cross breeds - do they look like roo or hen

[chickengr]

hi,
is there any rule if the cross breeds will look like hen or roo? I would like to cross meat birds with egg layers so that extra cockerels can be culled for meat.

 

[QueenMisha]

I'm not quite sure what you're asking - do you mean you want to make a crossbreed that can be sexed easily?

If so, you can try to make a Sex-Linked cross. In Sex-Linked birds, the cockerels and pullets will be different colors at hatch, and so are easily distinguishable. Here's a thread with great information about creating sex-linked crosses.

 

[chickengr]

I'm not quite sure what you're asking - do you mean you want to make a crossbreed that can be sexed easily?

If so, you can try to make a Sex-Linked cross. In Sex-Linked birds, the cockerels and pullets will be different colors at hatch, and so are easily distinguishable. Here's a thread with great information about creating sex-linked crosses.

thank you for this information.

I am going to cross ameraucana roo and I would like to get bigger chicks so that extra cockerels can be culled for meat. but I am not sure if I use bigger hens if the chicks will stay as small as ameraucana. also, I have a silkie/rumpless araucana cross which is small in size. if I cross her with marans roo will the chicks be as big as marans?

 

[QueenMisha]

thank you for this information.

I am going to cross ameraucana roo and I would like to get bigger chicks so that extra cockerels can be culled for meat. but I am not sure if I use bigger hens if the chicks will stay as small as ameraucana. also, I have a silkie/rumpless araucana cross which is small in size. if I cross her with marans roo will the chicks be as big as marans?

As a general rule the chicks will be moderate in size. E.g. you cross a 2 pound bantam with an 8 pound standard, you'll get 4-6 pound offspring.

Ameraucanas and Araucanas aren't very good meat birds, especially when mixed with Silkies. An infusion of Marans blood will make the offspring heavier, but they still won't be particularly fantastic meat birds.

My suggestion for crossing is to go for each extreme. Purchase a few heavy meat breed hens, such as Standard Cornish or Red Rangers. Purchase a cock of a high-production laying breed, like a Leghorn or Sex Link. Be sure that the male of the cross is the egg laying breed. Egg layers are much smaller and lighter, while meat breeds can get very big. If the male is of the meat breed, he will crush the small egg breed hens.

The offspring should have a good weight and somewhat large breast, and be decent layers.

 

[chickengr]

As a general rule the chicks will be moderate in size. E.g. you cross a 2 pound bantam with an 8 pound standard, you'll get 4-6 pound offspring.

Ameraucanas and Araucanas aren't very good meat birds, especially when mixed with Silkies. An infusion of Marans blood will make the offspring heavier, but they still won't be particularly fantastic meat birds.

My suggestion for crossing is to go for each extreme. Purchase a few heavy meat breed hens, such as Standard Cornish or Red Rangers. Purchase a cock of a high-production laying breed, like a Leghorn or Sex Link. Be sure that the male of the cross is the egg laying breed. Egg layers are much smaller and lighter, while meat breeds can get very big. If the male is of the meat breed, he will crush the small egg breed hens.

The offspring should have a good weight and somewhat large breast, and be decent layers.

thank you for all these details.

I live in greece and we don't have easter eggers here. I would like to have eggs of different colours but there is always a problem what to do with the male offspring. as it is hot here - I guess that is the reason, there are more males than females. a neighbor of mine had 3 pullets and 11 cockerels hatched! that is why I think to cross heavier breed to get both: blue/green/olive + red eggs and to be able to cull the cockerels. very few would be rehomed.

I already have some pullets so ameraucana male is more convenient for me and marans roo would be to mate with my marans, araucana and silkie/araucana only. if he will be too big for my silkie cross, I will move her to ameraucana.

cornish chickens are not easy to find here. and I had something like red ranger hen but she just passed away due to heat. I must consider the climate as well.

the breeds I want to cross with ameraucana are: brahma, faverolles,minorca, marans and naked neck (maybe red sex link as well). I hope that minorca will give me blue egg layers as her eggs are white.