Not sure what our new chicks will look like.

[hungry hunter]

We noticed several weeks ago that our BO hen had gone broody. Of course she decided to do so in the one nesting box that all the hens use.
Since both my kids and I collect the eggs, I wasn't paying as good attention as I should at least one or two of the other hens kept laying in the box with our broody BO. After a week or so, my son noticed that she was sitting on a lot (20+) eggs,so I went out at night and candled the eggs and marked the ones that had chicks inside. She is sitting on 11 total.

So we have a Buff Orpington, an Australorp, and several gold sex-links that may have eggs under the broody. The rooster is a rose comb blue OEG bantam. I have no idea what the chicks will look like.

When I checked on the hen tonight, I noticed one egg had hatched and there was a well little chick, but then I left them alone and will check back tomorrow.

Any thoughts what a Blue OEG bantam and BO cross would look like? Or w/ an Australorp or gold sex-link?

I'll try and get some pics of the chick tomorrow. Hopefully, there will be more hatched by then.

 

[drumstick diva]

I have no idea what they will look like but, I bet Queen Misha will be along to answer you, he is very knowledgeable . .

 

[BantamFan4Life]

When crossing different breeds, it's really a guessing game what they will look like. If you search the cross breed on google images you may get an idea what they will look like.

 

[QueenMisha]

Ooh, those are going to be some very pretty crosses! Although I can't say I've ever heard of a "Rose comb" OEGB, I thought they only came in SC varieties.

Blue OEGB X BO: 50% Black and 50% Blue offspring. All will have lots of red-gold color leakage in the upper body, specifically the hackle, wing bow, and upper breast. This cross is always a very pretty combination.

Blue OEGB X BA: 50% Black and 50% Blue offspring.

Blue OEGB X RSL: 50% Black and 50% Blue offspring. All will have small amounts of red-gold leakage in the hackle and breast, with potential for small amounts of white leakage as well.

All offspring will be intermediate in size, and have a modified rose comb.

 

[hungry hunter]

Thanks for everyone's responses.

I'll try and get some pictures of the chick (or chicks, fingers-crossed) and a picture of the the roo if he'll stand still long enough for me to get a decent picture.

 

[hungry hunter]

Ooh, those are going to be some very pretty crosses! Although I can't say I've ever heard of a "Rose comb" OEGB, I thought they only came in SC varieties.

Blue OEGB X BO: 50% Black and 50% Blue offspring. All will have lots of red-gold color leakage in the upper body, specifically the hackle, wing bow, and upper breast. This cross is always a very pretty combination.

Blue OEGB X BA: 50% Black and 50% Blue offspring.

Blue OEGB X RSL: 50% Black and 50% Blue offspring. All will have small amounts of red-gold leakage in the hackle and breast, with potential for small amounts of white leakage as well.

All offspring will be intermediate in size, and have a modified rose comb.

After a little more research, I think my roo is just a rosecomb bantam, not a OEGB. I've been so confused on what that little guy is that I've called him all sorts of names - but looking at some recent pictures posted here, he looks like what others are calling a rosecomb bantam. I apologize for the mistake.

 

[hungry hunter]

First, he are some pics of dad, Little Joe.

It's hard to get a picture, since he won't be still...


Here's chick #1 Stormy (the kids have already named them)

and here's #2 Snowflake

 

[QueenMisha]

First, he are some pics of dad, Little Joe.

It's hard to get a picture, since he won't be still...


Here's chick #1 Stormy (the kids have already named them)

and here's #2 Snowflake

I'd say Little Joe is a hatchery quality Rosecomb, since he seems to be heterozygous (impure) for the actual gene that makes a rose comb (as in the type of comb, not the breed itself). The combs on those chicks are single - genetically impossible for a bird which is pure for rose comb to produce anything other than rose combed chicks. His comb shows signs of this too, you can see how it's a bit more lumpy and lopsided, as opposed to the cleaner, sleeker combs of a pure bird. Of course he's still Blue, so my above response applies - Blue is still Blue in any breed. Though I would expect lots of white in the earlobes of his chicks.

And this, now this is interesting. Snowflake doesn't fall into any of the predicated outcomes - meaning either A. Your hens are in some way genetically different from what I figured them to be, perhaps a mislabeled breed; or B. Little Joe happened to share a recessive trait with one of your hens. The color I'm seeing here looks a lot like Splash; but Splash can only occur when a Blue is breed to another Blue or a Splash. A second possibility is recessive white; however I'm seeing splotchiness in the chick down which is weird for recessive white. Actually, it looks a bit like the "paint" spots seen in birds with just one copy of dominant white, but that would have to be present in the parents. Come to think of if, Red Sex Link hens do have the potential to carry dominant white - very weird that it would show so little in an adult hen but so well in a crossbred chick, but anything is possible. I'd love to see updated photos as this one grows.

 

[hungry hunter]

I'd say Little Joe is a hatchery quality Rosecomb, since he seems to be heterozygous (impure) for the actual gene that makes a rose comb (as in the type of comb, not the breed itself). The combs on those chicks are single - genetically impossible for a bird which is pure for rose comb to produce anything other than rose combed chicks. His comb shows signs of this too, you can see how it's a bit more lumpy and lopsided, as opposed to the cleaner, sleeker combs of a pure bird. Of course he's still Blue, so my above response applies - Blue is still Blue in any breed. Though I would expect lots of white in the earlobes of his chicks.

And this, now this is interesting. Snowflake doesn't fall into any of the predicated outcomes - meaning either A. Your hens are in some way genetically different from what I figured them to be, perhaps a mislabeled breed; or B. Little Joe happened to share a recessive trait with one of your hens. The color I'm seeing here looks a lot like Splash; but Splash can only occur when a Blue is breed to another Blue or a Splash. A second possibility is recessive white; however I'm seeing splotchiness in the chick down which is weird for recessive white. Actually, it looks a bit like the "paint" spots seen in birds with just one copy of dominant white, but that would have to be present in the parents. Come to think of if, Red Sex Link hens do have the potential to carry dominant white - very weird that it would show so little in an adult hen but so well in a crossbred chick, but anything is possible. I'd love to see updated photos as this one grows.

Thanks QueenMisha. I really appreciate the help.

I noticed right off that the chicks have single combs, but I didn't know about rosecomb purity. It makes perfect sense because he cam from the assorted bantam bin at TSC. Both chicks seem pretty small too, so I'm thinking that they will be little - maybe not as small as dad, but definitely not as big as the mama(s).

Any one of the hens in the first picture could be the mother of the chicks, since they all lay in the same box - even with the broody BO in there. They seem to have more white on them than the other sex-links we have in the past, but I thought that was because they were gold sex-links instead of red.

I'll keep this thread updated with pics as the chicks grow. My parents were going to take the chicks to help start their flock, but they changed their mind so I'll have the chicks and be able to document their growth. The BO hen is still sitting on 8 eggs, so more chicks may hatch soon.

 

[Buddha bantam]

Looks like Andalusian.