Broad Leys books for smallholders, homesteaders, poultry keepers and organic gardeners

Broad Leys Publishing - Poultry and Smallholding Books
specialists in books for smallholders, homesteaders, poultry keepers and organic gardeners


Poultry breeding
Breeding Crosses

Effect of Light
The System
Mating
Health and appearance
Feeding Breeders
Housing
Breeding Crosses

Hen and Chicks

Finally, what breeds can be crossed in order to produce first-cross chicks that can be identified as male or female at hatch?

There are essentially three types of cross: the gold/silver cross, the non-barred/barred cross, and the rate of feathering cross. They are indicated in the table.

Please note that reversing the cross does not work

Gold-Silver Cross
(Any gold male crossed with any silver female)
Male Female Chick
Rhode Island Red
Brown Leghorn
Buff Rock
Barnevelder
Brown Sussex
Buff Orpington
Indian Game
Buff Leghorn
Partridge Cochin
Partridge Wyandotte
Light Sussex
Silver Grey Dorking
Legbar
Light Brahma
Ancona
White Wyandotte
Males silvery white or cream, but may show smokiness in down. Females red or buff,usually lighter buff where Buff males are used.
Both sexes may show striping in plumage.

 

Non-barred-Barred Cross
Male Female Chick
Rhode Island Red
New Hampshire Red
Australorp
Croad Langshan
Black Leghorn
Light Sussex
Black Silkie
Black Wyandotte
Black Langshan
Black Cochin
Black Orpington (and all other black and coloured varieties, but not Blues, White Rock and White Leghorn).
Barred Plymouth Rock
Marans
Cuckoo Dumpy
Cuckoo Leghorn
Scots Grey
Males black except for white head spot. Females all black.

 

Feathering Cross
(Mediterranean males crossed with Heavy or Asiatic breeds)
Male Female Chick
Leghorns
Ancona
Andalusian
(and most other Mediterranean breeds)
Indian Game
Brahma
Malay
Langshan
Asil
Sumatra
(and most other Heavy or Asiatic breeds)
Wing feathers of females well developed. Those of males either short or not yet developed

 

Copyright © Katie Thear 2005