Seriously mixed breed flock with new baby chicks!

[CumberlandView]

Some of you may recall I lost my entire flock to predators, I bought 7 new ones and only two lived - both roos - a cuckoo Marans and a British Speckled Sussex.

Then I met an amazing lady who was downsizing her flock and I bought 10 hens from her. They are everything from pure white to pure black. She allows any broody hens to hatch out flocks and has for years. So, to say these are any recognizable breed is pure speculation. I have eggs that are everything from pink to chocolate brown and two hens that lay green eggs.

One of the hens went broody - she appears to have some Aracauna in her and definitely lays green eggs - and I let her flock hatch. THey are one week old today. She hatched 8 of 9 eggs and the babies are very healthy and thriving. Three are black with white, three are brown with black stripes like mohawks and two are yellow with brown stripes.


Now for my question -
Genetics confuse the heck out of me although I've read everything I can. I would not presume to characterize my flock with breed names so what does that mean for the future of my flock? Will the hens continue to lay eggs? Will the roos continue to fertilize eggs? Will I end up with so mutated a hen that she will no longer lay at some point? The current flock of ten hens lays from 7 to 10 eggs per day so are very prolific currently.

Thoughts?

 

[draye]

I believe that good layers come from good layers. I have heard though the the laying trait somes from the roosters side (his mother). I don't know how true this is.

They should be good layers if you are getting 7 to 10 eggs per day.

 

[CumberlandView]

Thank you for your reply. I agree that the hens I currently have are very good layers.

My question wasn't clear so let me try again - if I continue to let the chickens raise the multi-breed flocks, will there be a point in some future generation where the hens may not lay? I suspect our forefathers raised chickens this very way - inter-mixed breeds - but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Old Rando]

Chickens have been raised like this for the last eight thousand years or so and still are over much of the world. Genetic diversity is a good thing. Most breeds are developments of the last couple of hundred years, most much much less then this. Enjoy your flock they will be productive for the rest of your life. Egg production qualities are inherited from both parents as are most things.

 

[farmer boy]

there are a lot of breeds these days that have a bunch of different breeds in them to make that breed like australorps i raise those only hens but to make them there were like i think 5 breeds put into it to make the australorps so most pure bred breeds these days were made from cross breeding

 

[CumberlandView]

Thank you, Old Rando! I suspected as much but since I want this flock to outlive me, I needed to make sure I'm on the right track. I'm new at raising chicks. My very first hen-hatched brood is below - they were two days old in the photo.

Thank you, farmer boy - you are certainly correct. Appreciate you pointing this out.

 

[farmer boy]

i have mostly pure bred but the rooster is different breed then them but i have pairs to like silkies they are really good to go broody and hatch chicks same as australorps

 

[SD Bird Lady]

Genetic variety will actually make you chickens stronger. Especially if you don't hatch eggs from weak chickens (cross beak, sour crop, lazy layers). If you are worried about inbreeding simply get a new rooster ever 3 years or so to keep the genetics varied.

 

[CumberlandView]

Thanks, farmer boy. I think the hen who hatched this brood is an Araucana because she lays a green egg. I've heard Silkies and Australorps make good mamas too. I am so happy I have a broody in this group.

Thank you, SD bird lady - Good point. Just getting a new roo would add new blood. The two roos I have aren't currently related to any of my hens but of course that changes now with the little fuzzies running around. I could watch them for hours.

 

[farmer boy]

i had the same hen go broody 2 times in the summertime and she is a crazy mother lol she attacked my dogs me everything ... australorps are really good layers to i am gonna try to cross breed australorps with my silkies