Last spring I started a project to find an amazing hybrid. All I had was a simple hatchery Welsummer roo and a flock of 60 hatchery layers to choose hens from. I was looking for a bird that was large enough to be used as a broiler but could also lay a large quantity of eggs each year.
So I started with a 2 Easter eggers, 1 New hampshire red, 1 Buff orpington, 1 Buff Brahma, 2 Barred Rocks and finally the biggest old Black Australorp hen I had.
Once I had the hens I thought I wanted put the roo in with them. I waited to set eggs for a few weeks and eventually only 2 or 3 of the original hens were still with the roo. I removed hens who didn't lay alot, weren't good foragers and ones that didn't lay large eggs.
The middle of March I set 5 eggs under a broody and she hatched 5 of 6 eggs. She hatched 4 Easter egger crosses and 1 Black Australorp cross.
The chicks and the broody foraged for almost all their food except for a little bit of scratch I would throw to them. The reason I made them forage for their food was so I could see who would thrive and who would struggle a bit. All the chicks did OK but the Australorp cross did amazing!!
Over the weeks I watched very close over the chicks to see who I would keep to keep my project going.
Since the broody hatched those chicks I had hatched many other batches of chicks and never liksd the other hybrids like I did the Australorp crosses.
Last fall we butchered all the roos I hatched except for the Australorp hybrid. All the roos dressed out at about 5-6 pounds and they were all around 15-20 weeks.
So these two together...
Made this guy...
I hope to cross hom over some big Brahmas I have to get pea combs so I dont have a big chance of frost bite. Will post as soon as I set eggs.
Is anyone making some kind of Australorp hybrid please share pics and your goals for your hybrids if you have some!!
So I started with a 2 Easter eggers, 1 New hampshire red, 1 Buff orpington, 1 Buff Brahma, 2 Barred Rocks and finally the biggest old Black Australorp hen I had.
Once I had the hens I thought I wanted put the roo in with them. I waited to set eggs for a few weeks and eventually only 2 or 3 of the original hens were still with the roo. I removed hens who didn't lay alot, weren't good foragers and ones that didn't lay large eggs.
The middle of March I set 5 eggs under a broody and she hatched 5 of 6 eggs. She hatched 4 Easter egger crosses and 1 Black Australorp cross.
The chicks and the broody foraged for almost all their food except for a little bit of scratch I would throw to them. The reason I made them forage for their food was so I could see who would thrive and who would struggle a bit. All the chicks did OK but the Australorp cross did amazing!!
Over the weeks I watched very close over the chicks to see who I would keep to keep my project going.
Since the broody hatched those chicks I had hatched many other batches of chicks and never liksd the other hybrids like I did the Australorp crosses.
Last fall we butchered all the roos I hatched except for the Australorp hybrid. All the roos dressed out at about 5-6 pounds and they were all around 15-20 weeks.
So these two together...
Made this guy...
I hope to cross hom over some big Brahmas I have to get pea combs so I dont have a big chance of frost bite. Will post as soon as I set eggs.
Is anyone making some kind of Australorp hybrid please share pics and your goals for your hybrids if you have some!!
