BO/RIRx chickens, Pros and Cons, Please

[snowydiamonds]

I mated my awesome BO roo to my very dark red RIR hen and plan to remate one of the red son's back to the dark RIR hen next but in the meantime, I am raising four pullets and another young roo from this mating.

Do you find these birds are as hardy as the purebred BO or RIR?

Do you find these birds good egg layers or good eating?

I am finding they are sweet birds but possibly not as hardy as the purebred parents. My plan is that I want more RIR but am trying to get the broodiness back to raise more so will breed the red son back to his RIR mom hen this Spring for a deeper color than the first mating produced and try to get that broodiness back so I won't have to incubate.

Is it worth it? I'll have to go out and get pics in a few minutes of the first offspring. I could just put RIR eggs under a BO hen, instead... what are yours like? Has anyone else had results to share from trying this same thing?

 

[greathorse]

My two cents worth regarding broodiness is that if you have it bred out leave it out. You dont need a whole bunch of broodies in your flock. They are a pain and unproductive unless you need one. Leave your producers as they are and get a silkie or two to brood when you want it done. Or as you indicated use that Orp and keep the rest of them laying. By the way I have had several Buff Orpingtons that never went broody.

Also if you like dark RIR try some of the heritage stock and you should have a better chance of broodiness if you like it.

 

[snowydiamonds]

Greathorse, I'm very happy with my BO's in every instance.

Its that I only have one RIR hen. I started out w/RIR's and would like another RIR flock. I haven't had much luck at all incubating or w/shipped eggs living so far away from everyone. I have a backyard neighbor who has a flock of RIR hens but her hubby and grown son do not want a roo at all or I'd mate my rir/bo roo to her hens and stick those eggs beneath a broody- no luck there. That is why I "created" the crossed roo to mate back to my RIR hen, to create another flock that would be "mostly" RIR blood with a bit of BO in. Hope this helps why I'm asking for direction...I've spent a small fortune ordering fertilized eggs and trying to get to know the incubator intimately to no avail. (When I was suceeding in hatches, it was with an electric roaster oven but that burnt out)

I cannot bring her RIR flock or a few of her hens home either, I have four flocks housed separately already and one of those coops has my Fall hatchlings (fully feathered) of both bantams and the BO/RIR cockerel and pullets...they will have to be separated between tonight and tomorrow as that young roo/cockerel is already mating my three adult Mille Fluer D'Uccle hens that I put in with the banty chicks.

I also have a coop of ducks and a barn of geese...I go out to the birds, coops, try to decide which I should give up because I have too many, and they are all so beautiful and have great things about each type...but I have to decrease and asap, I am keeping purebred BO's, ducks and geese.

I am having a hard time w/myself on giving up the banty's and two other standard sized flocks, which would be the RIR/BO crosses and the flock that houses EE's with BLRW's. Last summer I gave up my last two GLW hens and wouldn't you know, the eggs I saved from them and put beneath a broody, I got only one to hatch...a roo! Murphy's law...I couldn't get a GLW roo when I had 12 GLW hens

 

[greathorse]

Well your solution is even more simple than I thought you just need to build more pens LOL. I think given your circumstances you have a good plan in place Use that crossed roo for a couple of generations on the RIR hen and then use the sons and keep going and you will get closer and closer to your goal. That Buff orpington blood could also help you with your desired broodiness. Is it not possible to ship chicks to where you are. I have no idea now long the are ship would be but cant take that long I wouldnt think.

I of course dont know your situation up there. I love Alaska by the way