BCM X barred rock meat cross

[1876 Farm]

I believe the little yellow chick with the dots on it's back is a BCM roo X red star. I read in the Murray McMurray catalog that Red star roosters are born white and thought this might be close enough. As he grew, he got whiter and whiter.

 

[SIMZ]

We cross our BCM roo with our barred rock & cuckoo marans hens. It's great to be able to sex them at hatch. The boys have been quick growing from this cross, although we didn't raise them past 9-10 weeks.

I'm looking forward to using my new BCM rooster, who is pretty stocky, next year for these crosses. It seems perfect since everyone wants pullets, and I like to raise extra cockerels for meat. Everyone wins!

 

[BCMaraniac]

We cross our BCM roo with our barred rock & cuckoo marans hens. It's great to be able to sex them at hatch. The boys have been quick growing from this cross, although we didn't raise them past 9-10 weeks.

I'm looking forward to using my new BCM rooster, who is pretty stocky, next year for these crosses. It seems perfect since everyone wants pullets, and I like to raise extra cockerels for meat. Everyone wins!

That BCM hen/LO roo cross has given all black chicks, but not all of the males were barred....but all of the barred ones were male....which I would expect since he has to just be a carrier of the barred gene.

Can you tell a difference in size of offspring between the barred rock cross chick and the cuckoo cross chick?

 

[SIMZ]

Oops - I should have been more clear. I cross them, but didn't realize it was a sex-linked cross until last fall. So I didn't pay much attention to the ones I've hatched in the past, and usually sold them as chicks. The BCM/cuckoo mix is the one I've paid attention to and kept longer. I'll definitely be comparing them this spring, and seeing if there is a difference in dressed weight.

 

[BCMaraniac]

Oops - I should have been more clear. I cross them, but didn't realize it was a sex-linked cross until last fall. So I didn't pay much attention to the ones I've hatched in the past, and usually sold them as chicks. The BCM/cuckoo mix is the one I've paid attention to and kept longer. I'll definitely be comparing them this spring, and seeing if there is a difference in dressed weight.

Since neither one of my birds are barred, I can't do that, except for the fact that the ones that ARE barred are cockerels.

It would be nice to separate them out early, since all the cockerels are destined to be capons.