Chocolate/Dun Orpington Project?

[hinkjc]

I was playing around with some crossees and in looking over some birds I see we got these unusual colored tan/brown birds. They are not buff or red, as you can see in some of the pics with other birds in the background. The cockerels seem to be dark brown, while most of the pullets are lighter brown/tan color with some kind of lacing (pattern gene). What are your thoughts on what could be causing this coloration on the plumage? Should we bother pursuing it?

Cockerel (note the red and buff ones behind him and how brown he is in comparison)

Pullets (1st pic is a darker pullet from the rear and the others of the side/chest of pullets):

 

[joletabey]

I don't know much about this subject, but I think I remember reading that the chocolate color was a fluke- someone in the UK developed it, while when the same fluke happened here in the US, the birds were destroyed. If you think this is chocolate, follow up on it!!!! WOW!!!! It sure looks brown to me in comparison.

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

Wow, Jody. I am surprised to see that the feathers are "laced" as a blue is "laced".

I don't know what you did...but if you have the time, place, and energy...I say give it a go!

 

[Heather08]

They are pretty! I think however for a chocolate project DUN should be avoided as it just dosent breed like chocolate I was lead to believe? Id love to see true chocolate , but that will be a huge undertakning. You peeked my soft spot

 

[LarryPQ]

I think they are beautiful. It might be (yet another) huge undertaking, but surely there is a demand for the unusual? If you have the space & time, why not? I'd buy eggies from you!

 

[Heather08]

As I under stand it the only true chocolate gene in the USA is in the serama and it would be a HUGE undertaking to make true chocolate orps, unless someone would just buy one from UK lol, or some more recessives pop up in the blacks. highly unlikely however I think.

BTW if your wondering if this is true chocolate in the pics above there are ways to test breed to see how it behaves genetically to know weather its DUN or chocolate, ive been trying to ready as much as I can and grasp the colors in chickens, its insane, I know my horse and dog color inside and out I feel like im starting all over again....

its a blast however!

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Well, Well, Well, another project !!

 

[onthespot]

Luckily, dun and chocolate have different patterns of inheritance, and you should be able to tell in a single generation which one it is. It is hard to see in direct sunlight, sorta washed out. Sometimes the best colors are the hardest to get good pics of.

 

[1mommahen]

OOOOOOOOOOhhhh Jody, you're bringing them to Chickenstock for me right?

They are stunning!

 

[hinkjc]

Thanks for your comments and encouragement. I don't know about time and/or space, but I think I almost have to find out. The test matings shouldn't take much to confirm one way or the other. Heck, I think I'd just like to make this color breed true. It's so pretty in person. It is my understanding the chocolate fluke is how the gene was originally identified too. Seems logical to me that it is out there, just people tend to cull for it because they think it's a defective color. I'm the type of person who likes to sit there and stare at my birds and inspect every little aspect of them. Something like this catches my eye and gets my interest.

Heather - I think it's a matter of personal preference of using dun (if that is what it is) to make chocolate colored birds. Why do you think it should be avoided? It's used in other breeds without problems. I'd love to see true chocolate too (choc). Seems that will have to be sought through random breedings to find it. Maybe I'll get there some day.

Here are some more pics...