Wondering about a cross

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Shnookie
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Wondering about a cross

Post by Shnookie » Tue Jun 12, 2018 11:16 pm

I kept this Basque rooster from last year's hatch because I like the way he looks and because he is a good size. He is a bit of a jerk, but I was wondering what kind of a fun cross I could make with him. I considered using white leghorns. Any suggestions?
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windwalkingwolf
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Re: Wondering about a cross

Post by windwalkingwolf » Wed Jun 13, 2018 12:42 am

If you put him over white leghorn hens, 99% of the chicks will be pure white, and look like leghorns, except maybe with some pink spots in their earlobes. The other 1 % will be white with the odd dark mark here or there, and look like leghorns, with the same possible pink spots in earlobes. White Leghorns are actually silver (dominant white) as is your rooster, I suspect, and given a chance, dominant white covers all colours and patterns. Also, Leghorn "type" (body shape) and size are pretty stable genetic traits, and will pass to almost all first generation chicks. The white earlobes of leghorns are also dominant and can pass down to offspring for several generations. All offspring will lay ivory or beige eggs. Upshot is, the offspring will we great layers, but if you're looking for fun colours or more like dad there, you're not going to get it. Not really fun at all! No, you can do much better!
Do you have other hens?
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Re: Wondering about a cross

Post by kenya » Wed Jun 13, 2018 6:51 am

Try an ameraucana for some easter eggers.
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Re: Wondering about a cross

Post by Shnookie » Wed Jun 13, 2018 11:34 am

I had him with a couple of older basque hens in the early spring - one normal color and the other my only speckled one. It was too early I think (natural light) only a couple were fertile, plus he was kind of mean to them, and me, so I took him out. I have blue Ameraucana hens. Would all the chicks be solid color?
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Re: Wondering about a cross

Post by kenya » Wed Jun 13, 2018 4:18 pm

Lifes a bunch of coconuts I don't know what you will get. I crossed my exchequer leghorn rooster with a blue wheaten ameraucana and all the chicks were blue. That surprised me. The wheaten hen is mostly wheaten with just a little blue in the tail.
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Re: Wondering about a cross

Post by kenya » Wed Jun 13, 2018 4:20 pm

Hes a nice looking rooster I like his colouring better than the usual colour.
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Re: Wondering about a cross

Post by Shnookie » Thu Jun 14, 2018 1:23 pm

I have another one that's similar coloring but smaller. There's a bit of light gold barring in some places.
There are some red commercial hens for sale in the area right now. I would like something that is not just pretty but is dual purpose. I have never bought live birds because I don't really have a good place to quarantine them, but I might be able to find somewhere to keep 3 hens.
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Re: Wondering about a cross

Post by kenya » Thu Jun 14, 2018 4:24 pm

Might be a pretty cross
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Re: Wondering about a cross

Post by windwalkingwolf » Thu Jun 14, 2018 6:23 pm

Red sexlinks are a great choice if you want a little colour and variability in the chicks! They hide all sorts of surprises. It's hard to breed good size using them, but the first generation mix will be respectable meals nonetheless.
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Re: Wondering about a cross

Post by WLLady » Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:28 am

so....just about anything that you cross with him will result in kids with barring....all the kids. if mom is gold based (and i think he is gold because you said gold flecks) then kids will likely be gold based and barred. if mom is silver (and dad is gold) then kids will likely be lighter yellow (lemon) and barred. your best bet for massive amounts of colour/pattern differences is to put him with several different girls of all different breeds, and then keep the kids and then cross the kids. then you'll get pretty much everything under the sun.

him over a red sexlinked will likely give barred red/gold offspring.....but then if you cross the kids you can and will get everything from solid black through barred reds and yellows and oranges.....no blue unless you breed it in somewhere....
if you cross him to blue hen you'll likely get all blue or black barred birds....first generation....then barred and unbarred in second generation.
so your big colour/pattern thing is a 2 year project pretty much regardless of what you put him with.
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:giraffe: Pet quality wheaten/blue wheaten ameraucanas, welsummers, barred rocks, light brown leghorns; Projects on the go: rhodebars, welbars

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