Book of Breeding??

[A1momof3]

Question.... What is a good resource for learning about breeding chickens? What breeds can be breed together? (ex: RIR and BR)
Or what breeds do you put together to get certain other breeds? Kind of a do and don't kind of book or web site.... all you need to know.

 

[cubakid]

Well no two breeds produce another. It takes many many many generations to get a new breed. You can breed anything you want together. But they are just crosses.

 

[donrae]

Any breeds can be bred together. Just like some very unlikely crosses in dogs, chickens are chickens and will mate freely

You can't mix two breeds and get another breed. To be a pure bred animal, both parents have to be of the same breed.

Some folks here breed quality birds to the Standard of Perfection of their chosen breed. Some folks here mix and match breeds and enjoy the different mixes that come from them. Neither is wrong, they're just different. Different goals, different methods.

 

[A1momof3]

Ok so what about the red and black Sex link chickens. Isn't that like a RIR roo and Barred Rock hen?.

 

[donrae]

Commercial black sex links are indeed a Red rooster over a barred Rock hen, but a sex link isn't really a breed. A breed has to breed true, and sex links don't. They're a one-time hybrid. Here's a great thread about different types of sex links possible...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/261208/sex-linked-information

 

[Michael OShay]

Donrae has directed you to an excellent site on Sex Links. If you are interested in them, you should definitely take the time to read it.

 

[A1momof3]

Commercial black sex links are indeed a Red rooster over a barred Rock hen, but a sex link isn't really a breed. A breed has to breed true, and sex links don't. They're a one-time hybrid. Here's a great thread about different types of sex links possible...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/261208/sex-linked-information

Thank you, I will check this out. I'm interested in all breeds or at least learning about them all, finding the ones I want to own and then finding the standard breeders to get me started! Thank y'all for your help.