I have a RIR rooster, I have 3 production reds, 2 Barred Rock, 1 RIR hen, 1 Brown Leghorn. Im thinking about raising a clutch of chicks for myself. Roosters would be eaten but Id like to increase my flock size. How will these breeds do as crosses? The only eggs I am sure of are the Brown Leghorn because they are white. I also get tan eggs and darker brown eggs. Is there a way to find out who is laying what or will they all make suitable laying hens? I guess I could separate the 2 RIR's to get purebreds but I dont really care about that if the odds are good that I would end up with good layers. Thanks
I would hatch from the RIR rooster, and the RIR hen and the production red hens. I think production reds came from RIRs so it would be a good mix.
I believe the production reds are 1/2 RIR and 1/2 Delaware. Can I tell from the color of the eggs what ones are from the barred rocks or do I need to separate the hens.
To me it looks like you have several choices for breeding. You can put your male with all of your females and have Rhode Island Reds, Production Reds and Black Sex-Links. Both Red and Black Sex-Links use a red male for the father. Either a Rhode Island Red or a New Hampshire may be used. Black Sex-Links are produced using a Barred Rock as the mother. Both sexes hatch out black, but the males have a white dot on their heads. Pullets feather out black with some red in neck feathers. Males feather out with the Barred Rock pattern along with a few red feathers. Black Sex-Links are often referred to as Rock Reds. Red Sex-Links are the result of various crosses. White Rocks with the silver factor (the dominant white gene would produce all white offspring) are crossed with a New Hampshire male to produce the Golden Comet. Silver Laced Wyandotte crossed with New Hampshire gives the Cinnamon Queen. Two other crosses are obtained with Rhode Island White x Rhode Island Red, and Delaware x Production Red or Rhode Island Red. These two crosses are simply called Red Sex-Links. Males hatch out white and, depending on the cross, feather out to pure white or with some black feathering. Females hatch out buff or red also depending on cross, and they feather out in one of three ways. Buff with white or tinted undercolor (such as Golden Comet, Rhode Island Red x Rhode Island White) Red with White or tinted undercolor (Cinnamon Queen) Red with Red undercolor (Delaware x Production Red or Rhode Island Red) (In this color pattern it is almost impossible to distinguish daughters' color from father's color.) I have bred Rhode Island Red males with Delaware female and the female chicks look like the Rhode Island Red and the male chicks look like the Delaware. Also I have done a Rhode Island Red male with Barred Rock females which produces Black Sex-Links.
Thanks that was very helpful. I think I will just try to hatch out a clutch and see what I get. I was just afraid the red and black cross might turn out weird.
