Crossing bantams with large fowl

[BarnGoddess01]

This is probably a really stupid question but when crossing a bantam with LF, do the offspring come out either bantam or LF or can they split the difference, so to speak? I know with horses they get their height gene either from the dad or the mom. They don't split the difference. I assume it works the same way with chickens? And if the bantam is the female - can large fowl hatch out of tiny bantam eggs?

 

[aoxa]

I've always wondered this too.. Hope you get your answer!

 

[ramirezframing]

had a silke hen go into the Lf sumatra pen and than had babies. They came out the size of silkies. crossed a bantam frizzle cochin to a Lf araucana and the chick is so far a little bigger than the hen, this years chick.

 

[josh44]

I've always heard they came out medium in size ?
Several yrs ago I had a large cuckoo marans cockerel prob 6-7 lbs breed a bantam n- neck hen 1.5-2lbs.
Was an accident, ended up with bantam sized cuckoo n-neck.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
I would LOVE to see a picture of that bird!!!

 

[josh44]

Was Several yrs ago and dont have them anymore

 

[Mrshollywood]

My best layer is a LF/bantam cross, I personally like that mix for a "barnyard" chicken. She is smaller and smarter than the larger hens (orpingtons etc..) She never misses a day laying and eats less

Her eggs are just a touch smaller than the orpington eggs.

I have a huge light sussex roo and recently hatched one from a tiny japanese bantam hen in his pen and it was his! The chick hatched out tiny since it was in a tiny egg, but it is going to be larger than the mother for sure!

I also have a group of Dominique over bantam cochins and japanese bantam hens that are a couple months old and range in all sizes so far.... It was not a mix I planned, but interesting to see what happens....

Hope that helps!

 

[kfacres]

the resulting chicks are called 'tweeners'..., although I would imagine some would go either way, especially if 2 F1's were mated together.

honestly, most hatchery quality birds, are also 'tweener's, when their weights are compared to the SOP.

 

[gallorojo]

The chicks size will be in between, but will much more closely follow the size of the hen and egg. The hen sets the size and type, generally. Bantam hens will give you a very small adult, while large fowl will give you a nearly full size adult. I've done these crosses many times, so has my father and grandfather. It's kinder to use a bantam cock over LF hens, but, I have done it both ways.

 

[SamLParks]

This is probably a really stupid question but when crossing a bantam with LF, do the offspring come out either bantam or LF or can they split the difference, so to speak? I know with horses they get their height gene either from the dad or the mom. They don't split the difference. I assume it works the same way with chickens? And if the bantam is the female - can large fowl hatch out of tiny bantam eggs?

On a side note, that's not always true with horses. I've had plenty of foals out grow both parents and some that never reach the shortest parents heigh. Most however are in the middle of both parents. I'd imagine it's the same with chickens