Bredding Lite Brahma roo x Delaware hens, does anyone know what they would look like?

[cypressdrake]

I have a lite brahma roo and about 20 delaware hens, does anyone know what they'll look like or maybe have pics of this cross, and know what kind of egg production I could expect from this cross?

 

[big medicine]

Well I'll take a shot. A lot of this will depend on your breeding stock. Pure Brahma + pure Delaware should produce some form of pea combed, feather legged chicks.

Color wise I would speculate a silver columbian pattern, not sure how the Delaware barring thing would carry over.

Laying ability would depend totally on the parent lines, there can be considerable difference within a breed.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The leg-feathering and pea comb will be split, which means the offspring will have one leg-feathering gene and one not leg-feathering gene and one pea and one not-pea gene.

The feathered legs are dominant so the offspring should have featherd legs.

Pea comb is dominant so they should have a pea comb. However when they are split like this with one pea comb gene and one not-pea comb gene you often get a wonky looking comb, sort of between pea and single. I had an EE like that once.

The pullets will not be barred and the cockerels will be split for barring. Since barring is dominant it will show up, but since the male will be white, you'll only see the barring in the tail and probably hackle feathers. It will be there in the white, you just won't be able to see it.

So your roosters should look like a Delaware rooster except with feathered legs and probably a wonky half-pea comb. Your pullets should look like light Brahma hens, though maybe with a wonky comb.

Exactly as Big Medicine said, egg laying abitlity will depend on the parent's egg laying ability.

 

[cypressdrake]

Thanks for the info, I had been wondering if they'd be much differance.

 

[cypressdrake]

thanks for the info, I had been wondering what they would turn out to be. I think it may be best to keep them pure delaware. I also have black copper marans, buff orpintons, and partridge rocks. I am new to cross breeding and just looking for ideas. thanks for your help.

 

[cypressdrake]

thanks for the info ridgerunner, I had been wondering what they would turn out to be. I think it may be best to keep them pure delaware. I also have black copper marans, buff orpintons, and partridge rocks. I am new to cross breeding and just looking for ideas. thanks for your help.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You might want to play around with this cross calculator. There is a learning curve in using it but it can be addicting. You have to learn what to put in it to start with and you have to realize the results don't show some of the details, like leakage. I still don't know what all the descriptions of the results mean.

http://kippenjungle.nl/Overzicht.htm#kipcalculator

A Black Copper Maran, Buff Orp, or Partridge Rock rooster over either Light Sussex or Delaware hen will give you red sex links. Don’t get these sex links confused with the sex links many hatcheries sell. The hatchery sex links ore often based on commercial egg layers, not just crossing breeds like you would be doing. Yours would be like any other cross between breeds and their egg laying ability is purely based on how well their parents lay.

Your Light Sussex are “Columbia” on that dropdown menu. Your Delaware are also Columbia but in addition they have barring. For your Buff Orpington just pull down “Buff”. There are different ways to make buff but that one should work at this level. For the Partridge Rock I’d pull down “partridge, light brown”. I’m not real sure of everything that makes partridge but that should work. There is a “Black Copper” on that dropdown menu too. You might need to have the chicks side by side for comparison to be able to tell the males and females apart with the Black Copper.

The red sex link thing only works if the rooster has the gold and the hen has the silver. If you try it the other way around with the rooster silver and the hen gold, you do not get sex links. And this sex link stuff is based on down color. Feather color can be different than down. For example, that calculator shows a difference in adult white and yellow feathers, the yellow mainly referring to the saddle and hackle feathers on adult roosters. With the chick’s down both those show up as yellow down. You can’t tell the difference.

If you need a little help getting started with that calculator I’ll be glad to answer some questions if I’m around.

 

[cypressdrake]

Thanks so much for this info. I will play around with this and sure to be getting back. thanks.