Mixed breeds

[duluthralphie]

I also have mostly mixed breeds and hatchery stock. But, I think calling folks who chose to breed quality birds snobs is a bit much.

Especially now that I have 3 diamond encrusted crested cream leg bars locked in a covered pen and coop that is tighter than fort knox.

I do not want anything munching on my expensive birds. I figure I could buy a hawk a couple lobsters to eat for what these cost me. I will not show them, but it is fun having something that could be showed..

I do not think I am a snob, I do drink Mike's hard lemonade often though, so maybe I am.

 

[gruffy]

May I bring to light the origin of the barnies. In a lowly Dutch town of Barneveld they had bought many breeds of chicken. The cochins the welsummers and many more... after years or mixing these breeds in the little town of barnevelde their birds were SO original they had a new breed. Their chickens were so original the word Barnevelder ment a chicken from Barnevelde. So this little town has made a gorgeous breed from the stock they had running in the streets and sold their town mixed birds as purebreds and brought fame to the local chicken herders. So spread forth fellow chicken owners make some original chickens even if they come from purebreds. The bird mutt in your yard has every potential to someday be a prize even if he may eat things out of his own poop or stares at the sun a bit too long. Not to worry he may just be the start of a new breed

 

[suebgbr]

I read that those really expensive ayem ceramis or whatever they are called are only a crossbreed mix and not a recognised breed.
Just shows how much people will pay for pretty 'mutts'.
I have a garden gang of light sussex, white stars, barred rock and gold lace wyandotte hens and a light sussex cockerel and a black silkie cockerel. I am getting some gorgeous chicks

 

[nikkers390]

I also have mostly mixed breeds and hatchery stock. But, I think calling folks who chose to breed quality birds snobs is a bit much.

I, on the other hand have many purebreds. Just because one breeds purebred birds does not make one a snob.
If you ever spent time on some of the various forums for people who breed to SOP, you may be surprised that many newbies have been "shamed" because their birds were "inferior". A number of these people started their own threads where the atmosphere is more tolerant and welcoming.
Every chicken, no matter how well bred has at least ONE wart.

A snob is a person who looks down their nose on average chicken owners. How does one tell a person that their bird, even though purebred, is worthless.
Many people absolutely dote on their chickens, show quality or not. Such remarks are hurtful to say the least.

There are MANY people who spend their lives breeding for SOP. That requires dedication and hard work.
Those people deserve applause.

It is those who covet status and put others "down" that I call snobs.
I could have phrased my comment differently. It was never my intention to upset people who have and raise purebred birds.

I love my purebred peeps warts and all!

 

[Manningjw]

I, on the other hand have many purebreds. Just because one breeds purebred birds does not make one a snob.
If you ever spent time on some of the various forums for people who breed to SOP, you may be surprised that many newbies have been "shamed" because their birds were "inferior". A number of these people started their own threads where the atmosphere is more tolerant and welcoming.
Every chicken, no matter how well bred has at least ONE wart.

A snob is a person who looks down their nose on average chicken owners. How does one tell a person that their bird, even though purebred, is worthless.
Many people absolutely dote on their chickens, show quality or not. Such remarks are hurtful to say the least.

There are MANY people who spend their lives breeding for SOP. That requires dedication and hard work.
Those people deserve applause.

It is those who covet status and put others "down" that I call snobs.
I could have phrased my comment differently. It was never my intention to upset people who have and raise purebred birds.

I love my purebred peeps warts and all!

I tend to enjoy the hatchery birds I have had the pleasure of raising but now I hatch my own and get fertile eggs from breeders - but I don't care for SOP. I care about productivity first, appearance second. I have seen a lot of the shaming you talked about, I know exactly what you mean. There is a reason for that new thread for the snobby behavior, which is mostly vacant(12 viewers vs 103 viewers for the general breed).

I love genetics, I really enjoy breeding project birds and playing around with basic principals of Mendelian genetics etc but I prefer the atmosphere of the general breed thread. That and hybridizing isn't really a SOP topic.

 

[nikkers390]

I tend to enjoy the hatchery birds I have had the pleasure of raising but now I hatch my own and get fertile eggs from breeders - but I don't care for SOP. I care about productivity first, appearance second. I have seen a lot of the shaming you talked about, I know exactly what you mean. There is a reason for that new thread for the snobby behavior, which is mostly vacant(12 viewers vs 103 viewers for the general breed).

I love genetics, I really enjoy breeding project birds and playing around with basic principals of Mendelian genetics etc but I prefer the atmosphere of the general breed thread. That and hybridizing isn't really a SOP topic.

This is one reason that I purchase chicks from Sandhill Preservation. He tries to stay within the standards, but breeds for productivity and livability. his birds are beautiful.
Genetics is a fascinating subject.
I posted the following on another thread, but it may be fun to share it here.

Here is my ultimate goal for crossbreeding chickens.
Many pure breeds are available, I have a hard time to choose just one. If I did I will not be happy. Maybe that is why I spend so much money on chickens; to see what I really like the most.
I narrowed down what will be the best solution, at least for me.
Here is what I want in a chicken.
1 Large size
2 Good layer (colorful eggs)
3 Good meat bird
4 Good forager
5 Extraordinary health and livability
6 Gentle around people
Minimum aggression between hens
NO MEAN ROOS
7 Calm, not flighty
8 Ability to go broody
9 Good parents
10 No roosting in trees
11 High fertility
12 Variety of color and pattern
Eye candy is VERY important to me
13 Intelligent (for a chicken)
14 Sustainable for hard times is key
15 Roosters to be good flock guardians
16 Roosters who get along (high hopes)
So what to do? Sounds like a miracle bird.
My plan is to start with purebreds that meet some of my criteria.
So far I have -
Marans
Pure Ameraucana
B/B/S Jersey giants
B/B/S langshan
Brahma
Cochin
Swedish Flower Hen
Sulmtaler
Coronation Sussex
Orpington
Rock
Wyandotte
Naked necks
Salmon Faverolles
Crevecouer
Mottled Houdan
Cream Brabanters
Silkies for fun (they were gifts)
These birds were chosen for some very desirable breed traits. I intend to stop there. Even I have a limit LOL. Most are spring chicks, some are a year old.
If I choose the best for breeding, culls for eating, in a few generations, I hope to have some chickens which will meet most of MY requirements.
I will never show a bird, nor sell them as anything but what they will be. Hybrids or mixed breeds if you prefer.
I am not trying to create a BREED. I have read that eventually the chickens will evolve into a hardy landrace. I chose the Swedish Flower Hens and Sulmtaler because that is what they are: hardy, healthy productive chickens.
I hope never to buy another chick. This will be my foundation stock. Big, healthy, colorful chickens that will lay a colorful egg, raise their own chicks, provide tasty meat and be pretty to look at.
No, I do not have a hundred acres or beautiful barns. I do have secure pens and coops. I hope to have a sustainable flock of no more than 50 chickens. Mixed breeds sell readily here.
Anyway, that is my dream.

 

[Manningjw]

I personally picked Ameraucana mixed with Austra-whites for several reasons, many of which you listed. The temperament of the white leghorn I really dislike, too flighty. Mixing in Australorp should help calm them a bit, future crosses can be selected for temperament as well as egg laying. I wanted the Ameraucana for the blue egg shell trait/temperament/pea comb for winter. So far I am 5 generations into the breeding project and I have some wonderful birds(for me). They lay a ton of blue eggs, have pea combs and many of them are very calm. As it turned out, several have good brooding instincts and have made excellent mothers raising up the next generations when I let them brood.

I am very happy with my mixed birds. Out of my last pure Black Ameraucana hatch I only had 1 hen (shipped eggs, most were cracked/smashed, 3 made it to hatch with 2 being cockerels). I lucked out, the bird that survived has laid every day for the past month+ which I anticipate isn't like a pure Ameraucana to be that productive. I think she will add in some genetic diversity to my project while hopefully maintaining the egg production rate I already have.

 

[nikkers390]

I am expecting a shipment of 15 pure Ameraucanas tomorrow. This will be an assortment of lavender, splash and wheaten/blue wheaten.
These are SR so a mix of m/f. Since I love blue in a chicken, I should eventually have a large number of blue feathered birds. I have an impressive splash OE rooster which is an Ameraucana/Blue Copper Marans/Welsummer mix. His sisters laid the most awesome dark olive eggs. Unfortunately, I no longer have them. He bred with a BCM hen and she hatched 9 chicks. They were all various shades of blue. I have one pullet I'm keeping that is the prettiest light blue color with a straight comb and feathered legs. Hoping for more dark olive eggs. She is now 14 weeks old. We'll see.
I see where Leghorns are used to produce SBEL. I'm not too fond of leghorns either. I'm hoping some of the heavy breeds will produce nice colored eggs when crossed with Ameraucana. The puffy faces are SO cute!

 

[pit14]

is it ok to breed larger bantams with smaller bantams? i have a mix of random bantams and Cochin bantams, i was wondering if the Cochin traits will be too dominant or not

 

[nikkers390]

I'm not sure about all the traits, but the feathered legs are dominant and should show up in the chicks. As far as size goes, the chicks will probably be somewhere in between the larger bird and the smaller. Maybe someone with more experience can be more helpful.