cross breeding

[codyrhodes]

I have a rooster and a hen white leghorns right now, and monday im picking up 3 cuckoo marans. my question is if they are in the same coop will the breed with each other. i dont want this to happen

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

They will cross breed for sure.

But it won't really matter unless you incubate their eggs. Since Leghorns and Marans lay differently colored eggs, it will be easy to see the difference.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

The rooster will breed with all the hens in the pen. It only means you will have fertile eggs, you don't have to hatch them.

 

[schellie69]

Quote:
X2 unless you put the rooster in a different pen.

 

[sourland]

Yes, they will breed and if you are adding another rooster, they will FIGHT!

 

[donrae]

Quote:
What he said.

It really doesn't matter if the roo breeds the hens. If you want to hatch eggs, assuming you want to hatch the pure leghorns, just incubate the white eggs, not the brown ones. Eat the brown ones.

 

[greenSearcher]

Quote:
What he said.

It really doesn't matter if the roo breeds the hens. If you want to hatch eggs, assuming you want to hatch the pure leghorns, just incubate the white eggs, not the brown ones. Eat the brown ones.

You can not prevent a cross unless you take the hens away from the roosters least a couple weeks, three would be better, then add the rooster of their breed. After a week or so their eggs should be fertile and ready. If you keep them mixed, the Marans could lay dark brown eggs containing Marans/Leghorn crosses and the Leghorns may lay white eggs containing Leghorn/Marans crosses. The cross will probably result in hens that lay light brown eggs, though the Marans hen will be darker though not chocolate brown.