crossing production birds with dual purpose...worth the time?????

[OHSpartan]

As part of my kids educational process, I plan to hatch out some chicks. When they grow up, we'll keep as many layers as we need and eat the roos and extra hens. Our roo is a Buff Orpington, our hens are barred rock, amercuana, buff orp, black australorp and ISA browns. These birds will not be used for show, 4H, or commercial sale.

Would the cross between ISA/BufO be worth anything? I can envision a really large framed hen that is a prolific layer. I can also envision a scrawny, below-average layer if their size/layer traits are recessive in nature.

Anyone with experience here? It would not be a problem for me to keep the ISA eggs separate from the others, but it would take longer to fill the incubator.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

We have two roos with our flock. One is a marans and one is a blue egg EE. We hatch the marans eggs and blue eggs. We can tell the crossbreeds because of the comb type and feathered legs.
We find the crossbreed roos of the EE roo are crazy and flighty, although the roo is not. They are a different body type too. So you will lighten the weight with the crossbreeding but if you are selective about the hens you shouldn't decrease egg production much. I only hatch eggs of specific hens. Hens vary considerably in production and unless you know who is laying what, you will never notice. So I would be as concerned about the hen as the roo.

 

[galanie]

IF they are all from a hatchery, I wouldn't be concerned since all hatchery birds are bred to be heavy layers. It might be fun to see what you get. You could either be surprised nicely or not nicely. You see, you don't know what's in any of the bird's backgrounds really so it'll be hard to guess what comes of it.