RIR over Red Star: Will the babies also be red?

[FoggyFowl1719]

I am just wondering if anyone else has tried this mix before. I crossed my older RIR with my Silver laced Wyandottes to get my 6 Red Star Sexlinks. Then, when they started laying I put a younger RIR in with them. (I have several pens and coops so there's no inbreeding.)There are 5 eggs in lockdown right now with one pip. Will all the chicks come out red since they're 3/4 RIR? I did keep one Red Star rooster and he's white with green and some red spots. I haven't bred him yet though. But I would imagine that these chicks will be difficult to distinguish from pure RIRs.

 

[FoggyFowl1719]

This chick is HUGE! And it hatched a day early. I must be feeding them right because all of my chickens have beautiful shimmering feathers too.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

This chick is HUGE! And it hatched a day early. I must be feeding them right because all of my chickens have beautiful shimmering feathers too.

Aww!! He's so big!
What do you feed?

 

[FoggyFowl1719]

Aww!! He's so big!
What do you feed?

I feed Dumor 16% layer pellets from Tractor Supply. But for every 50lbs of that I also mix in 35lbs of organic scratch grains. I measure out the feed so that each bird gets 1/4lb every day. And I have supplemental light to make sure they get their 16 hours daily.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I feed Dumor 16% layer pellets from Tractor Supply. But for every 50lbs of that I also mix in 35lbs of organic scratch grains. I measure out the feed so that each bird gets 1/4lb every day. And I have supplemental light to make sure they get their 16 hours daily.

Sorry - you said over half their food intake is treats? Did I misunderstand?

 

[FoggyFowl1719]

Sorry - you said over half their food intake is treats? Did I misunderstand?

Scratch grains aren't treats. They are the same kinds of things they would find if they were foraging or free ranging. And it's still less than half if I use 35lbs for every 50lbs of feed. But that's what I feed them yes. The shells are nice and hard. No poop on the eggs. The yolks are firm and spherical like a yellow ping pong ball. And the eggs are bigger than the jumbos from the store. I don't even have to supplement with oyster shell or anything. I do put ACV in the water and I sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth with bentonite clay in their food as well as around the coops and pens. I have 5 year old hens that still lay daily.

 

[Ruby Rogue]

Maybe you could ask the mods to move this to the genetics forum, or start a new one there since this one isn't getting any of the responses you requested. I'm following!

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Scratch grains aren't treats. They are the same kinds of things they would find if they were foraging or free ranging. And it's still less than half if I use 35lbs for every 50lbs of feed. But that's what I feed them yes. The shells are nice and hard. No poop on the eggs. The yolks are firm and spherical like a yellow ping pong ball. And the eggs are bigger than the jumbos from the store. I don't even have to supplement with oyster shell or anything. I do put ACV in the water and I sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth with bentonite clay in their food as well as around the coops and pens. I have 5 year old hens that still lay daily.

Interesting. What grains are in the scratch mix?
They do sound healthy...I just always think of fatty grains like corn when people say scratch.

 

[Ruby Rogue]

Interesting. What grains are in the scratch mix?
They do sound healthy...I just always think of fatty grains like corn when people say scratch.

I'm wondering and would've thought the same! It sounds like it's working for you though, would love to hear more.

 

[FoggyFowl1719]

There's wheat, barley, rye, sunflower seeds, oats, and cracked corn.