Cross breeding and development of unique flock

[Hawks93]

Hi Y’all, I’m interested in doing cross breeding in order to create a unique flock of chickens with high genetic diversity. I currently have Barred Plymouth Rocks and Easter Eggers, which I am planing to cross. Later I am receiving Silverudd blue’s and a different Easter Egger cross.

I was wondering has anyone else had experiences in cross breeding and has a unique flock ?

 

[Chicalina]

I hatched some crosses last year. Silkie father, and mothers were wyandotte and polish. Got some beautiful offspring!!

 

[Hawks93]

I hatched some crosses last year. Silkie father, and mothers were wyandotte and polish. Got some beautiful offspring!!

Wow I always wondered about What would happen with a silkie and Polish cross. Do you have any photos ?

 

[Chicalina]

They are about 4 months old here.

I could only keep the pullet, but the other two cockerels were so gorgeous and sweet natured.

 

[Chicalina]

And younger. Any excuse to post pics!!

 

[Jtodd99]

I’m currently doing the same thing. I posted about it on my account if you wanna take a read. My first batch of F1 chicks are almost sixteen weeks old. Once they start reproducing, they’ll be the parents of my F2 generation. Have a few different goals in mind for the flock. But so far so good. The buff colored pullet is half buff Rock, roughly 25% Egyptian Fayomi, and 25% Leghorn. My goal is to create a better homestead chicken, and my main focus was foraging abilities. She’s excellent at it. Hardly see her during the day, other than throwing out feed. I want very active, productive, chickens.

I will set some eggs from her, after she’s bred back to her sire. Those chicks will be a good mix of Fayomi, and leghorn since I’m doubling back up on her fathers genes. I’ll also back cross her to a purebred rooster, not sure on the breed yet though. Those are two of her half siblings, and or cousins. Easter egger cockerel, and the black one is Half golden laced Wyandotte, 25% Fayomi, and 25%Leghorn as well.

So far, all F1 chicks display better forage motivation and drive than their mothers. Their father comes from a line of hen hatched chicks, raised completely free ranged, so he’s definitely passing on those genes to the offspring it seems. I’m adding in some speckled Sussex this fall to help with egg production, and plumage.

 

[Hawks93]

They are about 4 months old here.
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I could only keep the pullet, but the other two cockerels were so gorgeous and sweet natured.

I’m glad to hear that after all you did cross two of the most docile chickens

 

[Hawks93]

I’m currently doing the same thing. I posted about it on my account if you wanna take a read. My first batch of F1 chicks are almost sixteen weeks old. Once they start reproducing, they’ll be the parents of my F2 generation. Have a few different goals in mind for the flock. But so far so good. The buff colored pullet is half buff Rock, roughly 25% Egyptian Fayomi, and 25% Leghorn. My goal is to create a better homestead chicken, and my main focus was foraging abilities. She’s excellent at it. Hardly see her during the day, other than throwing out feed. I want very active, productive, chickens.

I will set some eggs from her, after she’s bred back to her sire. Those chicks will be a good mix of Fayomi, and leghorn since I’m doubling back up on her fathers genes. I’ll also back cross her to a purebred rooster, not sure on the breed yet though. Those are two of her half siblings, and or cousins. Easter egger cockerel, and the black one is Half golden laced Wyandotte, 25% Fayomi, and 25%Leghorn as well.

So far, all F1 chicks display better forage motivation and drive than their mothers. Their father comes from a line of hen hatched chicks, raised completely free ranged, so he’s definitely passing on those genes to the offspring it seems. I’m adding in some speckled Sussex this fall to help with egg production, and plumage.

Wow That was very smart of you to have leghorn in their gene pool, that will definitely help with forging.

I’m trying to create a hardy ,docile, colored egg laying breed that will be able to reproduce itself on my farm for generations . I Think I’m going to breed 2 different lines of barred rock roosters to Easter egger hens and then cross those hybrids. This should display a much more expressed version of the genes I want present

 

[Jtodd99]

Wow That was very smart of you to have leghorn in their gene pool, that will definitely help with forging.

I’m trying to create a hardy ,docile, colored egg laying breed that will be able to reproduce itself on my farm for generations . I Think I’m going to breed 2 different lines of barred rock roosters to Easter egger hens and then cross those hybrids. This should display a much more expressed version of the genes I want present

Thank you and I love that idea, I say go for it! I will say it helped me to have clear goals of what I wanted, and what I would absolutely not tolerate. I try to go over these in my journal often. I actually hatched out some barred Easter eggers too, Dominique rooster over Easter egger hens. I ended up selling them, but I like the barred look on the hens.

I’d recommend breeding your F1 generation, then either breed them back to parents or out cross with a good egg producing breed. Since you’re going for docile maybe keep away from flighty breeds for now, I’ve noticed that trait will kinda keep popping up once you breed it into your program

 

[Chicalina]

wow I love to hear about your projects and see your chickens.

My cross wasn't designed, I just hatched my own flocks eggs to get some interesting and attractive looking birds (tick) and some more hens for laying (disappointed there as I only got one).

Mine are bantams, and I'm hatching more now. I guess my goals would be small (I can have more birds this way in the small space I have), friendly, medium good layers and good flock members. Foraging would be good for slugs and snails. My current lot are rubbish at that.