Pure vs mutts

[Bush84]

Hello all. First year keeper of chickens. I have mostly buff orpingtons but also have a production red, leghorn, and Easter egger. I'm considering getting some cream legbars or ameraucanas next year for some egg color variation. So I guess my main question going forward is should I really make a big deal about keeping pure breeds or should I just hatch a bunch of mutts? I can see the benefit of controlling the pure blood of the blue egg layers, but would require a bit of extra work. I have a large shed that I keep my chickens in but also have a smaller coop that I could keep a seperate breeding population in during the summer if I wanted to seperate the blue egg layers. What does everybody think?

 

[Rod-T]

I like crossbreeds. They tend to be better layers I think. I like to know what they lay though. Crossing brown egg layers with produce brown egg laying chicks. If you add blue egg layers just do it on hen side. That way you can just choose to hatch brown eggs so you will always know what you'll get.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You already own crossbreds, it just depends on what you want personally, certain breeds have certain characteristics and they are fairly reliable. Unless you are interested in being a breeder, or showing them I don't think making mutts is a bad thing, it's actually fun to see what you get.

 

[123RedBeard]

If you only want eggs, or birds that look different from each other ... Mutts work fine ... They also tend to be healthier, but ... Healthy chicks, come from healthy parents!

Mutts are kinda like a surprise ... You never really know what their gonna be until about six months later ...

I don't know if you have a rooster now ... But if you mixed you BO with the Leghorn ... You may get some white, some buff, some mixed ... Some may lay white eggs, some brown, some may be smaller, some bigger, some may be in between, both in egg size and body size ... Some may go broody every other month, some once a year, some never!

With a purebred you have a real good idea what is gonna hatch and grow up ...

What do you want?

 

[Bush84]

I have three buff orp roosters. I suppose my main goal would be to keep large birds that are gentle. Egg production isn't as big of a deal because my chickens will give me plenty even if only half lay an egg per day. My secondary goal would be maintaining variety in egg color just for fun. I don't really care to produce show birds. At this time I wouldn't anticipate selling birds. Eggs, fun, and meat if my wife ever agrees. Hoping chicken math will convince her to give in and allow me to butcher a few.

 

[Rod-T]

By all means mix up your flock.. have fun with it. I've never had bantys though.. I'm not sure if a big rooster would hurt her.. maybe others will chime in on that..
If you incubate any eggs it's nice to know what color eggs you'll get from those chicks. That's all I was trying to say.
If you have extra chicks to sell and there ok with mixed hybrids. It's nice to know when handing over the chicks. This one will lay brown eggs.this one will lay blue eggs.ect..
If you not going to hatch mixing breeds can produce some nice hybrids. .have fun with it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would personally recommend keeping large fowl and Bantam separate, except for when keeping a bantam rooster with large hens.

 

[Bine]

Look through the breeds and find out what you like. Long legs, short legs, fluffy or curley or smoth, tails, colors, combs, wattles, beards, muffs, crests.... and mix the birds you like.
Breed them, select for the thinks you like most and buy a hen or a rooster evey two years or so to prevent inbreeding defects.
This is the way every breed on this earth started and maybe you will bring us a new breed that is the best non-agressive bird for your climat.

 

[ChickenJay203]

From what I have read, cross breeds such as sex-links, do sometimes lay better if you are looking for egg production.

 

[RedDol]

I would personally recommend keeping large fowl and Bantam separate, except for when keeping a bantam rooster with large hens.

I have young chickens. About 6 months old. One RIR hen, one black bantam hen and I think a Wyandotte rooster. So far he can't catch the bantam hen.