I'm going to incubate in about a week, but before I get to it...

[Fwoof]

...do large breeds and bantams successfully breed with one another? (Don't worry, the roo is the bantam, I would never do otherwise to my poor little hens!)
I do know they CAN make a chick, but is it likely the chick inside will have health issues and/or deformities?
I want to be as educated on raising bantam/large breed chicks as possible before I start.

 

[SilverBirds]

No, standard and bantam breeds can produce healthy chicks both way.

 

[Ridgerunner]

is it likely the chick inside will have health issues and/or deformities?

Problems are no more likely than with any chick. Even if you went the other direction the amount of nutrients in the egg would limit how big it can grow, it would not get too big for the egg shell. Genetics will limit the final size.

 

[Fwoof]

No, standard and bantam breeds can produce healthy chicks both way.

Problems are no more likely than with any chick. Even if you went the other direction the amount of nutrients in the egg would limit how big it can grow, it would not get too big for the egg shell. Genetics will limit the final size.

Thank you for the info! Very much appreciated.

 

[Fwoof]

And one more question...

What size are the offspring likely to be? The same size as the mother, or halfway between the mother and the father?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Somewhere between the mother and father. It could be halfway, it could be closer to one or the other. It depends on how the genetics go together.

 

[Fwoof]

Somewhere between the mother and father. It could be halfway, it could be closer to one or the other. It depends on how the genetics go together.

Got it. Thank you!