Which of these crossed with a Orpington cock will be the best layer?

[wordgirl]

I'm hoping this is the right place to post this...

We have one rooster – a Buff Orpington. I'm hoping that we'll be able to hatch a few eggs this spring, and was wondering which cross would lay the most eggs:

Buff Orpington x Buff Orpington
Buff Orpington x Australorp
Buff Orpington x Black Sex-Link
Buff Orpington x Gold Link
Buff Orpington x Barred Plymouth Rock

Should I just use our best layers?

Thank you!

 

[weaveagarden]

I am not a genetics expert, but I can tell you my experience with my 12 girls I have and those at my parents too.

Of all of those, the best egg layers have been any of them that have RIR in their breeding. And my Buff Orpington started about 2 weeks later, but is laying 6 eggs per week. The largest eggs seem to be coming from my mom's red sex links.

Based on that, I am going to say that the sex links are your best chance. But that said, none of those you mentioned are laying slouches. I think you should just have some fun, and make yourself a mixed bag of hatching eggs.

 

[PineappleMama]

One note is that the sex links from hatcheries are sometimes complicated mixed that may or may not breed true...
Probably won't matter a jot, but thought I'd throw that out there.

I wonder what beauties might crop up between the Orp and Barred though... hmmm...

 

[wordgirl]

Well, maybe I'll try one or two of each!

PineappleMama – what would the Orpington/Barred Rocks look like? They would be sex-linked, I think?

 

[speckledhen]

Many folks here on BYC have hatched eggs when I had my BR roo, Hawkeye, over Buff Orp hens. Cuban Longtails, jeaucamom, etc. all have had that cross. Orp over BR would be sexlinked, but BR over Orp would not be. The hen must be the barred one. Hope Tara doesn't mind me re-posting this pic, but here is one of Hawkeye's sons with a Buff Orp hen she has: