BBS English Orpington Splash Rooster Quality Question

[Egzermalda]

I have 2 Splash and 1 Blue English (and 3 Black Laced Silver) English Orpington hens. ALL being covered by a Black Laced Silver Rooster. The Chicks from the Splash and Blue hens are all "Blue" and indistinguishable. I have been selling all my chicks and some hatching eggs. There is a HUGE demand in my customers for Splash chicks. I have the opportunity to buy the pictured 1year old Splash rooster from the same breeder I got the rest of the flock from so that I could provide Blue and Splash chicks without being muddled by the BLS genes. My concern is the brownish color of his hackles and saddle. Is this normal for Splash Orpington Roosters? If anyone can provide pictures of their Splash Orpington Roo for comparison, I would be grateful. Or just any comments on this dude and how he would do as a baby daddy for my BBS hens. I do understand the BBS genetics and also understand I haven't done the breed any favors by covering my BBS hens with a BLS roo. Just trying to fix the problem. First pic is the available roo and the second is my current flock of Orps. My profile Pic is one of my Splash hens.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

@ColtHandorf come look at these pretties

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I would love to see a while body pic of him! Your splash hen is lovely!

 

[ColtHandorf]

I have 2 Splash and 1 Blue English (and 3 Black Laced Silver) English Orpington hens. ALL being covered by a Black Laced Silver Rooster. The Chicks from the Splash and Blue hens are all "Blue" and indistinguishable. I have been selling all my chicks and some hatching eggs. There is a HUGE demand in my customers for Splash chicks. I have the opportunity to buy the pictured 1year old Splash rooster from the same breeder I got the rest of the flock from so that I could provide Blue and Splash chicks without being muddled by the BLS genes. My concern is the brownish color of his hackles and saddle. Is this normal for Splash Orpington Roosters? If anyone can provide pictures of their Splash Orpington Roo for comparison, I would be grateful. Or just any comments on this dude and how he would do as a baby daddy for my BBS hens. I do understand the BBS genetics and also understand I haven't done the breed any favors by covering my BBS hens with a BLS roo. Just trying to fix the problem. First pic is the available roo and the second is my current flock of Orps. My profile Pic is one of my Splash hens.

I think he looks quite nice. The picture is a little dark. You might as for a few more in the sun of him. I don't think you're seeing leakage in his hackles.

As for the current breeding situation, letting a Silver-laced male cover Blue or Splash hens will get you F1 Blue Silver-laced. I've been trying to get that project off the ground at my house and every time I get laying F1 hens or perfectly-laced F2s some freak accident happens and they die.

Where about are you located?

 

[Egzermalda]

I think he looks quite nice. The picture is a little dark. You might as for a few more in the sun of him. I don't think you're seeing leakage in his hackles.

As for the current breeding situation, letting a Silver-laced male cover Blue or Splash hens will get you F1 Blue Silver-laced. I've been trying to get that project off the ground at my house and every time I get laying F1 hens or perfectly-laced F2s some freak accident happens and they die.

Where about are you located?

I am in Northern Nevada.

My fourth batch of these chicks is hatching today. And I have nest with two BLS sisters on it due soon (egss from all the Orps). So far ALL of the Splash and Blue hens chicks (covered by the BLS roo) are coming out Blue and indistinguishable from each other. There has been one or two that are slightly lighter blue, but mostly dark blue. See pics. I have sold them all except one of the lightest which is still less than 2 weeks. But I do have a friend who has some of the oldest of the bunch, they should be feathering out. I'll try to get her to take some pictures. Can you tell from the chicks if they are going to be laced? Don't you get some sort of "semi-lacing" (per the Chicken Calc) if only one parent is laced?

I told the breeder I would take the Splash roo. Now I just have to figure out a way to divide and separate the flock. Which is going to suck, because they all free range. Having only 1 roo kept things simple. I did ask her if the "brown" in the hackles and saddle was normal and she said, "yes, it's normal". All her breeding pens are under cover, so it would not be easy for her to get him in full sun.

 

[Egzermalda]

I would love to see a while body pic of him! Your splash hen is lovely!

I would love more pics too, but she just isn't much of a picture taker. I'm lucky to have gotten as good a pic as I did of him.

 

[Egzermalda]

This is the one I kept from the last hatch (4/21-22). It was significantly lighter than all the others. I am 95% sure it was from a splash egg. There is one lighter one in this latest batch hatching today as well. And 2 of them are nearly black.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I'm sure colt will chime in, but you should check out his thread, he showed a pic of an F1 blue silver laced and it was an all blue chick (don't quote me on that though)

 

[Egzermalda]

Lacy (in front) has been sitting on 21 eggs for nearly 3 weeks now and a few days ago Ring moved in to steal part of the soon to be baby glory at the grand finale. Toto (the third BLS) and Mini (the smaller Splash) still lay their eggs in there every day and I have to fish them out.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I'll try to get her to take some pictures. Can you tell from the chicks if they are going to be laced? Don't you get some sort of "semi-lacing" (per the Chicken Calc) if only one parent is laced?

Not generally at hatch on the F1, no. Now my F2 chicks, yes. I knew immediately they were Blue Silver-laced. I always hold onto all the blue chicks from that cross, and when they feather out, keep the females with the best lacing to breed back to their father. It's possible to obtain a perfectly laced specimen in the F2 generation, but it's more common to get them in the F3 offspring unless you hatch enough or are very lucky in F2.

I told the breeder I would take the Splash roo. Now I just have to figure out a way to divide and separate the flock. Which is going to suck, because they all free range. Having only 1 roo kept things simple. I did ask her if the "brown" in the hackles and saddle was normal and she said, "yes, it's normal". All her breeding pens are under cover, so it would not be easy for her to get him in full sun.

I keep all mine penned, and then they get let out on alternate days of the week in the evening when I'm home.

Lacy (in front) has been sitting on 21 eggs for nearly 3 weeks now and a few days ago Ring moved in to steal part of the soon to be baby glory at the grand finale.

21!!! Mine break eggs if they get more than 6. I've got a broody Araucana right now. I'm debating letting her have some eggs. I'd trust her with more than six. The Orpington girls are just so big they tend to smash them.