breed mixtures! what do you think will be the most interesting?

[my21chickens]

hello! im hatching some chicks this year and I was wonder about yalls opinions on what would be the best mixes! my rooster is quarter black australorp, quarter easter egger, and half light brahma.
the hens I have are:
-buff orpington
-black australorp
-gold sex link
-silver laced Wyandotte
-easter egger
-polish
-mixes
-black copper marans
(I'm probably forgetting some lol)

what do you think will have interesting colors, best egg production/egg color, best temperament, etc??

 

[Noraaaaa]

I think mixing it with a polish would be an interesting color and shape! A maran and the rooster would be interesting as well! For best egg production, I would think if it were bred with an Orpington or Austrolorp, that would be good. And I think Orpington or Wyandotte would be great temperament!

 

[Altairsky]

Mutt x mutt brings up the most interesting surprises. So I'd say easter egger.

 

[Ridgerunner]

hello! im hatching some chicks this year and I was wonder about yalls opinions on what would be the best mixes! my rooster is quarter black australorp, quarter easter egger, and half light brahma.
the hens I have are:
-buff orpington
-black australorp
-gold sex link
-silver laced Wyandotte
-easter egger
-polish
-mixes
-black copper marans
(I'm probably forgetting some lol)

what do you think will have interesting colors

With that kind of mix for the rooster I don't know what genetics he actually brings to the table. An Easter Egger could be anything so I really don't know. He will have silver, columbian, and rose comb from the Light Brahma but he may not always pass those genes down as he might be split for them. He is Forrest Gump's box of chocolates. You have no idea what you will get until you try it.

Red and buff hens have less dominant genetics than black hens so more different things could show up. Solid white hens may or may not have dominant white genetics. The white on your Silver Laced Wyandotte is from Silver, not a " solid white" gene.

I don't know what colors you would find more interesting, there are personal preference involved there. But I'd consider the red or buff as more likely to give you a variety.

best egg production/egg color,

To get pullets with good egg production breed him to the hens that produce the best. That part is easy. Since he doesn't lay eggs you have no idea what he is contributing to egg production so you have to go by the hens.

As for egg color, an Australorp or Light Brahma should lay brown eggs. You don't know what an EE would contribute. He may or may not have the blue eggshell gene. He may or may not have brown eggshell genetics. For eggshell color all you can go by is the color of the eggs the hens lay.

best temperament, etc??

This one is even more nebulous than the others. Really hard to respond to since personality is not really a breed thing but is an individual chicken thing. If a hen is disrupting the peace of the flock don't hatch her eggs. It may or may not be genetic. If a hen has a deformity (crossed beak or crooked toes for example) do not hatch her eggs. Do not enhance deformity in your flock by breeding for it.

The bottom line. Hatch eggs from the hens you most want in your flock. Do not hatch eggs from hens you would rather not have in your flock. We all have different personal preferences. Your personal preferences are what are important to you, not mine. It is up to you to choose.

Good luck!

 

[my21chickens]

thank you all!! cant wait to hatch them this year!