What gender is this? And, what should I breed it with?

[JadeFarms]

This is Westie. It is a silkie. I think it’s a boy, what do you think?

If it is a boy, should I breed it which should I breed it with?

Mystery, my New Hampshire Red:

Or Wildfire my Rhode Island Red:

 

[Sing Brightly Bantams]

Yes, your Silkie is a cockerel. I am assuming that he is the same age as the other two birds pictured.

 

[JadeFarms]

Yes, your Silkie is a cockerel.

What should I breed him with?

 

[Sing Brightly Bantams]

What should I breed him with?

That depends on what your goals are. Do you want offspring simply for fun, or are you striving to breed a better flock? If you want better quality birds, I would suggest evaluating the two pullets once they are breeding age and choosing the one that displays the best health, structure, and rate of lay. I personally would look for a wide, flat back; legs set well apart; a clean, bright face and a head of good size; and lustrous, intact feathers. Good layers may denigrate in feather quality towards the end of their moults, but pullets should have decent feathering no matter their production rates.

 

[JadeFarms]

That depends on what your goals are. Do you want offspring simply for fun, or are you striving to breed a better flock? If you want better quality birds, I would suggest evaluating the two pullets once they are breeding age and choosing the one that displays the best health, structure, and rate of lay. I personally would look for a wide, flat back; legs set well apart; a clean, bright face and a head of good size; and lustrous, intact feathers. Good layers may denigrate in feather quality towards the end of their moults, but pullets should have decent feathering no matter their production rates.

Well, they are not too old. So far, they are both super healthy. The only thing is that the RIR is super small.

 

[Sing Brightly Bantams]

Well, they are not too old. So far, they are both super healthy. The only thing is that the RIR is super small.

Again, whether that matters is heavily dependent on what you want in your flock. As long as she does not remain stunted and still has appropriate proportions, I would not strike her off of the list just yet. Some birds, particularly breeder lines, take a long time to mature. I prefer to wait until the birds are a year and a half old, but based off of the fact that you are breeding mutts, longevity and potential changes in feather colour are not going to matter to you, so decisions could be made earlier if you are impatient.

 

[Sing Brightly Bantams]

The Call of the Hen

Here is a link to an E-book with some descriptions of body types that indicate vigour and production. I found it useful. Whilst not 100% accurate in every case, it is certainly a helpful guideline for training your eye to evaluate how different birds stack up in relation to each other.