Crossbred

Crossbred chicken describes any bird produced from parents of different breeds, strains, or commercial lines. It is a management category rather than a breed name, so crossbred birds can vary widely in size, color, comb type, egg color, growth rate, and temperament. Many common laying hens and meat birds are planned crosses, while backyard crossbreds may simply come from a mixed flock where several breeds run together.

For owners, the main point is predictability. A first-generation planned cross can be very useful when the parent lines are known, but its chicks may not breed true. Buyers should ask what breeds or lines were used, what the birds were selected for, and whether the cross is meant for eggs, meat, brooding, climate tolerance, or general homestead use. Good records matter more than a romantic name when a flock is being improved over time.

Colors: Autosexing, Barred, Barred Gray and Black, Birchen, Black, Black and White, Black Breasted Lemon, Black Breasted Red, Black Copper, Black Mottled, Black Spangled, Black Tailed Red, Blue, Blue Brassy Back, Blue Breasted Red, Blue Golden Duckwing, Blue Mottled, Blue Silver Duckwing, Blue Spangled, Blue Wheaten, Brassy Back, Brown, Brown Red, Buff, Buff Black Tailed, Buff Columbian, Buff Laced, Chamois, Chocolate, Chocolate Mottled, Columbian, Cream, Crele, Cuckoo, Dark, Domino, Double Laced Blue, Double Laced Brown, Duckwing, Fawn, Fawn Red, Fawn Silver, Ginger Red, Gold, Golden, Golden Buff with Black Spangles, Golden Duckwing, Golden Laced, Golden Neck, Golden Penciled, Golden Spangled, Gold Laced, Gold Partridge, Gold Penciled, Gold Spangled, Gray, Grey, Kennhuhn, Laced, Lavender, Leached, Lemon Blue, Light, Mahogany, Mahogany Red, Mauve, Mille Fleur, Mottled, Paint, Partridge, Pearl, Pearled Canelo, Penciled, Pinto Lemon, Pinto Red, Porcelain, Pumpkin, Quail, Quail Silver, Red, Red Pyle, Rose Comb Red, Salmon, Self Blue, Silver, Silver Duckwing, Silver Gray, Silver Laced, Silver Partridge, Silver Penciled, Silver Spangled, Single Comb Red, Spangled, Speckled, Splash, Tolbunt, Various Colors and Patterns, Wheaten, Wheat Yellow, White, White Barred, White Black Tailed, White Crested Black, White with Black Barring, White with Black Hackle and Tail, White with Blue Hackle and Tail, Yellow, Zombie