Crossbreeds Can Be SO Beautiful, Don't You Think?

[AccidentalFarm]

These are all mixed breed chicks (except for the obvious Polish) . I don't have a clue as to the parentage. I can't wait to see what they turn out to look like. I'm really curious about the little one with black legs (back of 3rd photo).

Speckledhen- your birds are quite beautiful!

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks, all. Kate, pictured with the Brahmas, started laying at 18 weeks old and just yesterday, my Lt. Brahma started laying the tiniest eggs you ever saw that actually had a yolk in them. Two teens down, eight to go, in the new layers dept. Iris & Hazel should be close behind with their first eggs.

 

[JillsChicks]

Dear Cynthia -

I'm so glad you posted this. I just realized that the gentleman I bought my eggs from on eBay had free range chickens. I thought, "I'm probably going to get crosses out of these eggs, not pure breeds that I have looked forward to. Sure enough, after being asked, he emailed back and said that, yes, on his organic farm the Buff Orpington, Delaware, Araucana and White Leghorn roosters all mix with the girls who include these breeds and Delawares, Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, and Black Australorps. I had sooo wanted some pure Buff Orpingtons, Delawares and Barred Rocks! Phooey! But now that I see your post, I realize I may really enjoy the mixes. I'm sure they will be very hardy birds and good egg layers. Hardiness is important during the cold winter weather we get in western New York! Thanks and your birds are very pretty! Ann

 

[speckledhen]

Ann, I too only wanted pure breeds, but after the little "happy accident", as I call it, I see that they can be so wonderful, the mixes. Now, that said, I probably will never hatch eggs from the mixes, but I just might. Since they are half Barred Rock and I have Barred Rock roosters, the resulting chicks would all be 3/4 Barred Rock, barred and my look just like purebreds. There could also be a poufy head or a stray feather on the foot of one, LOL. In fact, I will be intentionally breeding crosses with my huge Blue Orpington rooster and may Lt and Buff Brahma pullets-someone has expressed an interest in having those eggs from me and I have the Brahmas in with the Blue Orps. So, enjoy them and maybe next time around you'll get those Buff Orps or Barred Rocks. I myself will probably be selling some Barred Rock hatching eggs in the future.

 

[JillsChicks]

Cynthia - Let's see what I get out of this first batch. If I can keep borrowing my incubator, I'd love to do some B.O.'s after mid July - or is that a crazy time to be incubating eggs? Thanks, Ann

 

[speckledhen]

No, it's not crazy. I doubt I'd want to do it later than that myself just because of it getting cold about the time they're going out to the coop, but some people incubate all year long.

 

[Royal Oaks Ranch]

LOL Mutts can be some of the most gorgeous birds ...
And some of us even do it on purpose.. With my longtails I have sumatra, phoenix, yokohama and other long tails breeds that I use to get more color and longer tails

Here is a young Sumatra, Phoenix, RS shoulder yokohama cross I think he was 4 months here..he was just barely getting in his spurs and his tail and saddle hasnt yet hit the ground

This one is Sumatra and Pheonix as well..

Here is a sumatra cross as well

She was just a baby here

 

[speckledhen]

Beautiful! And the pullet has gorgeous coloring. Thanks for sharing those.

 

[AccidentalFarm]

I have quite a few different types of cochins and brahmas and have considered breeding them together to see what I get. I'm particularly interested in breeding my Lt. Brahma roo with a Buff Brahma hen to see if I can get any chicks with buff and white feathering, I guess sort of laced, or speckled. I think it would be a pretty bird.

If you breed say a Buff Cochin with a Silver Laced Cochin, are the chicks then mixed breeds or are they still pure bred Cochins?

 

[speckledhen]

They will be purebred Cochins, but maybe wont be recognized colors for show.
My Blue Orpington has a Lt. Brahma and a Buff Brahma in his breeding pen with his Blue Orp lady. Someone is interested in buying hatching eggs from that cross-should be a very large chicken, LOL.