Mixing Chicken breeds?

[metalman488]

So i have nine one-week old chicks. 8 are hens that are either ameraucana's, RIR's, or marans. The ninth one is a rooster and he is a wyandotte. I am raising these chicks primarily for eggs. Does this seem like a decent mix? Will they breed okay when they are old enough?

 

[CarolinaHen]

Sounds like a great mixture for a beautiful backyard flock!

 

[Spangled]

You bet! They will make some good backyard chicks.

Which kind of Wyandotte? White? Silver or gold Laced? Why kind of Marans? Of course, the daughters of the Marans hens won't lay super dark eggs like their dams, but eggs are eggs, right?

You probably already know this, but the Wyandotte (rose comb) and the green egg layers (pea combs), when crossed, will give you chicks that have different variations of rose combs, pea combs, and possibly some walnut/cushion combs. There are transitional periods with all of the mixing because it takes a few generations to get all the genetics worked out on combs.

The Wyandotte (rose comb) with the Marans and RIRs (both single combs) will give you variations on a rose comb ... some combs will be single or tall rose combs.

I want my flock to have variations on pea combs and rose combs because that way there are less cases of frostbite that my roosters and hens have to live with. But in TX I guess that usually isn't much of a problem.

I love a mixed flock because then I don't have to put bands on their legs to tell who is who. If a hen goes broody, I can tell which one she is next season and act accordingly, without having to put bands on her and hoping they don't break/fall off before spring. Same goes for knowing who is older and who is brand new.

 

[metalman488]

Thanks and actually I dont know that much about the wyandottes, He is black with white spots. I am actually pretty new to chicken raising and also when I got them, I wasnt too worried about breeds, so I didnt ask which chicks were which breeds.

 

[henless]

I went with a mixed flock also. I think a mixed flock of different colors/types of chickens is pretty. Also it lets me decide which chickens I like best.

 

[mrchicks]

Welcome to BYC!

We have a mixed flock for our layers. Eggers, Cuckoo Marans, wyandottes and red sex links. I love all the different colors of eggs.

 

[Spangled]

Thanks and actually I dont know that much about the wyandottes, He is black with white spots. I am actually pretty new to chicken raising and also when I got them, I wasnt too worried about breeds, so I didnt ask which chicks were which breeds.

Yes, when we first started with chickens I knew there were white chickens, reddish chickens, and black chickens. My husband brought home some eggs that he tracked down and put them in an incubator. I was hoping for reddish chickens (one I got over the shock that we were going to have chickens), but we ended up with what I would call black chickens, which were actually Barred Rocks ... the kind with feathers that have little stripes on them that are black, white, black, white, black, white.

Your rooster could be a Silver Laced Wyandotte. I don't much about the genetics of lacing, but your chicks from him, if he's a Silver Laced Wyandotte, will all carry the gene for lacing, which is usually, simplistically, a border of black with another color in the middle of the feather. It won't be particularly perfect lacing, but it will be good looking on the chicks that have the correct coloring for it to show up. I have a number of chickens that carry one gene for lacing and it puts a very pretty design on their breasts.

So you'll have a stunning and varied flock this year and a very varied flock next year if you hatch out some replacement hens.

Plus the eggs this fall will be great with greens, dark browns, and medium browns ... a great way to start out with chickens.

 

[CarolinaHen]

We have a mixed flock too. There is nothing funnier than seeing our OEGB rooster try to mount our Brahma hen. He has been in love with her for over a year, and has never been "successful"

 

[lazy gardener]

Perhaps you need to film it. that would be one "rated" film that I might watch!

 

[CarolinaHen]

Poor fella, we have bought bantam girls for him but he only likes the BIG girls!

I really do need to film it! He does the wing dance, grabs the back of their head, mounts........... doesn't even come close.......... then jumps on the fence and crows.