Expert Breeders, I Need Your Help

[draye]

I am in the beginnigs of a project:
I am trying to create a White chicken that lays like a Leghorn, but I want it to lay brown eggs, and be big.

So far, just getting it started so it will be awhile before I'm ready for the next step. I have crossed my White Plymouth Rock rooster to some Red/Gold Sexlnks (from Ideal Poultry). Wide range of colors from these 18 that I have hatched, but I'm only going to keep the white ones to breed on.

Now to explain here, the sexlinks lay great but have a tendency to lay eggs 3x's the size of a jumbo (maybe a little exaggeration) and their shell really need to be smoother. My White Plymouth Rocks Are fairly good sized chickens (hatchery) but they are laying a mediumish sized egg.

So what do you experts think I need to add in my next step:

Size (would like hens to be around 6 to 7 pounds and roosters around 10 pounds, Would White Cochins or White Jersey Giants be the best one to add for size? Any other suggesations?

 

[maizy'smom]

I am NOT an expert, but from my reserching my own little flock, I'd say the White Jersey Giant fits your criteria to a "T."

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
Hello "draye"
I am also not an "expert" but i think an "expert" would answer in a similar way. It would be nearly if not impossible to make a chicken that lays like a leghorn & is a nice meat breed. the larger you get the less likely they will lay very well. You can have one (eggs), the other (meat) or a decent amount of both (dual). Birds like Dominique's are smaller dual purpose birds that also have the ability to lay very well. Then birds like Plymouth rocks are good layers (not great, but still around 200 eggs a year) and a present nice carcass.
Now if you want to make the birds you are working with larger then I would recommend standard bred white rocks, white Jg (if you can find them, or Cochins if you would not mind feathered feet.

 

[Rebecky54]

I would stay away from the Cochins. I have LF blue cochins and although they lay well (they are not supposed to) they eggs are small. The birds don't really have a nice carcass and they are VERY broody. I would go with Jersey Giants.

Becky in NoDak