Ultimate Backyard Layer Breeding Project

[Six Chickies]

I am on the hunt to create a backyard layer with a good food to egg conversion ratio, good foraging abilities, a good temperament, good cold hardiness, and a wide body to get large eggs.

I will be starting with Rhode Island Red x Australorp chicks. In the area around me, I can get black- and red-sex links, Barred Rocks, Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshire Reds, Delawares, Buckeyes, Australorps, and Chantclairs. Also icelandics, marraduna basques, and leghorns. what would you suggest my next pairing be? Color doesn't really matter, and I know what colors I need to get sex-links. I would not really be looking for dual purpose, and I'm on a tight budget and have limited space and building materials for breeding pens.

Any pointers?
Thanks

Six Chickies

*edited to add icelandics, basques an leghorns to list*

 

[farmerChef]

For cold hardiness I would look for a small comb (pea, rose, walnut, strawberry) and a soft feathering. If you aren't going to be butchering them (to have as dual purpose (egg&meat)), I would look for something commercially bred, like a sexlink, they are breed for egg laying and aren't usually as heavy and convert feed well.

 

[farmerChef]

If they are going to be free ranging, I would also try to pick a color that blends in well with your surroundings.

 

[Six Chickies]

Ah, yes, I think Wyandotte coloring or Icelandic or basque or maybe barred rock coloring would be good. I think I'll add something of one of those types for their coloring. I live in a forested area, some clearings and fields.

 

[Habibs Hens]

I thought that was already achieved in a pure breed

namely the Rosecomb white leghorn

or then atleast use that as one of the breeds

 

[Six Chickies]

But I've heard that leghorns can be really flighty, which I don't want, and that can make it hard to put them in the coop at night. Also, I can't stand really white chickens. Although I will see if someone around here has any to add to the project.

 

[Six Chickies]

For cold hardiness I would look for a small comb (pea, rose, walnut, strawberry) and a soft feathering. If you aren't going to be butchering them (to have as dual purpose (egg&meat)), I would look for something commercially bred, like a sexlink, they are breed for egg laying and aren't usually as heavy and convert feed well.

I actually have half a dozen sex-links, and they have such short legs. I'm hoping to use some in my project though, because mine are fantastic layers, even in winter, without artificial light.

 

[Six Chickies]

I think I'll see what my RIR Australorp crosses turn out like. Then I'll take the best producers, and maybe cross them with a basque roo?

 

[farmerChef]

I think I'll see what my RIR Australorp crosses turn out like. Then I'll take the best producers, and maybe cross them with a basque roo?

what about a rose comb dorking? In my first post(post #2), I suggested a non single combed bird becaue you wanted something cold hardy, if your birds have large combs, they will get frost bite unless you take extra measures (like coating them with vasiline) to keep it from happening. You also use the buckeye, they have pea combs.

 

[rebirdchild]

I would definitely put Icelandics in your breeding plans. They are extremely cold and heat tolerant and are great foragers. You could then cross them back to a heavier breed for larger body size and better egg production. Good luck ive always wanted to do something like this but never had the time!