Seeking opinions on hatching crosses (RIR and BO)

[chickenannie]

I like having purebreds, but since I haven't kept my RIRs and my BOs separate and I have one roo of each, I'm sure a few of the eggs I may be crosses. I'm not a breeder, obviously, but I'd like to hatch more chickens for egg-laying and to add to the flock, and I'm wondering if there are reasons NOT to hatch eggs that may be crosses. Or reasons TOO have crosses.

One roo is purebred RIR, but the hens are actually half RIR and half (i think) Plymouth Rock. The other roo is pure BO as are those hens.

Opinions?

 

[Katy]

There's nothing wrong with "mutt" chickens. From that mix of breeds you should get some very good layers. I like my purebreds, but I also like my mutts!!

 

[chickenannie]

Do mutts end up looking peculiar?

 

[speckledhen]

Well, I know one reason to cross a RIR roo over a Buff Orp hen--my Meg! She is more Buff Orp than RIR in every way, except her color, but she came from exhibition size breeder birds, not hatchery stock. My DH and I love her!

 

[Katy]

Most of the time they're very pretty.

 

[chickenannie]

Meg is beautiful! Kind of like a fluffy RIR.

Uh-oh Katy, you said "most of the time"...

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I have a Buff/RIR hen that is my best layer!!...Buff Orp Roo over a RIR hen...she is small for some reason but lays me an egg dutifully everyday...

 

[Katy]

Quote:I just said most of the time because I'm sure there's been an odd mix out there at some point in time that wouldn't win any beauty contests!! ALL the mutts I've seen have been nice looking chickens!!

 

[chickenannie]

Thanks for the clarification. The farm where I work has crosses of Sebastopol geese with Toulouse Geese from last summer's hatching, and they look OK, except they have just a few string sebastopol feathers sticking out kind of funny. they look more like toulouse.

 

[mamaboyd]

Meg is beautiful!! My hens are the same color, I don't know what they are mixed with as they are a hatchery special breed. If I crossed my hens with a barred rock rooster, would they pretty much stay the same color??

This is one of my hens I want to cross with a barred rock.