is it really bad to let different breeds mate?

[Goober1201]

I was wondering if it was really bad to let different breeds mate and make new babies? I have a 2 RIR hens..i think are hens..lol, 1 Buff Orpington hen, 2 Buff Orpington roos, 1 Plymouth Rock hen, 1 mix hen?, 1 Australorp hen, 4 Ameraucana or Ancona's hen mixes..was told they lay green eggs.. I don't remember what he said they were, and 2 Brahmas. I just want to know if they breed with my 2 roos it its OK. Or is there like a CHICKEN CODE and they shouldn't mix. Please let me know. Thanks

 

[Appylover]

I am sure there are purists in any species that refuse to allow their animals to interbreed. In my opinion I think it matters what you want. I mean if you want laying breeds you would not want to breed a layer with a non layer. I would guess it would drop the off springs production rate. With any cross breeding you can get a crap shoot of what the off spring will take after. I have a plan for a meat breed later next year. I plan to cross NN's with dorkings I want a bird with decent flavor but low feather production. But I also want the hens of the bunch to lay decent eggs.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Chickens don't know, or care. They'll mix and breed without a care in the world.

However, humans do. Breeds SHOULD inform the potential keeper of more than just a size, shape and color. A breed should inform a potential keeper of disposition, physical size, laying ability, egg size and color, meat production, broodiness and the like. When birds are either mixed or simply not bred up to type, all bets are off in terms of predicting those things. This is why there are hundreds of posts, almost daily, with people asking, "what breed is this chick?". People DO want to know.

But again, chickens don't care much about any of this. So, the decision to mix or not is entirely up to you. Chickens don't need to be separated by breed unless you intend to hatch eggs. Separating breeds 30 days prior to hatching accomplishes this. Once breeding/hatching is over, then co-mingling is again just fine.

 

[Goober1201]

OK, I would be keeping them all. If my 2 buffs mated with ANY of the other hens, would they still make eggs you think? Or will they be good for meat? Now, I ask if they are good for meat cause of the hubby..lol. Even though I just rescued a mix hen from the butcher so she didn't get eaten from some shop..lol My babies will never make it on a dinner table..lol But if I ever get over populated with them we have swaps and I can say they are mixed with a BUFF.. but not sure which the mom was..lol

 

[Goober1201]

FOR REAL!!! I LOVE THIS SITE!!!!! I ALWAYS get info from this site and such GREAT people!!

So if I'm mixing egg layers with egg layers, the babies are gonna be egg layers. Right? lol

 

[gabrielle1976]

If you want eggs or even to hatch chicks there is no reason to not do it . Mixed anything tend to have less health problems people have breed the PURE breeds to closely and with to much inbreeding and breeding for specific traits weather it be size or what not that the animals can crop up with issues. SO mix it up and enjoy your chickens as long as your not trying to pass them off as pure anything there is nothing wrong with mixing.

 

[SarniaTricia]

One Question ....

What is your goal with the chickens?... eggs, egg colour, enjoyable pets, hatching, selling babies,....
If you don't hatch out any babies from them.. does it really matter who breeds whom?

If you hatch; do mixed breed chickens fit in with your goals?

An example:
I like mixed breed layers... I love the way they look...My goals are a coloured egg basket.
I have breeding pens set aside for specific breeds. My Marans have a pen so the chicks stay marans.My blue Easter Eggers have a pen to continue to produce chicks that are going to lay blue eggs. These are two different reasons for breeding pens...one is for egg colour the other is for Breed perfection of a breed that lays an egg colour that I want to breed to American Poulty Association standard.

Just my 2 cents.
Patricia

 

[Goober1201]

My goal is for SUPER CUTE chicks..lol and eggs, egg color, and enjoyable pets. I'm sure if I get to many I will take them to the swap but I'm 100% honest and would tell them what they are. But I REALLY want a color full egg basket and I know I have brown egg layers, and some green ones my mixed girl layers a very light cream and I would love some white ones and some blue ones and any other color that they have out there..lol Does anyone know the breeds for the most eggs laying and for diff colored eggs?

 

[Nike]

I love mixing breeds! It's fun to see what you get! I've only done it once but next year I've got lots of ideas!

I crossed the rooster in this pic with one of those hens (not sure who laid the egg)

and I got this orange/buff baby!

I really want to breed her next spring with my silkie and keep the generation going!

 

[Goober1201]

aww, your babies are so cute!!... I cant wait to post pics of my babies. I just need to get a new camera.