Which chickens do YOU think I should breed?

[britesidefarm]

We have a total of 8 laying hens a few years of age that vary in breeds, and a few more pullets that will start laying in a few weeks. Let’s start with the Black Minorca:

PR:

Smooth Feathered Frizzle Cochin:

Silkie x Polish/Leghorn:

Wyandotte x Polish/Leghorn:

Wyandotte/Polish/Leghorn x Polish/Leghorn:

PR x Polish/Leghorn:

(hasn’t laid in a while)
Ameracauna:

PULLETS
Wyandotte:

Wyandotte:

EE:

PR x Polish/Leghorn:

Sebright:

Sebright:

Frizzle Cochin:

Frizzle Cochin:

Frizzle Cochin x Polish/Leghorn:

ROOSTERS/COCKERELS

Polish x Leghorn (father of all polish/Leghorn crosses)

Sebright x ?:

EE:

EE:

Frizzle Cochin:

Silkie/Polish/Leghorn x Polish/Leghorn:

Silkie/Polish/Leghorn x Polish/Leghorn:

Frizzle cochin x Polish/Leghorn:

Sebright:

We also will not be able to keep all the chicks from these guys this year so if you live in WA and want some, you can have some.

 

[britesidefarm]

What are you trying to accomplish - what are your goals ?

I’m mainly looking for an assortment of different egg colors, for fun, and for show.

 

[britesidefarm]

I like your birds and the mixes, some of which are really cute.

You have a LOT of starting breeds - I can count Silkies, Leghorns, frizzle Cochins, Ameraucana/Easter Egger, Sebright, Polish.

Of the breeds, I would not attempt to mix the Sebrights. They are a product of strong breeding to maintain the lacing.

The Polish/Leghorn occasionally Silkie mixes that you have already done are interesting. Maybe you could select the colors and temperaments and eggs that you like and put the best ones together. Would work with the existing mixes.

You could maybe do something with them and the Easter Eggers? Easter Eggers are a mix already. Of course, always understand that the results are mutts or hybrids and aren’t suitable for show. You could try to create something interesting, but breeding true is the difficulty.

Frizzle Cochins? They’re cute, and are probably nice birds, but I don’t know how I would put them in with the other groups. Maybe let them brood the eggs from the others?

Do you use a spreadsheet and leg (or wing) bands to keep track of everybirdy?

For show you want to breed pure bred birds - your Sebrights for example.

Thank you! I was already planning to breed my Sebrights together and the black frizzle/smooth cochin’s together. I just want to see how cool some of these guys’d mixes would be . All my chickens have names and even though it looks like a lot, I somehow recognize all of them

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Your birds are beautiful and you have some very interesting mixes.

 

[black_cat]

I vote that you do sebrightxfrizzle cochin and sebrightxEE, based purely on the looks of both breeds.

 

[sourland]

For show you want to breed pure bred birds - your Sebrights for example, but I don't see any silver hens.

 

[britesidefarm]

I would at that you should keep all (or most idk how many you’re wanting to keep) pullets and then one or all easter egger roosters. This will get you the most exciting/different eggs and the chicks will be some fun colors. You wouldn’t be able to show any combos of this birds I think. I am also in Washington and breed pure ameraucanas so if you wanted all of the chicks to be easter eggers I could supply you with the proper rooster. Good luck!

edit: I just realized you could do sebrights. Are you planning on making multiple pens?

That’s a cool idea! Unfortunately we are very attached to our Polish x Leghorn roo and will be keeping him and two other roo’s, so I’m not sure about keeping an EE... perhaps in the futureI can get an Ameracauna from you!

I actually have two different coops/pensfor bantams and standard sizes, if that’s what you were wondering

 

[Jraba1315]

S

That’s a cool idea! Unfortunately we are very attached to our Polish x Leghorn roo and will be keeping him and two other roo’s, so I’m not sure about keeping an EE... perhaps in the futureI can get an Ameracauna from you!

I actually have two different coops/pensfor bantams and standard sizes, if that’s what you were wondering

sounds good. Just let me know. This is a pic of one of our ameraucana roosters that would be the dad of any roo you got for us

 

[britesidefarm]

S

sounds good. Just let me know. This is a pic of one of our ameraucana roosters that would be the dad of any roo you got for us

He is gorgeous!

 

[britesidefarm]

With as many breeds and mixes as you have, I would recommend building at least two or three more breeding coops. Do you have room and access to some building materials?

That way you could have:

1) Sebrights together
2) Bantam Cochins together
3) Polish/Leghorn with LF hen(s) you want to mix
4) Silkie/Polish/Leghorn with LF hens of your choice. You would need to choose between the black spangled rooster or the light buff rooster.
5) Easter Eggers or Ameraucana with Easter Eggers.

You can have multiple hens with the desired rooster, but the only way to tell who the mother of the chicks is would be to do trapnesting (using an incubator) or to have hens that each lay a different color of egg (you could either let a broody hen set a clutch or put them in an incubator) in with the rooster.

It’s a lot to keep track of !

Thank you for your input. I don’t have any more room on my property, but all our chickens are free ranged so I’m not too worried about running out of space for them. When I do breed specific roosters with specific hens, I put them in a small area (not technically a coop per-say) away from any other roo’s. I’ve been using incubators for a while and I know how to work those pretty well. Somehow, I know exactly which hen lays which egg, and I have no idea how