Has anyone ever bred a orping roo to rir hens?

[carld1121]

I have some lemon cuckoo orpintons beaiutiful birds, just bored yall know how it is. Has anyone ever done this cross breed? Any pics? If so, if you hatch orp/rir and get two blood lines and breed them to each other will they hold their new cross? or would it be like a sex link?

 

[PirocaKeeper]

I did once and got a pullet darker/redder than the orpington, but nowhere near the color of the RIR. I actually cross them both ways. RIR roo over orpington hens (got a boy that look like a New Hampshire red) and Orpington rooster over RIR red and got a pullet. Pretty, but nothing spectacular. Enough color difference that I can tell her apart, but not shockingly different. She looks really half way, body like a RIR, but feathers like the Orp. For me after one try each way, my curiosity was satisfied. Don't get me wrong I love her, but she is nothing shocking. I have to say, she is a really, really good layer of very large spotted brown eggs. I named her Cherry.

 

[carld1121]

thank you for your input i just thought it would be interesting because my orp roo is cuckoo. spectacular cuckoo actually. and i thought about doing orp over rir then the same orp of those chicks. i thought it would make an excellent winter layer

 

[PirocaKeeper]

You should try, what do you have to loose. maybe you will get even prettier little ones and then you can post pictures for all of us to admire.