Chocolate Orpingtons

[mjgigax]

No. You should only hatch Chocolate birds, as well as a small percentage of Mauves from your Mauve hen.

The dark chicks are likely Chocolate. I've noticed some variability in down color, like you see with Blues, where some Choc chicks are paler brown, and others are darker almost appearing Black. As soon as they start to feather in, you should be able to see the Choc color.

IF they do start to feather in Black... then one of your birds isn't the color that you think it is, OR there's some sort of weird genetic mutation happening...

Thank You!
I so very much appreciate you sharing this breeding info.. I "favorite" your #179 post and I am sure I will refer to it a lot.

 

[mjgigax]

Some of my bantams...

Mauve pullet.


Same Mauve pullet as above, different lighting.


Black split to Choc male, my main flock sire.


Mauve pair, the Mauve cockerel pictured here is the one I posted for sale.


Blue pullet.

The Mauve pullet has such pretty head.

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Thanks for the plug @HighStreetCoop ! I'll attempt to explain the genetics behind the different colors as it was explained to me.

The Andalusian Blue gene (Bl/bl+) dilutes a Black bird. With one copy of the gene, a Black bird is turned Blue (Bl/bl+). With two copies of the gene, the bird is made Splash (Bl/Bl).

Dun behaves similarly to Blue. But instead of being a diluter, I was told that the Dun gene "masks"/covers up Black. So with one copy of the gene you have a cool hued-brown colored Dun (I^d/id+) bird, partially masking black. With two copies of the gene you get a Khaki bird (I^d/iI^d).

Both Blue & Dun only require 1 copy of the gene to be visually expressed in a bird.

The Chocolate gene (choc/choc) is also a diluter, turning Black birds a warm chocolately brown color. The gene is sex linked recessive, meaning females require only 1 copy of the gene to express Chocolate, while male birds need 2.

So if a Chocolate female doesn't have the gene she will be Black. She will only be Black, as females cannot be split to/recessively carry the gene. Males can hide one copy of the gene, visually they will be Black, but carry the Choc gene to pass onto their offspring.

If you breed a Choc male over a Black female, all of the resulting female offspring will be Chocolate, and all of the resulting male offspring will be Black, split to/recessively carrying 1 copy of the Choc gene.

When Blue and Dun combine, you get Platinum.
When Blue and Choc combine, you get Mauve.

The Chicken Calculator also refers to both of these colors as "Khaki", this is incorrect. I assume this is done because both colors are the result of 2 genes at work, a double dose, like you see with Khaki or Splash.

When Dun and Choc combine, you get a color folks are calling "Beige". I've only ever seen one picture of the color, and it looks to be a tan/blonde/pale brown color.

***Remember, because the Choc gene is sex linked, you will produce different colored and sexed offspring depending on how you have your breeding pens set up.

For example-

Choc MALE X Black FEMALE = 50% Choc FEMALES & 50% Black, split to/recessively carrying Choc MALES

but if you breed

Black MALE X Choc FEMALE = 100% Black offspring, with all of the MALES split to/recessively carrying Choc. The FEMALES will just be Black

Now... any questions?

THANK YOU! All those Khakis were a nightmare. And your little bantams are SOOOO CUTE!!!

 

[OnlyOrps]

Your birds do look like sex linked Chocolates, not Dun.

Watch out for any red/orange feathers. This is a color fault called leakage, meaning they are leaking color from recessively carrried genetics...

You DO NOT want to breed any birds with leakage. They should be culled.

Wait until they are mature though, as it could also be damage from the sun that is bleaching their feathers, though at their age it is unlikely.

Well that's not good news lol I was worried it was leakage. They were kept in really horrid conditions before I got them and had lots of damaged feathers. I might just keep them for table eggs so they have a good home... can you tell if any of them are pullets? Thanks for all the help!!

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Now... any questions?

Ok, so when I look at the chart on the calculator page, it shows DUN DF = Khaki. Dun x Dun = Chocolate. And Dun x Chocolate = beige. So I'm still a little confused. How does Dun x Dun = Chocolate? I would think it would give you some kind of mix, and it doesn't seem like chocolate should be in there at all if it's masking black.

 

[jeremy]

Well that's not good news lol I was worried it was leakage. They were kept in really horrid conditions before I got them and had lots of damaged feathers. I might just keep them for table eggs so they have a good home... can you tell if any of them are pullets? Thanks for all the help!!

It looks like you've got 2 cockerels, & one pullet. Pics of the birds individually might help with sexing, especially views of their combs.

 

[jeremy]

Ok, so when I look at the chart on the calculator page, it shows DUN DF = Khaki. Dun x Dun = Chocolate. And Dun x Chocolate = beige. So I'm still a little confused. How does Dun x Dun = Chocolate? I would think it would give you some kind of mix, and it doesn't seem like chocolate should be in there at all if it's masking black.

Dun X Dun = 50% Dun, 25% Khaki, & 25% Black

Dun DF = Dun "double factor", meaning the bird is homozygous for the gene, so visually Dun DF would be Khaki (2 copies of Dun)

---

***UPDATED***

I now have a bantam Orpington pair for sale.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/985010/updated-bantam-orpington-pair

 

[OnlyOrps]

It looks like you've got 2 cockerels, & one pullet. Pics of the birds individually might help with sexing, especially views of their combs.

thanks! That seems to be the general consensus. I will keep the pullet for table eggs and sell or eat the boys.

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Quote:
That's what I thought it should be, logically (as with BBS). That chart is just super messed up.

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

Jeremy- the lacing on your blues is to die for. I had a magnificent male last year that suddenly keeled over-not a mark on him. His lacing was superb. Since then I seem to be doing everything I can to chase that perfect lacing down!

Your mauve is lovely too!!!!