This is my first flock...12 chickens...I have 7 laying now and two that should lay by mid July or August. I ended up with 3 roosters.
Of my 2 EE hens only one has the blue/green egg so I was thinking of breeding her at some point and incubating (next spring when I have more time)...so I have a few more blue/green layers. Also maybe a few more dark chocolate or olive layers.
I have one BCM pullet, one Welsummer pullet, and 1 EE pullet that I would be interested in breeding.
The 3 roos consist of two EEs with different traits...both are crossed with 1/2 Ameraucana, and 1/2 Maran or Welsummer. Both of those would carry the blue/green gene correct? SO ...I was thinking of keeping them or at least one of them for the future. Then I have a roo who is Wheaten maran or BCM roo over cuckoo marans hen. He would be a dark egger. SO was thinking to keep him around? If I want the olive eggers and have a dark BCM layer would I simply cross her with the EE roo? He has the 1/2 Ameraucana 1/2 maran line. Or go about it the other way and use the EE blue green layers eggs with the dark layer over her?
I am just learning all of this.
I guess I am wondering what troubles I am going to have with 3 roos down the road? Should I only keep one of the EE roos? Should I get rid of the cuckoo X...and get a BCM roo so if I want BCMs in the future I would be able to sell some and only keep the egg layers I want vs. using a cuckoo cross for the dark eggs and having a bunch of chicken mutts that others may not be interested in?
What are your thoughts. We arent too interested in butchering ourselves in small quantity.
Of my 2 EE hens only one has the blue/green egg so I was thinking of breeding her at some point and incubating (next spring when I have more time)...so I have a few more blue/green layers. Also maybe a few more dark chocolate or olive layers.
I have one BCM pullet, one Welsummer pullet, and 1 EE pullet that I would be interested in breeding.
The 3 roos consist of two EEs with different traits...both are crossed with 1/2 Ameraucana, and 1/2 Maran or Welsummer. Both of those would carry the blue/green gene correct? SO ...I was thinking of keeping them or at least one of them for the future. Then I have a roo who is Wheaten maran or BCM roo over cuckoo marans hen. He would be a dark egger. SO was thinking to keep him around? If I want the olive eggers and have a dark BCM layer would I simply cross her with the EE roo? He has the 1/2 Ameraucana 1/2 maran line. Or go about it the other way and use the EE blue green layers eggs with the dark layer over her?
I am just learning all of this.
I guess I am wondering what troubles I am going to have with 3 roos down the road? Should I only keep one of the EE roos? Should I get rid of the cuckoo X...and get a BCM roo so if I want BCMs in the future I would be able to sell some and only keep the egg layers I want vs. using a cuckoo cross for the dark eggs and having a bunch of chicken mutts that others may not be interested in?
What are your thoughts. We arent too interested in butchering ourselves in small quantity.

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