Breeding Compatibility and Rooster Identification

[mraliks]

Greetings all,

I have a flock of brown leghorn chickens and am looking to incubate eggs at some point and would like to produce high egg laying offspring. I recently inherited a couple of roosters and need help in breed identification as well as recommendations on what roosters would be needed to hatch high egg producing leghorn style chicks.

 

[fluffycrow]

These two are EEs. Looks like you have one ISA brown hen as well. (Brown) leghorns are excellent layers themselves. Why not breed them pure?

 

[Folly's place]

I agree. For egg production, use another leghorn! White production type leghorns produce best, but sticking with brown would keep your flock producing well, and breeding the same genetics that you already have. I do like the browns, have some myself.
Mary

 

[mraliks]

Thank you! I would love to stay within the leghorn family. how do I go about that without obtaining more chicks?

 

[fluffycrow]

Thank you! I would love to stay within the leghorn family. how do I go about that without obtaining more chicks?

Find a breeder that breeds brown leghorns, or from a hatchery. From where did you get your current leghorns?

 

[fluffycrow]

Oh, and separate this girl

from your leghorns as well. ISA browns have been bred towards the goal of egg production so badly, their bodies fail them after 4 years. You don't want that passed on

 

[Folly's place]

Mine are from Cackle, and I do like them. You might find a cockerel from a breeder, but be very careful doing that, you want to avoid introducing disease into your flock. And, where are your birds from, is that a possible source?
Getting chicks in spring would be my choice, straight run, so you can choose who to keep, and have pullets for your flock, a good thing to have every year or two. It sets back your breeding plans one year, but would be safest for your flock.
Mary

 

[fluffycrow]

Mine are from Cackle, and I do like them. You might find a cockerel from a breeder, but be very careful doing that, you want to avoid introducing disease into your flock. And, where are your birds from, is that a possible source?
Getting chicks in spring would be my choice, straight run, so you can choose who to keep, and have pullets for your flock, a good thing to have every year or two. It sets back your breeding plans one year, but would be safest for your flock.
Mary

I was more so thinking hatching eggs. Still a risk for some diseases, but not as risky

 

[Folly's place]

Mycoplasma can come with hatching eggs.
Mary

 

[fluffycrow]

Mycoplasma can come with hatching eggs.
Mary

Agreed, that's why I said "some". We both agree that a reputable hatchery is the safest route