2 chocolate orpingtons

[Abold87]

We have two beautiful chocolate Orpington chicks that hatched three days ago. One seems so much darker than the other. Is this normal. No possibility it could be mixed. Could this be an indication of gender?

 

[gunslinger33]

Do you have pictures of the parents? It may take a couple more weeks to tell but my male Orps always feathered out slower than my females.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

No possibility it could be mixed. Could this be an indication of gender?

I haven't worked with chocolate genes yet... and *doubt* if their is any correlation to gender via shade... likely just different phenotypes. Once you get familiar with your offspring you may even be able to tell which phenotype is preferred.

That being said.. females only need one copy of chocolate gene for it to show... so if you use a chocolate sire over a different colored hen the offspring will be sex linked... with all females coming out chocolate and males being not chocolate.

In fact... chocolate sire over blue dame would give 25% chocolate and 25% mauve pullets... and 25% each black and blue cockerels! I can see from your photos though that it might be challenging to tell the difference between chocolate and blue offspring at hatch.. as that chocolate looks very similar to a lot of blues I've hatched previously.

I do definitely suggest making notes (and taking photos) on the differences and what you are seeing and the longer term results... in case this IS an indicator, despite not having herd or read it before.. Learning is an ongoing and ever changing adventure!

Beautiful chicks by the way. Congrats!

 

[Abold87]

Do you have pictures of the parents? It may take a couple more weeks to tell but my male Orps always feathered out slower than my females.

Do you have pictures of the parents? It may take a couple more weeks to tell but my male Orps always feathered out slower than my females.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I see one chocolate and one possibly black baby. Chocolate is a dilution of black, much like blue or lavender. Some of those hens look fairly dark too. My chocolate pullet is much lighter in color. I'd be interested to see how they feather out.