Breeding a White Leghorn rooster with..?

[sealer39]

I’m trying to make up my mind for next year.
So I got back into chickens after a 5 year hiatus. Mainly for pets for my daughters and eggs for all of us. Plus I like chickens. Very long story short, I currently have these hens that are now just beginning to lay:
3 White Leghorns
3 Speckled Sussex
1 EE
1 Production Blue
and I ended up with a WL rooster named “Scruffy” that was supposed to be a pullet.

Concerns and Goals:
What I would like out of a batch of chicks (if I decide to hatch some) would be proficient layers of large eggs. I don’t care what color the chicks or eggs turn out to be.
With kids however, I discovered that chickens are a lot more fun if they can tell one from the other. How can you name a chicken when there are 6 of 8 that look just alike! And what good is a chicken if you can’t name it! Oh well, Dads can’t be perfect all the time.
From the little research I’ve done I found that if I cross my WL roo with any of the above hens I should get some descent (at least) layers. But, I think all the chicks will be white due to the dominant white of the WL roo.

Based on my concerns, my questions are:
Next year, should I try to breed him with anything other than my leghorn hens? Or should I just breed him with the Leghorns and buy some more pullets for a better overall variety. If you had my flock what would you do?

 

[Fishsticks06]

I’m trying to make up my mind for next year.
So I got back into chickens after a 5 year hiatus. Mainly for pets for my daughters and eggs for all of us. Plus I like chickens. Very long story short, I currently have these hens that are now just beginning to lay:
3 White Leghorns
3 Speckled Sussex
1 EE
1 Production Blue
and I ended up with a WL rooster named “Scruffy” that was supposed to be a pullet.
View attachment 1843090
Concerns and Goals:
What I would like out of a batch of chicks (if I decide to hatch some) would be proficient layers of large eggs. I don’t care what color the chicks or eggs turn out to be.
With kids however, I discovered that chickens are a lot more fun if they can tell one from the other. How can you name a chicken when there are 6 of 8 that look just alike! And what good is a chicken if you can’t name it! Oh well, Dads can’t be perfect all the time.
From the little research I’ve done I found that if I cross my WL roo with any of the above hens I should get some descent (at least) layers. But, I think all the chicks will be white due to the dominant white of the WL roo.

Based on my concerns, my questions are:
Next year, should I try to breed him with anything other than my leghorn hens? Or should I just breed him with the Leghorns and buy some more pullets for a better overall variety. If you had my flock what would you do?

I’d just have diversity, all of your hens should lay the around the same rate. Just collect a batch of eggs from one day or 2 and incubate them.

 

[wicket 07]

I need egg layers but I love the marans breed not great egg layers, so I decided to have two flocks. The egg layers are easter eggers, leghorns, and green whiting (these I have never had before) my grand kids sell their eggs all year and at the end of the of November they divide the money up between them for Christmas money. Layers will be around 25 hens and the marans 4 or 5 blue, black, splash marans hens and 1 roosters. The layers will also have marans roosters (because they are sweet) and these also be school hatch chicks in the spring. That my plan anyway we will see if I can stick to it.

 

[sealer39]

I think I’ve decided to separate the Leghorns but I’ve only got three hens to one rooster. He’s not aggressive with the girls so it might work out. I’ll keep the SS, EE and PB together. They get along better anyway. I’m now considering getting some Blue Ameraucanas to breed with them to make more EEs. I’ll probably change my mind ten more times before I decide though.

 

[nicalandia]

I think I’ve decided to separate the Leghorns but I’ve only got three hens to one rooster. He’s not aggressive with the girls so it might work out. I’ll keep the SS, EE and PB together. They get along better anyway. I’m now considering getting some Blue Ameraucanas to breed with them to make more EEs. I’ll probably change my mind ten more times before I decide though.

Any breed that you cross with that White Leghorn will end up being white and be a prolific egg layer.

I must say that you are very lucky as I am in need of a White Leghorn rooster to pair it with a few Isa White/Hyline w-36 egg layers I have.

 

[sealer39]

Well, I’ll let you borrow him for a couple months. I could use the sleep. He’s a crower! This morning he didn’t get started until 6:00am though.

 

[wicket 07]

Any breed that you cross with that White Leghorn will end up being white and be a prolific egg layer.

I must say that you are very lucky as I am in need of a White Leghorn rooster to pair it with a few Isa White/Hyline w-36 egg layers I have.

I am trying to hold mine down to 30. Just let 18 hens go but I have 14 juveniles that will move in next month, so I will be over again.

 

[Elsveta641]

The leghorn cross chicks will always be white, but should still be possible to tell apart. Each will get traits from the other parent like shape and posture that should help differentiate them. Like I had a Bresse roo (dominant white) over EE, Shamo, liege fighters and marans. All chicks were white but some were tall and sleek and some were short and fluffy. Easter Eggers are fantastic layers, I'd say leghorn, prod blue and ee are your best bet for egg production

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

From the little research I’ve done I found that if I cross my WL roo with any of the above hens I should get some descent (at least) layers. But, I think all the chicks will be white due to the dominant white of the WL roo.

Not entirely true. The speckled sussex crosses will be mostly red, similar to a red sex link. Depending on what your EE looks like, you could get some nice muffed crosses that are relatively colorful.

 

[Elsveta641]

The above comment reminds me, when crossed with a red, many of our half dominant white chicks had leakage in a columbian or random pattern (RIR/Bresse and LH/production red)