Performance of Rhode Island Reds and Light Sussex as Compared with That of Their F1 and Three-Way Crossbreds

THE relative merits of crossbreeding between different breeds and varieties of chickens and in crossbreeding between different lines of inbreds as methods of increasing egg production have created considerable interest in recent years. Much has been written about incrossbreeding, but crossbreeding, the easier and less costly method of breeding, has not been fully evaluated. Although many reports have been published on crossbreeding the data are at variance. This is to be expected when it is considered that certain breed crosses are better than others, and that the level of production of the parental stock used in the cross has its influence also. Several reviews of existing literature on the subject have been published. Particular attention is called to Knox and Olsen (1938), Knox (1939), and Knox, Quinn, and Godfrey (1943). An interesting article on crossbreeding has been published recently in Brazil by Jardim and Bergamin (1947). This article indicates that . . .