Crossing a leghorn exbat hen with mille fleur bantam roo, worth it?

[bahamabanty]

I have some mille fleur bantams in the incubator. Would it be worth it to keep a rooster to cross with one of my leghorns, to basically create a pretty layer? Or is it not as easy as I think.

Parent flock on picture. Would the cross have any mille fleur feathering?

 

[Kelsie2290]

If your leghorns are the regular commercial white leghorn, they are usually dominant white, so all the chicks turn out basically white with a few flecks of color here or there......

 

[bahamabanty]

Thanks, would they lay well, or be more broody like bantams?

 

[enola]

I am on my fourth generation of pullets from the original cross of a black Araucana rooster and a white leghorn hen. The chicks this year 'finally' have a' mottled' look.

 

[Kelsie2290]

I've never crossed a d'Uccle with a White Leghorn, but the Leghorn crosses I have done with other breeds that are broody, the offspring will occasionally go broody, but not often and they are not usually really "good" broodys (they aren't that dedicated and are easy to break)... they are quite good layers, not as good as the Leghorns but better than mom (mostly because they don't go broody as often)... the eggs are usually nice sized also.... basically if you are looking for a mixed Layer and aren't worried about meat, a Leghorn is hard to beat.

 

[bahamabanty]

Sounds good, I might keep a rooster around then.

 

[Jamminalli]

I have my first chickens from a cross with my own Belgian d’ uccle rooster and leghorn hens. They are several weeks old now. They are all white (although one appears to have a tiny splash of black) with his tufted cheeks and feathered legs. I expect they’ll start laying eggs in early early November but I’m still trying to determine how many of the three are boys. I heard one crow a couple of days ago very pitifully so I know I have one but two of them go head to head so I’m wondering if it’s him and another rooster. I’m hoping for two girls at least and I don’t mind one more rooster.