Farm & Flock Alternative Breeds
Farm & Flock— presented by Chicken Whisperer Magazine ®
Questioning Cornish Cross
Why More Farmers Are Swapping Conventional Chicken for Alternative Breeds
By Nancy Roulston, senior director of corporate policy and animal science, ASPCA
For many acreage owners, broiler chickens start out as a straightforward addition to the farm. Whether they arrive by mail, truck or hatch on farm, it is a delight to have a new flock of fuzzy baby chicks.
By the time of year when pastures turn green and chicks are growing fast, many farmers see that conventional Cornish Cross chicken breeds are not well-equipped for pastured life. As you watch your flock struggle to thrive, sit dormant on pasture or wonder why these young birds have such high mortality rates, you may be considering the switch to alternative breeds.
Photo credit Mary’ s Chicken
The Cornish Cross Compromise
The Cornish Cross breed is widely used in both extensive and intensive farming systems for a few reasons: they are readily available, grow rapidly, convert feed quickly and reach market weight in six to eight weeks.
But cheaper chicken that U. S. consumers have grown accustomed to comes at a significant cost. The rapid growth and selection for bigger breast yield is detrimental to animal health and welfare— in addition to poorer meat quality and farmer dissatisfaction.
For context, if a human infant grew at the same rate as conventional chicken breeds, a two-month-old baby would weigh more than 600 pounds. For the chickens, their rapid weight gain negatively impacts their ability to walk and perch and predisposes them to heat stress and impaired immunity.
In a University of Guelph study of 16 broiler chicken breeds, research showed that rapid growth chickens with large breast yields had higher rates of muscle damage, inadequate organ development and poorer foot and leg health. Meat quality issues are more common in breeds with rapid growth genetics, which may impact customer satisfaction. For farmers, a compromised animal requires closer management and the goal of
12 AcreageLife June 2026 AcreageLife. com