Bantam and Standard Chicken Interbreeding

[maddiecakes]

Would breeding a bantam rooster with a standard hen work? If it did work, would the chicks have health issues like muscular and skeletal problems? I don't plan to do a standard x bantam cross at least not intentionally but I am keeping Silver Duckwing Old English bantam roosters and hens together with several varieties of Leghorn hens (White and Silver) and Old English bantams sometimes go broody. If one of my bantam roosters were to breed one of my White Leghorn or Silver Leghorn hens and one of my Old English bantam hens were to go broody and hatch them, would they have health complications? Should I separate them to prevent them from interbreeding by accident?

 

[sourland]

Bantam roosters , if they can make contact, breeding standard sized hens results in perfectly healthy mid sized chickens. Chickens are chickens - bantam or standard have the same chromosome numbers. The problem may be that the bantam roosters are unable to make cloacal contact with full sized hens.

 

[maddiecakes]

Bantam roosters , if they can make contact, breeding standard sized hens results in perfectly healthy mid sized chickens. Chickens are chickens - bantam or standard have the same chromosome numbers. The problem may be that the bantam roosters are unable to make cloacal contact with full sized hens.

I was aware they have the same number of chromosomes. I just assumed it was similar to breeding dogs. Like obviously a chihuahua couldn't breed a great dane naturally and if you were to do artificial insemination to breed a chihuahua to a great dane, if the puppies are born they would have health problems. I assumed it would be the same with chickens.

 

[sourland]

if you were to do artificial insemination to breed a chihuahua to a great dane, if the puppies are born they would have health problems.

In reality they would probably not have health issues. Look at all the new 'designer breeds' - starting with all of the 'goldendoodle' variations. Neighbor across the street had a rat terrier bitch accidentally bred by his Australian shepherd - 4 times her size. Pups were placed around the neighborhood and are doing well at 12+ years of age. Do a computer search on 'hybrid vigor'.

 

[Logar]

I was aware they have the same number of chromosomes. I just assumed it was similar to breeding dogs. Like obviously a chihuahua couldn't breed a great dane naturally and if you were to do artificial insemination to breed a chihuahua to a great dane, if the puppies are born they would have health problems. I assumed it would be the same with chickens.

But that really isn’t a great comparison. A Great Dane can be upwards of 30x the size of a chihuahua. A bantam roo is going to be 2-3 pounds on average and a standard hen is around 4-8. That is a lot smaller of a difference.

 

[maddiecakes]

But that really isn’t a great comparison. A Great Dane can be upwards of 30x the size of a chihuahua. A bantam roo is going to be 2-3 pounds on average and a standard hen is around 4-8. That is a lot smaller of a difference.

So I'm fine keeping them together then and in the off chance one of my bantam roosters breed my leghorn hens and a broody hen hatches them, the chicks would be healthy?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

So I'm fine keeping them together then and in the off chance one of my bantam roosters breed my leghorn hens and a broody hen hatches them, the chicks would be healthy?

Most likely

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I’ve found that bantam roosters usually breed full-sized hens fine. The reverse is also true, unless you’re talking about a king-sized rooster like an oriental gamefowl. Sometimes the claws of a big rooster hurt a bantam hen.