Cornish game : velociraptors and Christmas dinner

Velociraptors - Behind bars to protect the public

The Cornish game chicks hatched three weeks ago look like infant velociraptors but most of them  are destined to become Christmas dinners.

 Originally bred in the early 19 th century these short legged, broad, heavy birds were found to be very good when crossed with other breeds for meat production.

Breeders were looking for heavy weight fighting cocks but these were too stocky, heavy and docile. When scientific breeding based on quantitative genetics produced the first broiler breeds, Cornish game were part of the genetic mix. At the moment they look a bit like their dinosaur ancestors.

I'll keep the best males and females for breeding the rest will be Christmas dinners for friends but there is a drawback to this gift. The law requires you to clean it and dress it yourself, I'm not allowed to, so it will come without feathers ( dead of course) and you will have to do the rest.

Next year the plan is to cross the Cornish game with some Bresse Gauloise to produce the finest possible table bird.