Does this cross make sense? (BO & BR)

[Michael OShay]

That's something I'll keep in mind. I have a NH red rooster, and about 13 hens that I may try crossing in if I'm not happy with the egg production.

An NH male will work as well as an RIR male for producing BSLs (both will be a better laying cross than a BO x BR). Just ask the hatcheries who breed BSLs.

 

[n1spx]

... in short the Boys will look more BO in type and the pullets will lay more like BR than BO ...

That's exactly what I was aiming for.

Then if I'm not happy with the egg production, I could take one of the hens and put it under a NH red rooster, to try to get some faster laying genes, maybe at the expense of a little body shape loss?

 

[nicalandia]

An NH male will work as well as an RIR male for producing BSLs (both will be a better laying cross than a BO x BR). Just ask the hatcheries who breed BSLs.

Except he will be missing out on the size the BO bring to the cockerels

 

[n1spx]

An NH male will work as well as an RIR male for producing BSLs.

I think you just saved the life of my NH red rooster. I was planning on culling him once my BO rooster was breeding. Now it seems I have a reason to keep both.

 

[Michael OShay]

Except he will be missing out on the size the BO bring to the cockerels

True enough.

 

[Michael OShay]

You might want to breed some both ways. NH x BR for superior egg production and BO x BR for slightly more meat production.

 

[nicalandia]

That's exactly what I was aiming for.

Then if I'm not happy with the egg production, I could take one of the hens and put it under a NH red rooster, to try to get some faster laying genes, maybe at the expense of a little body shape loss?

yes, thats correct, you will be gain egg production thru heterosis but some of the size will be lost

 

[nicalandia]

I think you just saved the life of my NH red rooster. I was planning on culling him once my BO rooster was breeding. Now it seems I have a reason to keep both.

thats the cool thing about genetics,

 

[n1spx]

You might want to breed some both ways. NH x BR for superior egg production and BO x BR for slightly more meat production.

As much as I like experimenting, this might make the most sense. Then I could cross the resulting hen under the opposite rooster and see which order works out better in the balance.

The F1's would be sex-linked, I know. If I crossed them back under a solid rooster, would they still be sex-linked?

 

[n1spx]

thats the cool thing about genetics,

Yes. My concern was the roosters over-breeding the hens. I've only got about 30 hens.