Breed crosses I'd like to try

[chicken110]

I'm wanting try breeding with my chickens eventually. Even breed crossing to boot. One of the chicken I have is actually a Silkie rooster that a hen of mine hatched out. Anyway here's what looks interesting to try out.

Buff Orpington x Barred Plymouth Rock
Black Australorp x Barred Plymouth Rock
Black Australorp x RIR
Buff Orpington x Easter Egger
Black Australorp x Wyandotte bantam

What do you think? Have you tried breed crosses before? Let me know what you think.

 

[luvmypets]

I'm wanting try breeding with my chickens eventually. Even breed crossing to boot. One of the chicken I have is actually a Silkie rooster that a hen of mine hatched out. Anyway here's what looks interesting to try out.

Buff Orpington x Barred Plymouth Rock
Black Australorp x Barred Plymouth Rock
Black Australorp x RIR
Buff Orpington x Easter Egger
Black Australorp x Wyandotte bantam

What do you think? Have you tried breed crosses before? Let me know what you think.

I havent just tryed crossing.. Ive done it many times. One isue with crossings is that not everyone will want to buy them. Also i dont suggest you breed standards with bantams because there can be egg laying issues.

our rooster is a Phoenix/EE






Here are our latest crosses

Right BO/EE/Phoenix
Mom


Left Columbian Wyandotte/EE/Phoenix

mom


It gives you an idea of what the chicks will look like.


These are the chicks with there mom (not biological)

 

[chicken110]

From I've seen crossing Buff Orpingtons and Barred Plymouth Rocks produces sexable chicks. Depending on what way you go, the pullets will be golden colored while the cockerels will be silver and barred. That happens when you do a BO rooster and a BPR hen. If you do it vice-versa then you get silver/barred pullets and golden cockerels.

 

[chicken110]

I always thought breed crossing produces fascinating results.

 

[Michael OShay]

Rhode Island Red X Barred Rock make the best cross, not just on your list, but of any cross. Consider the following evidence:

1. When you cross a RIR rooster with a BR hen, you get a Black Sex Link.
2. Black Sex Links (RIR roo X BR hen) can be sexed by color at hatching (males are whitish, females are reddish).
3. Black Sex Links (RIR roo X BR hen) can be sexed by color as adults (Males are barred, females are black with reddish feathers around the neck area).
4. Black Sex Links (RIR roo X BR hen) are the only cross on your list that is sold commercially by hatcheries.
5. Most larger hatcheries breed and sell Black Sex Links, so they are readily available to buyers.
6. Black Sex Link hens are the best layers on your list.
7. Black Sex Links (along with Red Sex Links) are the best brown egg laying hens in the world (only White Leghorns are comparable).
8. Black Sex Links (along with Red Sex Links) are the brown egg layers used by commercial laying houses because they are egg laying machines.
9. Black Sex Links are friendly and docile birds.
10. Black Sex Links are very hardy birds (both cold and heat).

 

[chicken110]

Yeah I know all that. I was thinking of other ways to get sexable chicks. I've heard that crossing a BO roo and a BPR hen will get you sexable chicks. Some of pictures here at BYC.

 

[Michael OShay]

Yeah I know all that. I was thinking of other ways to get sexable chicks. I've that crossing a BO roo and a BPR hen will get you sexable chicks. Some of pictures here at BYC.

I was thinking more in terms of max egg production with the Black Sex Links than I was of sexable chicks, although that's a nice bonus.