Dark Cornish Chickens

Day Old Dark Cornish Baby Chicks

• Dual Purpose
• 160-180 Eggs Annually
• Tend to defend themselves against predators , avoid human contact
• Cockerel 8.5 lbs, Pullet 6.5 lbs
• APA Class English
• Conservation Status: Watch

Dark Cornish Chickens are prized for their large breasts and their flavor. They also have great instincts for avoiding predators. Dark Cornish sport a pea comb and are a cold hardy breed. 

Dark Cornish are excellent foragers and are very active birds. To raise them successfully, you will need some area for them to roam and forage. They do not handle containment particularly well but do need plenty of well-insulated shelter for protection from cold temperatures.

Originally, the people who developed this breed used Asian game birds and English game birds in the hopes of ending up with an unbeatable game bird. What happened, though, was that they developed a breed with game instincts and excellent flavor.

Today, most people raise Dark Cornish as meat birds. People describe their meat as “gourmet quality,” and they make great roasting birds. They have been popular in the US for many years and were first included in the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection in 1898.