What do people think about hybrid or mixed breed chickens ?

[Illia]

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Yep, they're called "Olive Eggers" - There's a whole thread on them in the breeds section.

They'll lay neat olive green to deep dark olive green eggs, especially if you cross the offspring back to Marans again.

 

[chickened]

I am not sure on the name I guess it will be parts of the parentage names so people will know what they are getting. If they sell they will take care of themselves that way but to get them APA recognition that does take a long time and is still no guarantee they will make it.

I think that is a worthy goal for your son.

I will post some pictures in a day or two of the mixes I have that are adults. The one I really like is a show quality dark cornish on an australorp hen. She is all black and has black on lighter black lacing or maybe dark gray. Her feathering is perfect. The others are still juveniles.
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Very interesting....... What are you going to call your new breed ?

So, that's the key, getting them to breed true and then selling enough of them to ensure popularity to get in the standard ? I wonder how many chickens that is that you need to raise and sell.


My son is really set on achieving his goal (getting a new colored Ameraucana into the standard). The one breeder we got his prized show chickens from made a new color for a breed and I think he said he got it into the standard. A blue Millie Fleur D'uccle ? (I think?) And my son thought it was the coolest thing.


Glad to hear you are selling out of your chickens !

Can you post a pic ? I'm curious to see what they look like (or have you already?) Are the parent breeds pretty popular ?


Thanks,

 

[EM Squared Farms]

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I checked out the link. Very interesting looking chickens.

I think I'm going to ask my chicken judge friend about them.

And see if my little chicken expert son has ever heard of them. I'm sure he would enjoy seeing what they look like.

I can't wait for him to return home tonight (hopefully not too late so he can see all the hybrid pics, if not, then tomorrow).

So, is it a hybrid ? If so, what are the 2 parent breeds ?

 

[EM Squared Farms]

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Just curious, have you ever had one that you raised that is not NICE ?

We've found all our chickens we raised to be very sweet. Only the ones we got from someone else seem to be "attack roosters."

Thanks,

 

[EM Squared Farms]

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I'll definitely have my son read your post so he can have a better idea of what's ahead on that road.

We're hoping to run into that other breeder someday soon to talk to him a little more about it too.

I can't discourage him from having goals ! I think it's good that he's choosing something like that to try and accomplish. He's only 12 so hopefully in his lifetime, he can reach his goal.

These hybrids are interesting and all, but I was wondering, do people use separate breeding pens for them just as they would for a purebred pair ? Isolate the female for a month to ensure the paternity ? Or it something more along the lines of a couple free-ranging breeds and you can just tell which are the hybrid offspring ?

We don't have any more individual breed pens to dedicate to creating any hybrids. I don't think he has an interest in it.

He's set on his fascinating color patterns of the bantam Ameraucanas. I wonder if there are names for those color patterns. I wonder if he's going to cross the same parents again or some of their offspring. We'll see what he decides.

I would be a little hesitant to create any hybrids for fear they won't sell. We have our hands full selling all the pure bred chickens for now.

But it's been fun exploring this side of chickens. And many of you really seem to enjoy it, even all the pure bred/showing breeders. This was probably the most shocking discovery. I know our chicken judge friend raises certain breeds, but he is trying to get a new color into the breed, so I would assume he is using some hybrids to cross back to the parents. Will have to discuss more about it with him.

Thanks,

 

[EM Squared Farms]

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Ah, interesting ! Is that why this standard "Ameraucana" hen we had laid olive green eggs ? She's not a pure Ameraucana ? She was just one of our layers and we wanted her for more eggs to eat and sell (to eat).

I think I have a pic somewhere in one of our egg pics on the website.

 

[EM Squared Farms]

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We can't wait to see them !

Thanks !

Although I think those are 2 new breeds to me (no image comes to mind when I hear those breed names). Will have to research what those breeds look like (unless you have pics of the parents too ? that would be easier, but I can google image it: dark cornish and australorp)