Millefleur Australorps Mottled Rhode island

[eggmaxxxing]

hi! Has anyone tried this yet? If so, do you have any photos? any advices on how to properly do this?
I'm 17 years old and I have this little project for my first year in breeding chickens
I would like to make a cross to have chickens similar to Australorps and Rhode island in appearance and production but with a Millefleur color.
I want to use a rare local breed from my region, the Millefiori di Lonigo, which is basically a black-breasted Leghorn, 150 eggs per year as average, and a slightly stockier body, weight F 2.50 kg M 3 kg
I want to cross these with other breeds for have a much higher egg production, more meat and faster growth, so I'm thinking of using Australorps and Rhode Island genetics through a couple of brown isas I already have, I'm also thinking of adding some Wyandotte into the mix but I'm not sure.
I would like to create a line for my chicken coop of rustic chickens, with a good egg production of at least around 250 per year on average, I also want to have enough meat F 2.50 kg M 3.50 kg on average, with a growth that is decently fast
I'm undecided on what to do at the moment I'm thinking of using a Lonigo Millefleur rooster with 4/5 Australorp hens, and an Australorp rooster with 4/5 Lonigo Millefleur hens and a couple of Isa Brown, to then mix them in the second generation, I already know that the mottled or millefleur traits are recessive but in any case I should already see them from the 2nd generation, then I will select the best ones that grow faster and bigger and will lay more eggs, I think I'll keep the roosters for a year and a half max and the hens for 3/4, to add new genetics then I think I'll add new roosters of these breeds every now and then.

 

[ABQ chicken keeper]

hi! Has anyone tried this yet? If so, do you have any photos? any advices on how to properly do this?
I'm 17 years old and I have this little project for my first year in breeding chickens
I would like to make a cross to have chickens similar to Australorps and Rhode island in appearance and production but with a Millefleur color.
I want to use a rare local breed from my region, the Millefiori di Lonigo, which is basically a black-breasted Leghorn, 150 eggs per year as average, and a slightly stockier body, weight F 2.50 kg M 3 kg
I want to cross these with other breeds for have a much higher egg production, more meat and faster growth, so I'm thinking of using Australorps and Rhode Island genetics through a couple of brown isas I already have, I'm also thinking of adding some Wyandotte into the mix but I'm not sure.
I would like to create a line for my chicken coop of rustic chickens, with a good egg production of at least around 250 per year on average, I also want to have enough meat F 2.50 kg M 3.50 kg on average, with a growth that is decently fast
I'm undecided on what to do at the moment I'm thinking of using a Lonigo Millefleur rooster with 4/5 Australorp hens, and an Australorp rooster with 4/5 Lonigo Millefleur hens and a couple of Isa Brown, to then mix them in the second generation, I already know that the mottled or millefleur traits are recessive but in any case I should already see them from the 2nd generation, then I will select the best ones that grow faster and bigger and will lay more eggs, I think I'll keep the roosters for a year and a half max and the hens for 3/4, to add new genetics then I think I'll add new roosters of these breeds every now and then.

Nice project!!!!

 

[SourRoses]

As someone with some ambitious projects in the works myself, I want to encourage you to take the time at this early planning stage to refine your goals.

First, ponder the contraindications...
As in, Millefleur is a complex color. Some colors will not be compatible with it.
Many Wyandottes are laced. I think that would be a big reason not to add them.

That Leghorn variety sounds interesting. Many strains of leghorn are already very productive layers. And they are the healthiest of the highly productive breeds. If you use hybrids to begin your project, you may introduce reproductive problems into future generations.
Could you use another variety of Leghorn, which is more productive, to have a healthier start?

And then add one more breed for heft. Since crossing sizes usually results in chickens sized in between (due to many different genes and cumulative effects) ... It's most practical to add a breed that exceeds your target, then the chicks in the middle may suit your goals sooner.
For meat traits, something like a Large Fowl pure Cornish would add some bulk.
What part of the chicken do you prefer to harvest the most from? Breasts, Thighs, Wings?
Meat traits are hard enough to breed for with a strong start, that you wouldn't be best advised to start with a so-so dual purpose breed, as you would struggle to attain what you want from that.

And back to using the layer hybrids... It's generally not a good idea to use hybrids as foundation stock. Because you will be making hybrids from them, so that introduces a much higher degree of randomness. Outcomes will be all over the place, and when you do see traits you want pop up, they may be hard to reproduce further due to dilution (non-technical term I am using to generalize).


Back when I got started with my projects, a lot of the advice on here that I read consisted of a few camps...
- "Don't do it, it's too hard."
- "Possible, but that will take forever, and we expect you to quit in frustration."
- "Cool. Do whatever. Show us anything that happens."

So, I made up my mind to be in a fourth camp.
"Cool. Think this through and plan it well, so you don't have to quit in frustration." and I hope my post above fits with that goal.
The super cool thing with chicken genetics is how many things are actually possible. But some journeys are much harder than others. The vast majority of chicken breeding projects end in frustration because the human capacity to persist is not as abundant as chicken genetics are. Accept that over the years, it will require more determination than you might have expected, and make things easier for yourself by simplifying the project where you can.