NEED SOME ADVICE

[biggles246]

So I have 12 isa brown hens and one cross bred rooster. I don't want that rooster so I am going to eat him.
I want to breed my chickens but I'm not sure what rooster to get.
What happens if I put a Rhode Island Red in with my isa browns?
At the moment I have two broody chickens which is strange seeing as they're isa browns!
I know I cant get Isa Browns from putting an Isa Brown rooster in there.
What is the best rooster to put with my hens to get good laying chicks?
Please help!
Thankyou!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

You'll get some great laying, mixed breed chickens

If you're looking for egg production, choose a rooster from a breed bred for that trait (the RIR you're considering, Leghorns, ect). If you want to encourage more broodiness, choose a broody breed. If you're looking for the whole package (meat, eggs and possibly broody) select a dual purpose breed

 

[Ridgerunner]

You cannot get ISA Browns by using an ISA Brown rooster. ISA Browns are hybrid commercial laying chickens. When you breed hybrids they don’t breed true. But an ISA Brown would still be a good choice if all you are after is eggs. You may get a variety of looks but they should really lay well.

How well they lay is based on genetics. If their mothers and grandmothers lay well and their fathers and grandfathers had mothers that lay well, the chicks will probably lay well. Your ISA Brown hens are going to contribute great genetics for that. Roosters contribute just as many genetics for laying as the hens but since they don’t lay eggs you have to go by their mothers and grandmothers to guess at their contribution.

If all you want is eggs it’s hard to beat a leghorn rooster. Leghorns typically lay a lot of large eggs. The possibly problem is that they are not very large. Your ISA Browns won’t be very big either. If you eat the offspring there won’t be much meat on them. Still, you can eat them.

If you want a little more meat on them about any hatchery dual purpose rooster would be a decent choice. It can vary a little from one hatchery to another but in general hatchery dual purpose chickens lay well. We all have our favorites but my choice would come from Rhode Island Reds or Whites, Delaware, Black Australorp, any of the Rocks, Orpington, or any of the Wyandottes. I’d lean toward the Black Australorp but that’s just my favorite. I’ve had them lay well and go broody for me. Others will have had other experiences.

 

[biggles246]

What happens if I then keep one of the isa brown cross RIR or whatever roosters and put it with the pure isa brown hens?

 

[Ridgerunner]

You should get pullets that lay really well but the cockerels won’t be real big if you want to eat them. If eggs is what you want it should work well.