If you are just breeding birds for yourself, for eggs and meat, does it really matter if they are hybrids or crosses? As long as they are producing eggs in quantities you like, and a decent carcass size, does it matter how close they are to SOP for RIR? Do you want to show at some point or sell pure chicks and hatching eggs?
What do you mean you "have to color feed for a look I want"? The deep dark red you see in exhibition RIR isn't achieved by color in the feed, it's through selective breeding.
My two chickens I'd like to breed together. Big red is a new Hampshire. From an auction, and the road island red is from rural king , of Clarksville Tn. My question is can I use these two birds to grow a flock and cont the blood line I get. My plan is to increase size of the road island red while keeping a standard of color. I know I need to color feed for a look I want. But Will the baby's be worth keeping and using also after culling the flock of course.thought about taking the biggest hen from these and breeding to. A good RiR rooster . . I do not want hybrid birds. What I read is both birds should be of same blood. Just selected breed for years. I like both type bird could not make choices so I would like to combine to two breed into my own ... Any advice will be greatful. Please don't bash my birds. I just want healthy birds that produces both meat and egg.that I can breed for my family.
