Chocolate Orpingtons breed true - but there are some breeding combinations that are worth noting:
* Chocolate Male X Chocolate Female = 100% Chocolate
* Black Male X Chocolate Female = 50% Black Males carrying Chocolate, 50% Black Females
* Chocolate Male X Black Female = 50% Black Males carrying Chocolate, 50% Chocolate Females
* Black Male carrying Chocolate X Chocolate Female = 25% Chocolate Males, 25% Black Males carrying Chocolate, 25% Chocolate Females, 25% Black Females
* Black Male carrying Chocolate X Black Female = 25% Black Males carrying Chocolate, 25% Black Males, 25% Chocolate Females, 25% Black Females.
Black males carrying the chocolate gene are called 'Split' cockerels.
I also love the chocolate color, the more the more on orps!
Does anyone know if there are any known genetic considerations with the recessive chocolate?
I'm thinking about the feather quality issues with lavender, maybe other factors?
I guess that would be one reason to breed chocolates back to blacks?
It's pretty bad when you remove 6 cockerels from your coop, then go out the next morning and it doesn't even look like you made a dent in the cockerels out there.
At least 5 more Welsummer boys are still in there and an uncountable amount of Barnevelder males.
I thought this was supposed to be the year of the pullet!
Yep... dinner at our place, too. Four BCM cockerels. Just breaks the heart.
We're currently in F1, but, these four BCM cockerels were seeming promising. Sweet, friendly boys- ate apples gently from the hand. Crawled on your lap and liked to be held. They were 3 months, and starting to color in. Type good, eyes good, shanks/ feet/ tail angle and size good, and getting big/ some beginning to round out in chests. No halos, nor mahogany (is copper-red on saddle, just dark photo), so they were going in a positive direction....Then, one day, a dreaded sprig shows up. End of story.
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Those of you who are removing sprigs from your flock, make sure to really look over combs carefully (see the very tiny sprig upper right?) There should be no folds, lumps, double prongs, or thumbprints- that next gen needs clean combs only. Another important thing... make sure that the back blade does not have points, but is a smooth blade. Defined points indicates that the bird probably carries a gene for sprigs (even if it does not show a sprig.). Check hens and pullets carefully too. They are smaller, but if they are there they can be seen, but, at least sprigged pullets can be put in a layers only flock.
Both Dad and mom have nice, sprig free combs with smooth blade blacks, but carried the single opposite (hidden recessed) genes, so recessed genes like this can happen when crossing over to another strain. This has been the worst fault we've dealt with (so far), so, have been feeling lucky, otherwise. We have been pretty unlucky trying out other lines this past summer.
There's 4 more boys we have a serious eye on now, so hopefully, they will all make it to 6 months...
The sprig probably comes from the Penedesenca. The general region is not all that far apart and I had heard rumors of them being mixed for vigor and to add darkness. Not sure if that is true but makes sense.
People have added the Pen e's to the Marans for egg color and that is a very bad thing to do to a breed. People are having a very difficult time getting the sprigs out of the BCM now. It's the gift that keeps giving. The Marans will have that problem for a long time. It's just irresponsible propagators of chickens who neglect to mention they are selling mixed breed birds. .
People have added the Pen e's to the Marans for egg color and that is a very bad thing to do to a breed. People are having a very difficult time getting the sprigs out of the BCM now. It's the gift that keeps giving. The Marans will have that problem for a long time. It's just irresponsible propagators of chickens who neglect to mention they are selling mixed breed birds. .
Did they ever do that with black orps, to your knowledge? We had a gorgeous boy who went in the pot due to sprigs. My son is still mad at me some 5 years later
:'(
But I have to know what the CoD is.
I thought this was supposed to be the year of the pullet!
