Jamey Michaela
In the Brooder
- Jun 13, 2023
- 5
- 10
- 21
Hi there,
I hatched some eggs from Commercial Brown/Red hybrid hens crossed with a Rhode Island Red cockerel last year and not only did I notice that all pullets were mainly white (with smudges of red) whereas the one cockerel I got was mainly red with smudges of white, it was also a fact that 5 out of 6 chicks were pullets.
This year I've hatched eggs different commercial red/brown hen crossed with that cockerel and another from (unidentified silver carrying white egg laying hen) X same RIR cockerel. Again, out of 10 chicks, 8 were pullets and most mainly white with red/brown smudging.
I'm going interested to know if anyone knows how you get the red and white together. I'm assuming it's dominant white and with the commercials, there was no black for it to replace, but when crossed with the RIR, anything that would have been black, became white. I have noticed that the one that is red and black speckled, has no white, so that's further evidence. They look pretty cool. I like these crossbreds as the progeny are more identifiable as individuals. They're totally going to have to have names now!
Also, if anyone has any ideas what breed the white egg laying white (silver) hen might have been, I'd be really keen to hear. It was a good layer apparently. The guy who owned it said it was a white leghorn, but that is impossible as when crossed with the Rhode Island Red cockerel, there were three black chicks (two dead and assumed pullets and one pullet) plus a silver cockerel, with small amounts of black. Also, it didn't have the leghorn tail and it's eggs were smaller than a leghorn and glossy, rather than the matt chalky texture of a leghorn egg. I've potentially got it's granddaughters, though none of them are silver which would have been a way to know for sure.
I have noticed also, that silver chicks hatch out white as opposed to yellow. Is this a thing or my imagination?!
I hatched some eggs from Commercial Brown/Red hybrid hens crossed with a Rhode Island Red cockerel last year and not only did I notice that all pullets were mainly white (with smudges of red) whereas the one cockerel I got was mainly red with smudges of white, it was also a fact that 5 out of 6 chicks were pullets.
This year I've hatched eggs different commercial red/brown hen crossed with that cockerel and another from (unidentified silver carrying white egg laying hen) X same RIR cockerel. Again, out of 10 chicks, 8 were pullets and most mainly white with red/brown smudging.
I'm going interested to know if anyone knows how you get the red and white together. I'm assuming it's dominant white and with the commercials, there was no black for it to replace, but when crossed with the RIR, anything that would have been black, became white. I have noticed that the one that is red and black speckled, has no white, so that's further evidence. They look pretty cool. I like these crossbreds as the progeny are more identifiable as individuals. They're totally going to have to have names now!
Also, if anyone has any ideas what breed the white egg laying white (silver) hen might have been, I'd be really keen to hear. It was a good layer apparently. The guy who owned it said it was a white leghorn, but that is impossible as when crossed with the Rhode Island Red cockerel, there were three black chicks (two dead and assumed pullets and one pullet) plus a silver cockerel, with small amounts of black. Also, it didn't have the leghorn tail and it's eggs were smaller than a leghorn and glossy, rather than the matt chalky texture of a leghorn egg. I've potentially got it's granddaughters, though none of them are silver which would have been a way to know for sure.
I have noticed also, that silver chicks hatch out white as opposed to yellow. Is this a thing or my imagination?!