Hatchery shortage, so I get random extra breeds...

[BYCforlife]

I got a call from the hatchery yesterday telling me that my order for 25 Cuckoo Marans would not be completed. Even though I called and booked chicks 2 months ago, they chose to call me about the shortage of 12 chicks. So, now I'm getting 13 Cuckoo Marans, 3 Blue Cochins, 4 Buff Orpingtons, and 5 black Australorps.

Although I'm not terribly pleased about this happening, are there any nice looking crosses I can do with these breeds? Here's a list of all the breeds I will/already have.

White Silkies
Buff Orpingtons
Barred Plymouth Rocks
Columbian Rocks
Blue Cochins
Cuckoo Marans
Black Australorps

 

[Gray Farms]

Buff Orp rooster over your Cuckoo Marans, Barred Rock, and Columbian Rock hen will make Sexlinks.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

A barred or cuckoo male over a blue hen will produce 50% blue barred

Buffs often produce some really nice looking, although not predictable, crosses with many other breeds... the buff x Austrlorp is one that I would try.

 

[BYCforlife]

Buff Orp rooster over your Cuckoo Marans, Barred Rock, and Columbian Rock hen will make Sexlinks.

Great to know, thanks!

 

[BYCforlife]

A barred or cuckoo male over a blue hen will produce 50% blue barred

Buffs often produce some really nice looking, although not predictable, crosses with many other breeds... the buff x Austrlorp is one that I would try.

I'll definitely try that! Very cool!

 

[Amer]

I found a curious potential for sexlinks in this group of chickens.

White Silkie crossed with anything would be interesting. You honestly don't know what you'll get. But you do know that they will have crests and five toes. A Silkie rooster crossed with anything except the black Australorps will give you sexlinks, girls with black skin and legs, boys without. Done the other way you get all white skin.

Buff Orpington Sexlinks! Everywhere! In order to get a sexlinked cross from this one, breed a buff Orpington rooster with a columbian hen. This will give you buff female chicks and golden male chicks. However, the down on the males appears to be silver.

Barred Plymouth Rocks
Basically you can breed a barred female with any bird on the list except Marans and get sexlinks.
Columbian Rocks
I already showed the potential with buff Orpingtons.

Blue Cochins
Rocks crossed with blue Cochins will give you 50 percent blue barred chicks, if that interests you. You can even get blue barred sexlinks if you have Rock as the cock. This will also work with Marans if you don't have a Rock rooster. Either or. Feathered legs.

Cuckoo Marans
Same potential as Rocks. A female crossed with anything except for the Rocks will give you sexlinks. With a fun bonus of darker shelled eggs, of course.

Black Australorps
More sexlinks! A black Australorp cock crossed with any breed except for Silkies will give you pullets with slate legs and cocks with white legs. However, this does not guarantee that this leg color will be present at hatch.


Welp, have fun trying to make sex-linked chickens!