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Crossing California White Leghorns with ???...

post #1 of 5
Thread Starter 

Hi guys...

Ok, I know you get a california white leghorn by crossing a CA grey leghorn with a white leghorn.  My ? is that I am ordering california white leghorns from a hatchery and I want a rooster so the line will continue.  I already have a wonderful rooster who is quiet, gentle= really very, very ideal- other than I don't know what he is other than part olive egger- or at least that was the color of the shell he hatched from.

But....

With the economy and cost of feed and all- I need/want the most efficient layer there is, but suited to not flying the coop or being too panicky every time they see a human- like a pure white leghorn is supposed to be.

So it seems like the california white is ideal- but how does crossing a CA white with a CA white work out?  Too much inbreeding?  The whole cross/hybrid thing is a big question mark in my mind.  Is it sustainable?  Or if I am going to deal with crosses should I just get a grey leghorn roo, or white leghorn roo, or a different breed altogether-  I do like speckled sussex?

I emailed my question to the people at the hatchery a week ago and still no reply.

As a side note, my current roo's papa was also a sweetheart...  Should I just breed my roo to the CA white leghorns that come and just work on the lineage to bring up the egg count- or does that ruin the whole great egg laying trait that I want?

Cheers

post #2 of 5

you will not get pure california whites by breeding california whites....California Whites are a mixed breed.......so they will not breed true...hope this helps

a mom, a wife, EE's, sexlinks, BBS silkies, Lavender Ameraucanas, Cuckoo Marans, and I have growing out  blue and black Copper Marans, and Blue/Wheaten Ameraucanas    NPIP certified
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a mom, a wife, EE's, sexlinks, BBS silkies, Lavender Ameraucanas, Cuckoo Marans, and I have growing out  blue and black Copper Marans, and Blue/Wheaten Ameraucanas    NPIP certified
Reply
post #3 of 5
Thread Starter 

Actually no...  But I could just be really, really slow...

CA whites are mixed to begin with.  If I want to hatch the offspring- what do I use for the father to keep the egg laying as high as the first round will be?

Cheers

Quote:
Originally Posted by cpegram 

you will not get pure california whites by breeding california whites....California Whites are a mixed breed.......so they will not breed true...hope this helps

post #4 of 5

If your goal is to retain the high egg-laying ratio, I suggest using a White Leghorn roo.  If you want to introduce something different but keep the feed-to-production ratio you get with the lighter birds, you might try a Minorca roo.

post #5 of 5
Thread Starter 

Ok....  The white leghorn roo makes sense....  I just checked the hatchery's website, they don't list Minorca but they said they would be updating come middle to late Jan. 

Thank you...  big_smile

Quote:
Originally Posted by CityClucks 

If your goal is to retain the high egg-laying ratio, I suggest using a White Leghorn roo.  If you want to introduce something different but keep the feed-to-production ratio you get with the lighter birds, you might try a Minorca roo.

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