find anecdotes of Cornish birds who are friendly towards others, many of this breed, particularly the roosters, will live up to their fighting cock heritage.
One chicken keeper says her Cornish rooster is particularly mean to some of her hens. She says, “…he attacks the other chickens on the roost if they roost before him. I have watched him more than once pull his pen mates off the roost by their tails or neck feathers. This lead to another hen (my only black Sumatra…) having to be put down when she hit the floor at a bad angle and broke her hip.”
Hens can also be aggressive to others, although not typically as bad as roosters. You’ll be most successful raising Cornish hens together from chicks onward.
You can also raise Cornish hens with hens of other breeds from chicks, but your Cornish hens will likely be bossy with your other chickens. Do not raise Cornish hens with small or docile breeds, or these other chickens may be seriously injured or killed. And avoid adding any new chickens to a flock with Cornish hens.
“The male is unusual in being almost monogamous…”
Another thing to know about Cornish roosters is that they do not require a flock with many hens. This is because they do not excel at breeding. In fact, many Cornish roosters are incapable of breeding because their legs are too short and their breasts are too large for them to successfully mount a hen.
And for the Cornish roosters who are capable of breeding, they prefer to mate with only one or two hens.
Cornish chickens: Are they noisy?
Cornish chickens are about as noisy as your average breed. Roosters will crow and hens will egg sing. Some individuals will be louder or quieter than others.
Cornish chicken health problems and life expectancy
Cornish chickens, like many heavy breeds, are prone to obesity. Make sure these chickens have plenty of space for exercise.
Very heavy Cornish chickens may suffer from feet and leg problems, so do make sure they’re not having to jump far off of roosts, out of nesting boxes, or out of pop hole doors.
If you raise your Cornish chickens in healthy conditions, they should live as long as any other breed. The average chicken lifespan is 5-8 years. In fact, they may even live longer than average because as poor egg producers, they are less likely to die from the reproductive illnesses that kill a large percentage of laying hens.
Breeds you may want instead of Cornish chickens
Cornish crosses: The ultimate meat bird
If you want an industrial meat bird, then you want to get the Cornish Cross. Cornish Crosses are the chickens you buy at the grocery store. These are broilers that have been developed by crossing Cornish chickens with White Plymouth Rocks.
Unlike Cornish chickens, Cornish Crosses grow very quickly, reaching market weight at ~6 weeks of age. Of course, this fast growth comes at price—one the chicken pays. Cornish Crosses are insatiably hungry and often suffer from incredibly painful skeletal problems. They are prone to cardiac disease (yes, even at <6 weeks old) and are very susceptible to illnesses.
Many people confuse the Cornish chicken with the Cornish Cross. I think veteran chicken keeper and author, Christine Heinrichs, describes the Cornish chicken best, in her book, The Backyard Field Guide to Chickens:
“The standard Cornish is a vibrant, healthy, beautiful chicken that would make any backyard flock owner proud.”
The Cornish Cross, on the other hand, often tends to be a listless, unwell, often pathetic-looking chicken that will break your heart. Many of these hybrid chickens really do suffer.
Unlike the Cornish Cross chicken, the Cornish chicken is able to enjoy just being a chicken. So, whether you slaughter them young as “Cornish Game Hens” or you wait until they’re mature, they are a much more humane option for meat.
Or, if you just want to snuggle with them, they’re great for that too.
Other meat chicken breeds
There are many good meat chicken breeds out there besides the Cornish Cross. You may want to consider other English breeds, such as the dual-purpose Dorking, Sussex, or Orpington breeds. Or you may want to look at American dual-purpose breeds, such as the Plymouth Rock or Wyandotte.
For more information, check out these articles:
Dorking Chickens: The Perfect Dual-Purpose Breed for Your Homestead
Orpington chickens: Giant backyard layers the whole family will love
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Cornish chicken sources
Bassom, Frances. Mini Encyclopedia: Chicken Breeds and Care. Dorking: Interpet Publishing, 2011.
Damerow, Gail. Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens. North Adams: Storey Publishing, 2017.
Damerow, Gail. The Chicken Health Handbook. North Adams: Storey Publishing, 2015.
Ekarius, Carol. Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. North Adams: Storey Publishing, 2007.
Verhoef, Esther and Rijs, Aad. The Complete Encyclopedia of Chickens. Lisse: Rebo Publishers, 2005.