Trying to decide which way to take this...

[SkyWarrior]

After having several chickens of various breeds, I'm really not sure if one purebred breed suits me. I like being able to pop eggs in the incubator and hatch them, which means I have several mutt chickens.

I have brown egg layers, blue and green egg layers and chocolate egg layers. I'd like to keep the blue and green eggs as well as the chocolate eggs. If I were to cross a BR with the EE, what would it do to the egg color? Lately, most of my EEs are now with Vader, my huge EE rooster, but there is still one chicken in the main pen.

I have five of purebred Barnvelders that I'll be breeding with Barnvelder, but I also have a few feather-legged cuckoo marans roos there.

My question is does it really matter that I will have mutt chickens? I'm not showing them and any chickens that I sell will be called what they are: mixed.

Thoughts? Opinions? Do others have mutt chickens? Do they lay well?

 

[Citron_d'uccle]

We have purebreed chickens as well as mixed breeds. I think a lot of people have mixed breeds as well. I am not sure about egg color. I own some Barnevelders as well that I will be crossing with BB Red American Games, just to see what the outcome produces. If you are interested in trading or the like I am looking for a few more Barnevelders.

 

[galanie]

No, it matters not a bit if you have mutts. Plenty of people prefer their mutts and love them dearly. Most likely they will all lay great and it will be fun to see what color eggs you end up with.

 

[JodyJo]

sounds fun and exciting! mutts have a bad rap huh? I would wonder what they would turn out to be also, sounds like a great time to me!
Breed away! Keep us updated on what you get!

 

[SkyWarrior]

Citron_d'uccle :

We have purebreed chickens as well as mixed breeds. I think a lot of people have mixed breeds as well. I am not sure about egg color. I own some Barnevelders as well that I will be crossing with BB Red American Games, just to see what the outcome produces. If you are interested in trading or the like I am looking for a few more Barnevelders.

I'd be happy to trade eggs, once the girls start laying. What do you have that I could incubate and have fun with? I'd do a trade of 8-12 eggs for 8 or so, if that sounds fair. The girls are (thinks a moment) 4-5 months. So, they should be laying in the next month or so. I figure after the first few pullet eggs, we should have some nice dark eggs.

Right now, I have both Barnvelder roos and Feather Legged Cuckoo Marans roos with the girls. I'll be doing some moving birds around, so if you want purebred, I can eventually do it.​

 

[Kountreefok]

Cool you posted since I've been having similar ponderances this season.
I LOVE our mixed breeding flock but have decided to make some breeding pens next season for EE's and dark egg layers as a matter of preference. I'll probably also mix some/some more (don't have dark layers...yet

) of each in with the mixed as well figuring, we'll end up with some olive eggers and more interesting eggs as things progress. I have seen some changes in egg color in our mixed run younguns from asst. LF roos over EE's.
Keep us posted. Have fun and good luck!
Hmmm....egg trading...maybe we could chat come spring?

Where in MT are you? I'm in MN, and built to stay that way, but transplanted from Paradise, MT--in the Clark Fork River valley--about 50 odd miles WNW of Missoula.

 

[chicmom]

I'm not sure about egg colors and such, but as far as your flock goes, if you like mutts, then mutts are the best!

I like different looks and different colored feathers.....So I've got lots of variety. I've never hatched any of my eggs though......I've got so many different colored breeds. Black, lavender, cream with spots, white, dark brown, buff, buff splash, barred......I just love colors! Soooo, if you like mutts, then you should just enjoy them!

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
Sure, keep me in mind. I'm near Missoula (southeast of the city). I know where Paradise is.

 

[Citron_d'uccle]

I have some BB Red American Game eggs that are about to hatch, we have some Barred Rock/RIR (black sex link) eggs, as well as RIR/Delaware (Red Sex Link) eggs and we should have some Speckled Sussex eggs soon. Let me know.

 

[Azriel]

If you like mixed chickens, then go for it, right now I have purebreds, but several diff. breeds. I am going to keep my wheaten/blue wheaten Ameraucana by themselfs, and I have a project planned for next year, but I also like the mix of colors. I love my lavender, blue, buff orps, I also love my SLW, production reds, BR, wheaten and cuckoo marans, welsummer, and EE. I only have a few of each, but I love seeing the diff. colors, and could watch them for hours. I love my EE roo, and he wil be with the main laying flock, so if I hatch any of those eggs who know what i'll get. I would love some that would lay a sage colored egg.