Mixing heritage breed roosters with Hy-Line hens

[Karlkurla Chooks]

I don’t know much about genetics, but like to follow and see how this adventure develops. Good luck .

Thank you!


I am new to genetics too. I just hope that my chicks hatch and survive! If they don't, I will wait a while, build a new coop with a dedicated nursery section for clucky chooks and their upcoming chicks, then get more fertile eggs from the heritage breeder.

 

[Karlkurla Chooks]

By the way, poor Clover is molting at the moment! It started soon after I broke her out of her second wave of broodiness.

 

[BDutch]

By the way, poor Clover is molting at the moment! It started soon after I broke her out of her second wave of broodiness.

Do you live in Australia or New Zealand?

I had several hatches with broodies and the outcomes were really very, very different. 7 hatches in total , 6-12 eggs at a time. All hatches had at least 1 cockerel.

Most times I bought hatchery eggs, like you did.
I used the chicken-jungle/calculator to predict the colour outcome once with hens and a rooster of my own.

Its a old dutch site, but you can pick a language. http://kippenjungle.nl/chickencalculator.html

 

[Karlkurla Chooks]

Do you live in Australia or New Zealand?

I had several hatches with broodies and the outcomes were really very, very different. 7 hatches in total , 6-12 eggs at a time. All hatches had at least 1 cockerel.

Most times I bought hatchery eggs, like you did.
I used the chicken-jungle/calculator to predict the colour outcome once with hens and a rooster of my own.

Its a old dutch site, but you can pick a language. http://kippenjungle.nl/chickencalculator.html

Yes I do - the state of Western Australia, in Australia.
I got my Hy-Lines and Leghorn cross from Goldfields Stockfeeds in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. I think they get their Hy-Line chicks from a big breeder over in Melbourne.

The fertile eggs (Light Sussex, Polish, Blue and Lavendar Aracaunas) are from a heritage breeder in Kambalda.


I am not concerned about the differences between my Hy-Lines, in fact I prefer it! I like how they all look slightly different, as well as have their own personalities.

 

[MoonMoon]

Hi! Yeah Coriander is a bit different in colour to her sisters. Seems golden and blondey, and a bigger chook overall.

Coriander (foreground),
Cumin (background, golden head, neck & hackles, dark brown body),
Clover (background, in the middle)
Cardamom (background, neck against pipe)
View attachment 4052408


From left to right, as toddler chicks: Cumin, Coriander, Cardamom, Caraway (she sadly died four months later...), and little Clover (golden here but she changed to a light brown later on).
View attachment 4052413




In this photo you can see Cardamom (dark brown, facing forward), Cumin next to the water bowl with more white in her tail feathers, and Coriander on her left, seems brown but more blonde/golden feathers. Cumin has the same golden speckled neck and hackle feathers as Coriander, but her body feathers are reddish dark brown like Cardamom.

View attachment 4052399
Clover's feathers are mostly the same colour as Cardamom's, but a lighter shade. However she also has a 'ring' of bright coloured feathers at the base of her hackles. This is from when she was broody the first time (6 months old, April 2024):
View attachment 4052433



Clover and my white Leghorn cross Chamomile back in January 2025. Clover was broody (for the second time), while Chamomile was laying an egg next to her.
View attachment 4052419

Love the names! And wow, 2 broodies
So actually, they have a variety of appearances like the Golden Comet and Isabrown/Lohmann Browns my parents own. They were bred by smaller farms(still at least a thousand chickens though) instead of industrially but they still count as the same breeds.

Most of the Browns(yes, even the orange one is a Brown)

Hard to tell from lighting, but they are darker than the Golden Comet . They’re also thinner, way lighter than the Comet and act more dominantly. There are 5 of them and 1 is orange for some reason. The other 4 is brown, and hard to tell apart.


A brown, and three Golden Comet.(don’t be fooled, the Golden Comet is much heavier and slightly bigger than the Brown!)

There are 2 Browns here and 4 Golden Comets. Can you tell who is the orange Brown? Yeah. She’s very similar to the Goldens, if wasn’t for her weight and behaviour.

My parents’ chickens don’t have names, and naming them wouldn’t do good anyway. Best to distance yourself emotionally from eventual meat birds. One actually got butchered today.

2 Browns here. The Browns also have thinner legs and darker wings. Hardly visible here.

But there are way too many hens to describe.

I can tell most of them apart for some reason though.


I assume these chickens(mine)are Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks cross, with maybe Leghorn, Sussex and Hampshire blood, so they would carry silver and dominant white. I also want to breed them to see what their hybrid genes will throw!

With only 7 hens, its unlikely to get them fathered by four roosters. In fact, its most likely they are all fathered by the same rooster. You never know though.

Also, this, too. I would assume a lot of fights would break out if you have 4 roosters. Unless you have a large yard/field. Still not enough hens for the roosters to share or split up into multiple flocks, though.

 

[MoonMoon]

The fertile eggs (Light Sussex, Polish, Blue and Lavendar Aracaunas) are from a heritage breeder in Kambalda.

Oh! So Light(Columbian) Sussex is the coloring confirmed

I am not concerned about the differences between my Hy-Lines, in fact I prefer it! I like how they all look slightly different, as well as have their own personalities.

My fam’s chickens aren’t very consistent in appearance either despite being the same breeds! They also have leakage(flecks of unusual colors)

So there’s some black specks on the Golden, tail, hackle and wings. It could be poor breeding, or the fact they’re hybrid, or it’s just normal. I don't know!

My chickens are clearly different though. They are very different from each other lol

 

[BDutch]

Also, this, too. I would assume a lot of fights would break out if you have 4 roosters. Unless you have a large yard/field. Still not enough hens for the roosters to share or split up into multiple flocks, though.

Yes, if you want to avoid serious fighting you could follow the advice of a breeder I know. Split the flock in 2 and give each rooster 3 or 4 hens. Docile roosters of a very calm breed like silkies seem to do okay as a pair with just one hen though. But you have to look into that if you aim is 4 roosters. And keep in mind there are always individuals who behave different from standard. Like the laying hybrids who get broody.

Or keep it simple and get yourself one rooster this year. Even free ranging with 2 roosters is often complicated or even deadly for the lesser strong rooster if he doesn’t submit.

 

[Amer]

• Speckled Sussex will give you red Columbian and white red Columbian chicks.
• Polish will give crested chicks. Duplex combs.
• Blue Araucana blue, black, and paint chicks with red leakage. Crests and beards. Pea combs.
• Lavendar Araucana Black chicks with red leakage. Crests and beards. Pea combs.

 

[MoonMoon]

• Speckled Sussex will give you red Columbian and white red Columbian chicks.
• Polish will give crested chicks. Duplex combs.
• Blue Araucana blue, black, and paint chicks with red leakage. Crests and beards. Pea combs.
• Lavendar Araucana Black chicks with red leakage. Crests and beards. Pea combs.

You know what. I absolutely forgot to talk about anything else but the coloring. Oops.

 

[Karlkurla Chooks]

• Speckled Sussex will give you red Columbian and white red Columbian chicks.
• Polish will give crested chicks. Duplex combs.
• Blue Araucana blue, black, and paint chicks with red leakage. Crests and beards. Pea combs.
• Lavendar Araucana Black chicks with red leakage. Crests and beards. Pea combs.

Thank you very much for this info!