Mixed breeds

[pit14]

thanks and also my flock has larger birds including columbian Plymouth Rocks and white leghorns is that a good flock set up for chicken hobbist and egg production

 

[nikkers390]

I had a barred rock/white leghorn mix. She looked like a poorly marked BR and laid brown eggs. She really was a nice hen and pretty to look at.

 

[Kids coop]

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.

I have some custom mixes myself but I also have standard cochins and they are everything your looking for in a bird. The only thing I would say that is a con is they're more of a seasonal layer, although when in season they lay relatively well.

 

[Kids coop]

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.   

I to also chose the Ameraucana to start my cross I chose a blue Wyandotte rooster to put over my black and blue wheaten hen for color, temperment, broodienest, hardiness, and egg production. Currently I am on my third or forth generation. These are pics of the first and second generation adults and the 3rd generation youngsters.

 

[nikkers390]

I have some custom mixes myself but I also have standard cochins and they are everything your looking for in a bird. The only thing I would say that is a con is they're more of a seasonal layer, although when in season they lay relatively well.

Cochins are among my favorites. Who can resist those big fluffybutts?
How well do they do in the FL summer heat and rain? Mine are still very little.
I'm in SW FL.

 

[nikkers390]

I to also chose the Ameraucana to start my cross I chose a blue Wyandotte rooster to put over my black and blue wheaten hen for color, temperment, broodienest, hardiness, and egg production. Currently I am on my third or forth generation. These are pics of the first and second generation adults and the 3rd generation youngsters.

Those are some beautiful chickens! How big are they?
What type of comb do they have?

 

[Manningjw]

Those are some beautiful chickens! How big are they?
What type of comb do they have?

I am going to do a little prediction here - walnut comb. Rose comb from the Wyandotte mixed with pea comb from the Ameraucana.

Makes selecting Pea comb quite a bit more difficult I would presume at least at hatch.

 

[Kids coop]

Cochins are among my favorites. Who can resist those big fluffybutts?
How well do they do in the FL summer heat and rain? Mine are still very little.
I'm in SW FL.

I live in central FL and mine are doing very well granted they have adequate shade and water in the hotter months and a dry coop to protect there feet feathers from constantly being in mud.heres my small flock just hatch my first round of eggs from them.

 

[pit14]

I was wondering if anyone else has a flock as mix up or more than mine ( with Columbian Plymouth rocks, white leghorns, mix breed bantams, and Cochin bantams

 

[Kids coop]

Those are some beautiful chickens! How big are they?
What type of comb do they have?

they display three different type of combs the strawberry or cushion hard to tell in some of the birds do to similarities in descriptions, rose, and pea. with the pea comb being the rarest to show up and the rose the most dominant. the bird are fairly large birds not as tall as some birds due to the short legs of the Wyandotte but just as heavy as my black Austrolorp hen and buff orpington.