should i try this project

[Chicks in VA]

so i have a OEGB and i will hopefully soon add Blue Cochins, Mille fleur, Buff brahmas but i also have a mutt rooster aka idk what he is and right now he is sick but he is recovering my OEGB is a rooster but i was wondering if i could have say my OEGB breed my Cochin and come out with a girl then breed to my other rooster do you think that would turn out good

 

[azurbanclucker]

Let me ask you a couple questions in return?

1. What are you hoping to accomplish with this cross breeding? By that, I mean are you trying to increase production (more eggs, more meat on a bird for food, etc), trying to develop a more hardy strain for your area, working on presentation (EG pretty birbs), etc?

2. If you have one sick bird right now, is it wise to try and breed him any time soon vs keep him isolated until he's fully recovered or ends up in freezer camp?

3. Have you looked into the traits of the birbs in question to know what kinds of results you MIGHT see based on genetics?

Once you can answer all of those questions for yourself and be comfortable with them, you'll have a good idea of what you're looking for and whether of nor your current flock can get you there. That will tell you whether or not you should or should not in general, and the overall condition of your birbs and any genetic traits they might pass on from this experiment will give you the rest, I'd think.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I agree with the above post. Think about your answers on that before you decide.

Simply because I prefer to select for strong, healthy individuals for my breeders, I would not breed a bird who was sick, whether they'd recovered or not, unless they had a trait that I desperately wanted to be passed on to a new generation and I had no other birds with that trait. Not knowing what your mixed breed rooster looks like, nor what your goals are with these crossings, I can't say whether it would be worth it in your case or not.

 

[Chicks in VA]

Let me ask you a couple questions in return?

1. What are you hoping to accomplish with this cross breeding? By that, I mean are you trying to increase production (more eggs, more meat on a bird for food, etc), trying to develop a more hardy strain for your area, working on presentation (EG pretty birbs), etc?

2. If you have one sick bird right now, is it wise to try and breed him any time soon vs keep him isolated until he's fully recovered or ends up in freezer camp?

3. Have you looked into the traits of the birbs in question to know what kinds of results you MIGHT see based on genetics?

Once you can answer all of those questions for yourself and be comfortable with them, you'll have a good idea of what you're looking for and whether of nor your current flock can get you there. That will tell you whether or not you should or should not in general, and the overall condition of your birbs and any genetic traits they might pass on from this experiment will give you the rest, I'd think.

1 i just want pretty and hardy birds
2 im not going to give my other birds his sickness thats just super dumb i dont want all my birds to get sick
3 no not yet

 

[azurbanclucker]

1 i just want pretty and hardy birds
2 im not going to give my other birds his sickness thats just super dumb i dont want all my birds to get sick
3 no not yet

OK cool. You know what you are looking for. Digging into their traits for #3 will give you an idea if those traits are in the birds you're thinking of, and help you decide whether you're going to be able to get there with the stock you have now. If those traits are there, go for it. If not, consider looking for birds with those traits to add to your flock for breeding.

My question in #2 was along the lines of "does he have a cold" kind of sickness or "is there something in his genetics that might get passed on if you breed him" kind of sickness. I was not implying you'd infect your flock. As a breeder (rabbits in my case), it's a question I would ask myself quite often when considering pairings. Genetics are important, and we want to select for the best traits we can when making decisions about breeding to avoid ugly defects down the line. It's like Ian Malcom said in Jurassic Park. Don't get so caught up in whether or not you CAN breed them successfully, that you lose sight of whether you SHOULD.

Ultimately it's up to you, but it seem slike you have some goals and as long as you put in the time to make sure you are choosing the best pairings to get you there, you should be good to go.

 

[Chicks in VA]

okay thanks my chicken has mites currently so i don't want to let him breed yet when he is better maybe since idk what he is i might not breed him
sorry for no pic but the sick one is not looking great right now and my camera is dead
also i know cochins are pretty hardy but not sure about my OEGB

here is my description of my sick chicken: yellow with black t ail some leg and feet floof
a little red tint on his back in some places he is a bantam he doesn't have a pea com and no rose com either he has white legs no muffs or tuffs any idea what he might be