Anyone interested in a possible Black Copper Orpington project??

[tberggren]

I had some unusual colors pop up when I bred my Gordie Orpingtons together.
Some have told me they apparently carry a columbian gene and that possibly one could develop a line of Black Copper Orpingtons from them. I know nothing of genetics but their type appears to be good and I think it would be a shame to waste the gene pool. They are all young about 5 or 6 months old
I however have to trim my flock (husband is running out of patients)
Here are some pictures I took today.

This is my roo
And here are two hens, the blue has just a touch of the columbian gene showing through the one behind obviously has much more

Here is body shot of the second hen

This is Lacie and she is probably from a Buff hen to either my Black or Blue Orp roo.

These are all F1 from Gordie's Orpingtons have not heard from him as to where the unusual gene may be coming from. Some have told me that the Buff carry the columbian gene so maybe that is the answer.

I do also have the parent hens available, unfortunately we had problems with a skunk while I was out of town for a week.

Anyway I am in NY if anyone has an interest in these please send an email or PM
Thanks

Also I do have other pictures if anyone wants to see more.

 

[canada-goose]

Pretty birds!

 

[EweSheep]

Your golden girl looks like mine. Honey is a purebred Amercuana by blood but her color is not recognized by the ABC so therefore, she is called an EE bantam. She was a product by a Buff Amercuana rooster (same bloodlines as Jody's Buff Amercuana bantams she used to have) and Blue Wheaton mother. They were all from Blehm lines.

Here is the pic of her:

 

[Krys109uk]

While some of the birds are pretty colours, the last two in partcular don't look like Orpingtons, thus probably would not be a good start for a project to make a new variety of Orpington.

 

[aveca]

I would think its interesting project but some planning . What you be looking for as an end result, is it a color pattern? egg quality? what qualities? would it breed true? This is how most all of todays breeds got started but the breeders had a plan in mind, strictly ornamental , production, color patterns ect... what to do with the culls?

A long time ago people had lots more room to work on such projects, thats why we probably dont see many new breeds being added to the standard today , everyone now lives in town so cant, or working and no time , or just a forgotten art.

A lot of people today cant even stand the noises a chicken makes so neighbor complaints can be a problem, we only have one close neighbor but thier kids are over here for eggs every day.

I worked with a woman several years ago that was just amazing how ignorant she was, ...She constantly made comments like, I cant stand those stinkey farm animals...I would say back to her. Oh yes , that Chicken that grew under the plastic wrap that you bought at the grocery store to feed your family, now thats a non-stinkey farm animal. She was a peice of work. You just never knew what was going to come flying out of her mouth. You wouldnt want a neighbor like her

 

[tberggren]

Quote:
It is true that the last two I can only vouch that the sire was Orpinton. I only said the last one was probably from a buff because in a previous post regarding her when I mentioned I didn't know if the mother hen was a Buff or a RIR, I was told that the Buff Orps sometimes carry a columbian gene so it seemed to point to that direction rather than the RIR cross.

 

[tberggren]

Quote:
I would think the goal would be a new color pattern. The dark hen, is at least half Orpington (only have Orpington roo's)
I know the roo is pure Orpington and so with the the blue and the at least half Orpington and the two hens from the original breeding a person might have enough to work with to work toward an Black Copper coloration. I don't know enough about genetics to know if this in fact would be possible or how much time and work it would take, or even if anyone would be interested. That is why I am throwing the idea out there. ;o)

 

[Chris09]

I was told that the Buff Orps sometimes carry a columbian gene so it seemed to point to that direction rather than the RIR cross.

The RIR's would carry the Columbian Gene also... (RIR's are a Red Columbian)

Chris​

 

[Goose and Fig]

Does Lacie have blue legs?
Wow- they are beautiful, but I wouldn't know where to start with those

 

[Krys109uk]

It is true that the last two I can only vouch that the sire was Orpinton. I only said the last one was probably from a buff because in a previous post regarding her when I mentioned I didn't know if the mother hen was a Buff or a RIR, I was told that the Buff Orps sometimes carry a columbian gene so it seemed to point to that direction rather than the RIR cross.

Both buff & red would carry columbian but brown red variety (copper black) does not have columbian. Some cochin breeders seem to be under the misapprehension that one can "make" brown red by crossing something to a columbian. I think they are mistaking the gold on the breast & probable leakage in hackles, from such a cross, as being a sign of brown red....... but it isn't.