Mix Breed Help

[jnbelknap]

I am hatching 9 eggs under my broody hen, and we are at day 17. All eggs were fertilized by my handsome Easter Egger rooster. Two of the eggs have EE mothers, so I know what to expect with them. However, I am looking for help understanding what to expect with my mixed breeds.

#1 Buff Orpington mother
#2 Barred Plymouth Rock mother
#3 Lavender Orpington mother
#4 and #5 RIR mother
#6 and #7 Barred Cochin mother

What can I expect with these mixed breeds? Will they show mother or father traits? What color eggs should I anticipate? And are there any sex linked characteristics I should be keeping an eye out for early on?

Here are their pictures:
Father to all--

Mothers--

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

They will look like mixed breed chicks. I know that doesn't help, but we can't really say for sure. Google images of your crosses and see what others have gotten from those mixes.

 

[BantamLover21]

They will look like mixed breed chicks. I know that doesn't help, but we can't really say for sure. Google images of your crosses and see what others have gotten from those mixes.

x2

 

[Wyandottes7]

They will look like mixed breed chicks. I know that doesn't help, but we can't really say for sure. Google images of your crosses and see what others have gotten from those mixes.

X3

 

[Kev]

rock and cochin will be sex linked crosses- their sons will have barring. cochin cross will have little or sparse leg feathering.

rock, cochin, lavender orp crosses will be colored more or less like black sex links. Mind you, it will not be a sex linked cross.. the color is simply a normal result of crossing black with a colored bird. Add barring on top for the boys out of the cochin and rock.

orp and rir will come out sort of reddish. boys more like him and the girls a shade lighter. They will show variable amount of black on necks and tail, less so on the buff cross.

as for egg color, it depends on if he has the colored egg gene and if he is pure for it. If he is pure for colored eggs, then all of crosses will lay most likely eggs in medium or light green.

It will be okay to call the chicks EE as they most will have the "EE look". It's not a matter of one parent being dominant... the muff/beard gene is dominant and to most people they will look the same as any other EE.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Kev has given you great advice.

 

[donrae]

Agree your barred hens will give you sex links. Egg color of offspring pullets will depend on the rooster's genetics, which you can't tell unless you had his parents or hatch pullets from him. You have a good likelihood of green egg laying offsping, though.