Crossing Breeds for Experimentation?

[Stephanie739]

Quote:
I guess that is how they are producing laced brahmas! They are stunning birds! https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=330017

ETA this link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=496308

Not exactly. A little background info, will give you some idea of what is required to see something like this through.
http://www.the-coop.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=29277#Post29277

Oh great link! Thanks for posting that info. I love brahmas, and the lacy brahmas are just beautiful. I have been wondering what cross was used! I had planned on experimenting with cochin and brahma crosses, but I ended up with cochin bantams, so that changed my plans. I want really large brahmas.

 

[bantiehen]

I have a chick that's half black silkie half Columbian Wyandotte

I didn't hatch him he came from my friend cutest thing ever

it's kinda hard to see what coloring he is. Don't know why I call it a he just have that feeling lol. But I plan on keeping this chick cutest thing I've ever seen. I named it Licorice cause it was black when I got it and it looks like it has some lacing on its feathers and turning a brown color. Let me post its picture.

[/img]
has the little mohawk thing going to lol. Don't let it fool ya with its size it's all legs lol

 

[johndjones]

call me a snob but I like to know what the chicks are gonna look like!!! But that said...the best laying chicken I ever had was a white leghorn polish cross...gertrude..looked kinda like a roadrunner and was wild as a buck, but I don't think she missed a day laying while I had her....2 years...then I moved 400 miles and had to make some decisions..... the place was sold, lock, stock and gertrude. She never got broody...tried to fool me a couple times but would come out of that nest like a wild thing if I got very close. She never liked boxes either but would always lay under the goats hay rack....go for it if that's what you want to do

 

[jeslewmazer]

Quote:
I have some chicks right now that are only 2 weeks old right now, so I don't know if they are going to be laced or not.

 

[RedIII]

Quote:
Can I just say that his coloring is gorgeous? It almost looks unreal! Very pretty boy you have there.

 

[slim1986]

Quote:
Can I just say that his coloring is gorgeous? It almost looks unreal! Very pretty boy you have there.

Well thank you! He's even prettier now that his tail feathers are coming in! His tail is the slate blue color with a very little bit of barring at the top by his body! He is why I'm an advocate for cross breeding! I just wish I knew what his parents were so I could try to make more like him!

 

[draye]

Quote:
henney penny: I think those BO x Faverolles are gorgeous.

 

[galanie]

As for it being irresponsible to cross, I see no problem with it unless you have a flock full of SQ birds. It's likely most you get from a hatchery aren't really full blooded or "pure" any way. Even if they were SQ though, so long as you're not trying to sell any offspring as "pure" I see no problem with it. They're yours, do what you want with them

 

[Stephanie739]

I am reconsidering my first idea about backyard mixes....I realize that unless I am 100% prepared to eat some of the offspring (which I am not right now), I might find myself in some chicken trouble, especially with the extra roosters. I think I will stick to breeding purebreds for specific traits.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
As long as you have a reasonable plan and feel you can execute it, there is nothing irresponsible about crossbreeding. Unless you have a copy of the SOP and are breeding toward that, I don't feel you are really preserving a breed by only breeding purebreds anyway. Unless you carefully select your breeders each generation, after a very few generations yours will not be any better than many hatchery purebreds and could easily be worse than some hatcheries, as far as looking like the breed is supposed to. It requires knowledge and work to keep a breed looking like it is supposed to.

I mix breeds and really enjoy it. I select my breeders for the traits I want. Since I don't show, I have no need to worry about "show quality" chickens, but can concentrate on the productivity traits I want. You probably have different goals than me, so your answer might be different. I don't sell chicks for instance. You can possibly get a higher price for purebred chicks or maybe sell them easier, even if they are not show quality. But I think you have an ethical responsibility to tell the purchasers that your chicks are not show quality unless they truly are.

The only restriction I'd have on mixing breeds is that you need to know what your goals are and do not have a breed in the mix that would mess up that goal. Silkies for example. They make great pets and great broodies but they are not known for being great egg layers. And their meat is dark. If you are raising chickens for meat, many people may find that dark meat unappetizing. And, if they are possibly for meat, you don't want bantams or some breeds know specifically for egg laying (like leghorns) in the mix. But if your goal is eggs and not meat, Leghorns are great to throw in the mix. If they are to free range, some game breeds may be great to throw in the mix, but if they are to be confined, you may not want games in the mix. Bantams lay smaller eggs, so you might not want bantams in the mix if larger eggs is your goal. But if the egg size does not bother you and they are not for meat, bantams may be great.

If you know the breeds and colors of your chickens, some of us can tell you what the first generation crosses between purebreeds will look like. We need to know which is the rooster and which is the hen, but the appearance of first generation crosses of purebred chickens are usually pretty easy to predict. There will be a few minor variations, but the basic colors and patterns are pretty easy.

When you cross the crosses, though, you loose the ability to predict what all the offspring will look like. It depends on what the grandparent breeds and colors are, of course, but often you can get some pretty unexpected colors and patterns. To me, that is part of the fun of crossing crosses. You cannot even tell by the chick's down colors what the adult chicken will look like.

I know I've made it sound a lot more complicated than it really is. If you cross breeds that meet your goals, then you will not have a problem. The problem might come in if you have different goals for different chickens in the same breeding flock.

Have fun with it and good luck!!!!