2 Roosters or 1??

[RoosterML]

For two boys of that age i'd go no less than 15 so the sexual harassment is spread out to a managable level for your ladies.

All the more reason to get more hens now. Someone help me the wife's gonna make me move into the coop if I keep getting more birds.
Last time she told me no roosters, I came home and said I don't "think" he's a rooster he is still too young to tell.

 

[The Moonshiner]

the other to my understanding is also a pure Lavender Oprington but is black in color. I guess some of the Lavenders do in fact hatch black and they are still pure Lavender.

I was told that both parents are both Lavender Oprington.
Also the breeder she got the eggs from also said this :
Both these roosters had the same lavender orpington parents. What I was told by the woman I got the eggs from was that these parents were pure english lavender orpingtons and that sometimes you might get an egg that hatches with a black chick -- this was called a lavender black cross, and would "strengthen" the genetics of the lavender flock. But he still has lavender genes. I guess it makes sense seeing that Lavender is a dilution of black.

Just for clarity none of this is correct.
Lavender is a recessive gene. It takes a copy from each parent to show.
If both parents were lavender then they both would give one lavender gene to the offspring. Therefor the offspring would all be lavender. Two lavender do not have the genes to make a black.
If a lavender was bred to a black then the offspring would only have one lavender gene therefor be black. Those are often referred to as splits or split to lavenders.
Bottom line the black rooster was not from two lavenders. He may be from a lavender to black breeding and carry on lavender gene.

 

[Chickassan]

Well then i'd better not tell you that @HuffleClaw is right and having 20 ladies would be even better.

All the more reason to get more hens now. Someone help me the wife's gonna make me move into the coop if I keep getting more birds.
Last time she told me no roosters, I came home and said I don't "think" he's a rooster he is still too young to tell.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Well then i'd better not tell you that @HuffleClaw is right and having 20 ladies would be even better.

Heh, all the better reason to have more chooks!

 

[RoosterML]

Just for clarity none of this is correct.
Lavender is a recessive gene. It takes a copy from each parent to show.
If both parents were lavender then they both would give one lavender gene to the offspring. Therefor the offspring would all be lavender. Two lavender do not have the genes to make a black.
If a lavender was bred to a black then the offspring would only have one lavender gene therefor be black. Those are often referred to as splits or split to lavenders.
Bottom line the black rooster was not from two lavenders. He may be from a lavender to black breeding and carry on lavender gene.

Ok thank you for clarifying. So he does carry the lavender Gene meaning he can produce lavender offspring when breed with my lavender hen?

 

[The Moonshiner]

Ok thank you for clarifying. So he does carry the lavender Gene meaning he can produce lavender offspring when breed with my lavender hen?

There's no way of knowing if he does or doesn't until you bred him to your lavender.
Usually knowing the parents will tell you but with the breeder sticking to that story there's no way of knowing.
If he doesn't carry it then they would never produce one.
If he carries one gene for it then half their offspring would be lavender and the other half black.

 

[RoosterML]

Heh, all the better reason to have more chooks!

Agree

 

[RoosterML]

There's no way of knowing if he does or doesn't until you bred him to your lavender.
Usually knowing the parents will tell you but with the breeder sticking to that story there's no way of knowing.
If he doesn't carry it then they would never produce one.
If he carries one gene for it then half their offspring would be lavender and the other half black.

By the color of his beak along with the color of his feet am I correct in assuming black or black/lav Orpington? And nothing else.

 

[aart]

Ratio numbers are all bunk...
The 'rooster' to hen ratio of 1:10 that is often cited is primarily for fertility efficiency in commercial breeding facilities.

It doesn't mean that if a cockbird has 10 hens that he won't abuse or over mate them.

Many breeders keep pairs, trios, quads, etc

It all depends on the temperaments of the cock and hens and sometimes housing provided.

Backyard flocks can achieve good fertility with a larger ratio.


...but have separate quarters ready for one or both of these birds if you get them

 

[RoosterML]

...but have separate quarters ready for one or both of these birds if you get them

I take it your referring to the quarantine period? Let me ask you if the birds have always been healthy and never shown any kind of illness why would quarantine still be advised?