Hey Carl I have a question! As you know I raise large size Old English Games and I have a few Brown red hens, now if I take those hens and put them under a Blue Breasted Golden Duckwing cock will I get some Silver Blues out of them??? I know there is a difference in the Duckwing and Crow wing but will it affect this cross? I so want some Silver Blues in the large size!!!! I also have a Silver duckwing, should I use him instead? Lynn
The cross will be a mess for several generations and difficult to straighten out but can be done most likely 7-8 generations to get right. You will see some pattern and stippling in both sexes of the offspring in at least the first three generations, as well as leg color problems, eye color problems, the appearance of wing bay in males, poor hackle striping in males.
But if you want to try here is what I would do if that were my only option..
Use the Silver Duckwing male over the Brown Red females. Hatch no more than 12 F1 (first Cross) use 1 cockrell from that mating over 5-6 females from the mating.
When you mate the F1 birds select for solid black chick down, cull all the others, and hatch a lot.
When they begin to mature look for solid black legs or at least as dark as possible, select against anything with stippling or pattern appearance if possible. Use the best cockrell and 5-6 pullets from the F2 mating. Get rid of the F1 birds.
Take the best F2 male and go bck to the Brown Red females, keep the pullets and two cockrells the cockrells will be golden but will throw both Birchen and Brown Red Pullets.
Pen 1. Third genetaion Back cross golden male over Brown Red: Take a Golden Cockrell go back the Brwon Red again in one pen, keep the Bicrhen Pullets.
Pen 2 Third Generation Back cross golden male x 3 generation Birchen Pullets.
Fourth Generation
Birchen Cockrell from Pen 2 over Pullets from Pen 1. , this will be the fifth generation and likely breed relatively true with little pattern continueing to appear.
