BBS Chick to Adult Colors

[AnneGirlGG]

Good morning, all!

I have 3, 2-week old Blue (BBS) Orpingtons. I ordered 4 (3 females and 1 male), but one died at a week old. That one was my darkest that I think would have been black.

I do not know if my only male is the one I lost because no one was banded to ID the male. My plan is to breed these to grow my own flock and give to my friends who want this color and breed.

My question is this- are these chicks the colors now that they'll probably be as adults? I Googled it, and some sources say that the chicks hatch the colors they'll grow up to be, but others say that chick color has no definite bearing on adult color.

The 2 yellow and red tone chicks are the same age, but the chicks in question are the 3 Orpingtons, they're the gray/blue ones. Also, without the black chick now, is there a male/female combination that will yield black chicks from this group? I think if one blue chick is male and one blue chick is female, 25% of their chicks if they breed as adults may be black? Or am I way off?

Pictures are of the babies, and the last picture is the one that passed away, just for reference of his or her different color from the others. I know they aren't the best, but I'm hoping they'll be okay to judge the colors of the chicks.

Thanks everyone!

Oh, I know that the male to female ratio probably isn't feasible as they mature. There is a local breeder with high quality birds that I plan to add chicks from in the spring to diversify genetics.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The B/B/S gene is a partially dominant gene that only affects what would normally be black. By partially dominant I mean if two copies of that gene are present you get one effect, if only one of the two genes at that gene pair are that gene you get a different effect. If none are present you get a third effect.

With that gene, if two are present at that gene pair you get a splash chicken. If only one is present you get a blue chick. If none are present you get a black chick. This only applies to the feathers that would be black anyway without that gene being present.

This may make it easier to understand. Assume "Bl" means the partially dominant B/B/S gene and "bl" means the not-B/B/S gene.

A Splash has Bl-Bl
A Blue has BL-bl
A black has bl-bl

If you cross a BL-BL with a BL-Bl all chicks will be BL-Bl (Splash)

If you cross a Bl-Bl with a Bl-bl half of the chicks will be Bl-Bl Splash) and half will be Bl-bl (Blue)

If you cross a BL-BL with a bl-bl all will be Bl-bl (Blue)

If you cross a Bl-bl with a Bl-bl you get 1/4 Bl-Bl (Splash), 1/2 Bl-bl (Blue) and 1/4 bl-bl (Black)

If you cross a Bl-bl with a bl-bl you get 1/2 Bl-bl (Blue) and 1/2 bl-bl (Black)

If you cross a bl-bl with a bl-bl all will be bl-bl (Black)

So hopefully with this you can figure out what to expect whatever you wind up with for breeders.

 

[AnneGirlGG]

The B/B/S gene is a partially dominant gene that only affects what would normally be black. By partially dominant I mean if two copies of that gene are present you get one effect, if only one of the two genes at that gene pair are that gene you get a different effect. If none are present you get a third effect.

With that gene, if two are present at that gene pair you get a splash chicken. If only one is present you get a blue chick. If none are present you get a black chick. This only applies to the feathers that would be black anyway without that gene being present.

This may make it easier to understand. Assume "Bl" means the partially dominant B/B/S gene and "bl" means the not-B/B/S gene.

A Splash has Bl-Bl
A Blue has BL-bl
A black has bl-bl

If you cross a BL-BL with a BL-Bl all chicks will be BL-Bl (Splash)

If you cross a Bl-Bl with a Bl-bl half of the chicks will be Bl-Bl Splash) and half will be Bl-bl (Blue)

If you cross a BL-BL with a bl-bl all will be Bl-bl (Blue)

If you cross a Bl-bl with a Bl-bl you get 1/4 Bl-Bl (Splash), 1/2 Bl-bl (Blue) and 1/4 bl-bl (Black)

If you cross a Bl-bl with a bl-bl you get 1/2 Bl-bl (Blue) and 1/2 bl-bl (Black)

If you cross a bl-bl with a bl-bl all will be bl-bl (Black)

So hopefully with this you can figure out what to expect whatever you wind up with for breeders.

Thank you for this great information! Hopefully I'm able to get some good variation with the 3 I've got left, and find some healthy chicks come spring.