Rhode Island Red rooster with Leghorns

[Elbee]

Wondering if this would be a good mix? Thoughts.

 

[nuthatched]

Why not?

 

[NatJ]

Wondering if this would be a good mix? Thoughts.

I assume you are wanting to hatch chicks?

I would expect daughters to be good layers.

If you want to raise the sons for meat, I hope you like eating small chickens. They will probably end up smaller than their Rhode Island Red father. They will taste fine, there just won't be all that much meat on each one of them.

I would expect the chicks to be mostly white, perhaps with some black dots, and as they grow up they may also develop some red leakage in various places.

 

[Elbee]

Thank you so much for your reply. Yes, raising chicks for laying. Maybe use the roosters for broth.

 

[NatJ]

Thank you so much for your reply. Yes, raising chicks for laying. Maybe use the roosters for broth.

That should work pretty well.

For the male chicks, broth is one option, but if you butcher them when they are young & tender you can cook them many other ways as well. The pieces are just smaller than a typical chicken from the store.

Examples of things to do with small chickens:
You might butcher them around 8 weeks and find that the leg/thigh pieces are the right size for recipes that usually use wings.
Small chickens are sometimes better than big ones for frying and grilling, because it is easier to get the middle cooked without burning the outside.
You could stuff & roast them (similar to Cornish Game Hens, or like miniature turkeys, but they will look a bit skinnier because of what breeds you are working with.)
Obviously any recipe that calls for deboning and chopping the meat will work with chickens of any size, as long as you use enough chickens to get the correct total amount of meat.

 

[Elbee]

Brilliant! Thank you!