Which hen to use?

Ideas for what? What's your goal? If you just want mutts, choose whatever you want. If you're eyeing a certain color or something, or perhaps another trait, . . .

 

Well Illia just said, it depends on what you are wanting. If you are looking for pure bred barred rocks breed her or if she really is too small you could maybe pick up another barred rock hen from somewhere. If you just have your chickens for eggs and dont care about the breeds, you could breed the rooster to the RIR hen and make more black sex links. (granted the rooster is a true barred rock and the hen is a true RIR) They are good layers. And they are sex linked so you would know right away if the chicks are pullets or roosters.

 

Actually, it really needs to be a RIR rooster over a barred rock hen to get black sex links. This cross produces sex link chicks because a barred hen can only pass the barring gene on to her sons, thus all male chicks will be barred and all female chicks will be "solid" (with some leakage). A barred rock rooster over a RIR hen will just give you barred chicks...both the males and females will be barred, you won't be able to tell them apart until the secondary sex characteristics (saddle/hackle feathers, bigger combs, sparring, crowing, etc) start to develop.

 

Oh my goodness i cant believe i got that backwards!!! What a brain fart!! Im acting like my polish hen.. dumb!! lol thanks for the catch AinaWGSD. Yes it does have to be a RIR rooster over a BR hen.