Rhode Island Red Rooster White Leghorn Chicken cross

[gamefowl-layers]

Does anyone know what breed will come about with this cross? I have 2 RIR Roosters and 8 RIR Hens. I also have 3 Leghorns. I wanted pure Rhode Island Red chicks but I'm wondering if I should cross my Leghorn with my RIR. Will they have horrible egg production? I'm in it for the eggs so I'm not sure if the egg production ability will disappear or not function properly if I cross them. Thank you!

 

[donrae]

They'll be great layers.Maybe not quite as stellar as the Leghorn mommas, but they should outlay a regular Red. color wise, they'll probably be white with red or black flecks. Leghorns tend to carry dominant white so you get some real wild cards when crossing them with colored birds. Egg color will be cream/light brown, and size should be pretty large.

 

[Michael OShay]

They'll be great layers.Maybe not quite as stellar as the Leghorn mommas, but they should outlay a regular Red. color wise, they'll probably be white with red or black flecks. Leghorns tend to carry dominant white so you get some real wild cards when crossing them with colored birds. Egg color will be cream/light brown, and size should be pretty large.

X2 on donrae's post. The offspring won't actually be a breed, but they should be very good laying mixed breeds.

 

[gamefowl-layers]

X2 on donrae's post. The offspring won't actually be a breed, but they should be very good laying mixed breeds.

I did some research and they are considered sex-links and other names like that. I know it's not necessarily a breed but thank you. I just need good layers

 

[Chris09]

I did some research and they are considered sex-links and other names like that. I know it's not necessarily a breed but thank you. I just need good layers

Yes and no.

If you breed a Breeder Quality Leghorn (any color) male over a Breeder Quality Rhode Island Red then you would get Sex-Links.
You would be able to feather sex them at birth.

But since most (99%) of all hatcheries breed there birds to be feather sexed at birth you can not use hatchery stock to create this Sex-Link.

As stated before since a White Leghorn is Dominate White chicks would be all White at birth and may get some black ticking in the hackles, tail, and wing feathers.

 

[donrae]

You'll get good layers but they won't be sex linked.

 

[Michael OShay]

You'll get good layers but they won't be sex linked.

X2 on donrae's post.

 

[drumstick diva]

x 3 donrae's post

 

[MargaretMaggieMae]

Novogen browns are a RIR / white leghorn cross that is used as commercial brown layer from what I can tell.

 

[Nstamilla]

I recently bought some chicks which are RIR over white leghorn, any ideas with sexing? They seem to have large combs but they have feathered out much quicker than I expected. They are 17 days old.