best looking and laying Barred Rock rooster cross

[dperrin]

Hi, Curious if anyone could offer a recommendation for a female chicken breed that could produce an interesting looking, good laying offspring when crossed with a barred rock rooster?

I'm looking at getting four fresh layers for my small backyard flock and thought it might be fun if some mutt / hybrid offspring were to come of things.

From what I've read, barred roosters (of any type) do not produce a sex linked bird. I'm not too concerned about a sex link trait but would like an interesting looking bird that lays well - if possible.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hi, Curious if anyone could offer a recommendation for a female chicken breed that could produce an interesting looking, good laying offspring when crossed with a barred rock rooster?

I'm looking at getting four fresh layers for my small backyard flock and thought it might be fun if some mutt / hybrid offspring were to come of things.

From what I've read, barred roosters (of any type) do not produce a sex linked bird. I'm not too concerned about a sex link trait but would like an interesting looking bird that lays well - if possible.

Cross him with white leghorns----that should be interesting and good Layers!

 

[dperrin]

thanks for the suggestion! I'll give that a try

 

[donrae]

Interesting looking is going to be a challenge IMO. A pure black barred rooster is going to give you pretty much black barred offspring. Black is very dominant, breeding him to anything red will pretty much give you a black bird with some red leakage.

Buff does hold it's own against black from what I've seen. Folks seem to wind up with a bird with both colors, very pretty.

Dominant white, such as the Leghorns carry, turns black into white. So you'd probably wind up with a white bird with random black flecks. The bird would genetically be barred still, but you'd likely not be able to see it, or the bird may have subtle "ghost barring", only visible upon close inspection.

For good egg production, go with a good laying hen. Leghorn, sex link, etc. You'll be happy with the babies.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Quote: I am sure happy with my intentional crossed white leghorns whom Lay real good and now lay cream colored eggs instead of white!!! As far as Interesting I thought my Crossed leghorns with a few black/gray feathers and my others that have some slightly mingled red feathers from their head down some on the off white feathers were----Interesting!!! LOL

 

[donrae]

I am sure happy with my intentional crossed white leghorns whom Lay real good and now lay cream colored eggs instead of white!!! As far as Interesting I thought my Crossed leghorns with a few black/gray feathers and my others that have some slightly mingled feathers from their head down some on the off white feathers were----Interesting!!! LOL

I'm going to be trying something similar this year---I have white Leghorns I'll be putting under my blue barred, blue egger rooster. so maybe white birds with blue flecks instead of black, and blue eggers....that's what I'm hoping for, anyway!