Can I see your silkies and Plymouth rocks?

[SomeChickinTN]

If they are all large fowl, then you wouldn't necessarily have to keep them separate would you? You are talking about mixing bantam and large fowl right?

Having a variety is fun. You may be surprised what becomes a favorite and sometimes you may think you really want one particular breed, then when you have them you think
"meh, I don't really want those again" LOL

If my dual purpose breeds with an egg layer, the babies wouldn't be dual purpose, right? You're saying (for instance) I could have more than one dual purpose breed, and it wouldn't affect the dual purpose part if they bred?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If my dual purpose breeds with an egg layer, the babies wouldn't be dual purpose, right? You're saying (for instance) I could have more than one dual purpose breed, and it wouldn't affect the dual purpose part if they bred?

I'm not sure that I understand your question.
Give me an example of dual purpose and egg layer.

 

[SomeChickinTN]

I'm not sure that I understand your question.
Give me an example of dual purpose and egg layer.

In all of my trying to learn about taking care of chickens, there seems to be many things I just don't understand, lol.

Ok, so my thought process was, I want to get some chickens for self sustainability. Google says, oh, you want dual purpose chickens. They are the best for both eggs and meat. Chickens for just egg laying are usually not big enough for eating..... So I settled on buff orpingtons, not thinking I might want others.

So, if a buff orpington breeds with a silkie, who is supposed to be "not a good eating bird", will their babies not be considered egg/meat birds? Will they become smaller.... some of them?

If you breed an orpington with a RIR, will the size of the bird and egg production stay about the same as the parents?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

@AlleysChicks may know more about this than I do!

I do know that some people breed Silkies for eating
But I have no idea what size a BO X Silkie would be or what they would even turn out like.

A BO X RIR would still be dual purpose, you would have a barnyard mix (sex links maybe the first year). I'm not a breeder nor a genetics expert. If you are wanting sustainability, it would be best to say breed BO X BO or RIR X RIR in my thoughts.

 

[AlleysChicks]

@AlleysChicks may know more about this than I do!

I do know that some people breed Silkies for eating
But I have no idea what size a BO X Silkie would be or what they would even turn out like.

A BO X RIR would still be dual purpose, you would have a barnyard mix (sex links maybe the first year). I'm not a breeder nor a genetics expert. If you are wanting sustainability, it would be best to say breed BO X BO or RIR X RIR in my thoughts.

Depends how big the silkie is. Would it be one of the true bantams or one of those huge Frankenstein monsters? I would bet the offspring would be a inbetween size. I have a few crosses but they are all bigger than the Mom but smaller than the Dad.
Offspring of a silkie and buff Orp would not have the silkie feathers but may have the darker skin, feathered legs and extra toes. Comb could be either a single or walnut. And depending on the silkie parent crest the offspring could have a crest.

 

[SomeChickinTN]

Depends how big the silkie is. Would it be one of the true bantams or one of those huge Frankenstein monsters? I would bet the offspring would be a inbetween size. I have a few crosses but they are all bigger than the Mom but smaller than the Dad.
Offspring of a silkie and buff Orp would not have the silkie feathers but may have the darker skin, feathered legs and extra toes. Comb could be either a single or walnut. And depending on the silkie parent crest the offspring could have a crest.

I went to the hatchery site to look around, and I found that the flea market chickens look like feather legged bantams. I think that's why I thought they looked weird for silkies.....

And now I'm trying to figure out whether I want to cross my orpingtons with barred rocks or black australorps.... There's a couple other dual purpose breeds she listed too though. But the barred rock is really pretty.....

 

[AlleysChicks]

I went to the hatchery site to look around, and I found that the flea market chickens look like feather legged bantams. I think that's why I thought they looked weird for silkies.....

And now I'm trying to figure out whether I want to cross my orpingtons with barred rocks or black australorps.... There's a couple other dual purpose breeds she listed too though. But the barred rock is really pretty.....

Yeah hello chicken math lol

 

[SomeChickinTN]

Yeah hello chicken math lol

Chicken math sucks, lol. Thanks for the help I think I may go with wyandotte's, once I look up what you guys say about how to integrate them, lol. The orpingtons are still in the brooder.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Chicken math sucks, lol. Thanks for the help I think I may go with wyandotte's, once I look up what you guys say about how to integrate them, lol. The orpingtons are still in the brooder.

I’ve never had trouble integrating them. I have multiple coops, everyone can see each other and they all free range together. Eventually they all move coops.

 

[WhoDatChick]

Here is my one Silkie.. Nilky