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Geez, Jbolt - the gamey one has so much color! But that big roo in the second pic has so much better body type! And that's a nice hen, too . . . . looks like you have a nice little flock starting up there!
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Essentially that is what I am doing. I have Exchequer Leghorn pullets and a German New Hampshire Cock bird. The plan is to hatch out their eggs in the spring, which will result in offspring that are dull to look at but will have yellow legs (per both parents), larger size than the leghorns (per the cock bird), and the gene for speckling (per the Exchequers).Has anyone introduced any heavy red birds into the project….
….Then intoduce birds with a speckled pattern, is it possible?
And, the beauty of HEChicken's project, is regardless of looks, the German New Hampshire is a terrific farm chicken. Exchequer Leghorns, while small, are wonderful reliable layers. The combo should produce larger chickens than Exchequers that are very productive layers.Essentially that is what I am doing. I have Exchequer Leghorn pullets and a German New Hampshire Cock bird. The plan is to hatch out their eggs in the spring, which will result in offspring that are dull to look at but will have yellow legs (per both parents), larger size than the leghorns (per the cock bird), and the gene for speckling (per the Exchequers).
The NEXT generation will (hopefully) produce some birds that have good size and type, yellow legs and speckling and the goal then will be to pick out the ones that have color vs. the black/white of the original mothers.
Note: The rooster shown in these pics (who is the spitting image of his Dad, "Raymond's Roo") carries Barring. So does the larger black and white hen in the left front corner of these pics. To keep barring from being dominant, pen the white-tailed roo (with barring) with your brown and white hens with no barring. Take the other rooster (the one you describe as being "chestnut color") and keep him with any hens that show Barring. (I think I see two hens with Barring, put those girls with him.)Sommer I took these pics today. I kept 7 of the 30+ you sent me. 2 roos and 5 pullets. The pullets have been laying for a couple weeks now. They lay an egg every day, a couple are tan and a couple are light brown. The eggs are getting bigger as the days go by.
Here are the two roos I kept. The one in front is my favorite, love the pumpkin color and all the white in his tail. He is getting big! The roo behind him is more of a chestnut color with more black in his tail, back and wing than white, and he is a good size as well and yellow legs/feet. They are turning out to be great roosters.
Here is all seven of them. I was thinking the three pullets in front have more of a mille fleur coloring and pattern.
I'm loving how they are turning out. I also have a lemon cuckoo orpington roo in with them. He is a BIIIIGGGGG BOY.
I'm excited to see what hatches from this flock.
Sommer do you have any suggestions? What do you think about these birds. Sorry the pics are not any better. Hoping to get a new camera at christmas.