BCM Roo x Buff Orpington, BCM Roo x RIR, BCM Roo x Barred Rock

[1876 Farm]

SevenTreesFarm,


Sadly to say, I had a Great Horned Owl issue this summer while I was on vacation and had someone watching my chickens. It took me many days to convince them to lock them in the coop until i got back... they were convinced that they had the problem solved, but each day lost another. However, i have 1 of the 7 left, it was one of the BCM x BR, which did turn out to be a Roo, but I question if the others would have been Roos as well, as they were getting older a few definitely looked like hens. Here's the one i have left:



He's 20 weeks old I believe. He's very handsome, he has some green sheen to his back and tail feathers. He is also darker in color that my BRs.

 

[seventreesfarm]

Nice looking guy!

Sorry to hear about the owl problem. We have them in our area, but so far haven't lost any birds to them.

I guess I'll have to let mine grow up a bt and see if he's a roo and/or worth keeping. The more I read about chicken genetics, the more I need to keep reading

 

[tadkerson]

I do not leave my chickens for others to watch for the very reason you have posted. Every time I leave my birds for someone to watch, I have lost birds. From your pictures, I believe most of your birds were males.

He is a darker color because he only carries one barring gene, other male barred birds carry two barring genes.

Tim

 

[1876 Farm]

We are back at it again this year, I placed 8 eggs under our Broody Buff Orpinghton hen almost 21 days ago. This year my eggs are the following crosses:

• BCM x Buff Orpington
• BCM x Barred Rock
• BCM x Production Red (or whatever my husband had picked up at Tractor Supply)

They are to hatch on Sunday but one has already hatched yesterday, 3 days early. It is such a beautiful yellow chick....


Here's a picture of our chicks from last year, to give you an idea of difference in color. Last year our BCM Roo was crossed with a Buff Orpington, Rhode Island Red, Barred Rocks.



To track their progress (sooner than I can post here), I will post pictures on my blog: www.wanderingcreekacres.blogspot.com

 

[1876 Farm]

All have hatched!!! Of the 8 eggs I placed under Victoria, 6 of them have hatched. 1 egg went missing a week ago and a second egg never hatched (it was one of the "red" eggs.)

Hatched are:

• 2 black chicks; 1 with a solid black head and the other with a white mark on top.
• 1 red stripped chick
• 3 yellow chicks; 1 very light yellow with 3 black dots down it's back, 1 all yellow, 1 yellow with a red face.

My guess is that the 2 black chicks are a BCM x Barred Rock, the 1 red stripped chick is a BCM x Production Red and the 3 yellow chicks are the BCM x Buff Orpington. If anyone believes differently, I would appreciate your opinion.







Visit www.wanderingcreekacres.blogspot.com for more pictures

 

[1876 Farm]

Out and about in the chicken coop!



I no longer believe that the "light yellow with the 3 dots down its back" chick is a BCM x Buff Orpington cross I believe its a BCM x Production Red and that my Production Reds are a RIR x White Leghorn cross.

I would love to hear from anyone that has done cross breeding with a BCM Roo and if my guesses on the cross with my chicks sound right.

 

[Hawaii Chicks]

That yellow chick is from the production red. Since they are hybrids you never know what to expect. I crossed my production red with Lavender Orpington roo and the chicks look exactly like yours. It developed some black and red spots. They are fast growing chicks

 

[MixChics]

These are from by barred rock rooster. The white and buff are Orpingtons and the black/white hen is from a starlight green egger.

The EE is a rooster.

Now I have 18 more being hatched from both EE, AustraLorp, Starlight green egger and orpingtons. My Oliver Eggers and RI red will lay in spring and I’ll hatch one of each out.

I’m excited. I really want an Orpington rooster to add to the flock too.