Chocolate Orpingtons

[edi]

I purchased 12 Chocolate Orpington eggs from a local breeder. I had 8 out of 12 live chicks, 3 died in the shell. One of the chicks was solid yellow, the breeder said there is no way there could be any other breed in those eggs. I incubated the eggs for 14 days in my incubator and then one of my hens started brooding. I moved the eggs under her on the 14 day. The chicks are now 3 days old and I noticed the hen was pecking the solid yellow chick. It was being chased away. I brought it to the house and but it under my chick warmer. Just curious the thoughts about this, is the hen rejecting the chick because it is solid yellow unlike the 7 other chocolate chicks. Wonder if it is an albino, eyes are not red but has light feet and beak. My first clue that something was wrong was the chick was on the ground and not up in the coop under the hen, when I picked it up and put it up in the coop the hen started pecking it. I don't want to raise it by itself but I know the hen will kill it if I leave it with her.

 

[Galeann]

I purchased 12 Chocolate Orpington eggs from a local breeder. I had 8 out of 12 live chicks, 3 died in the shell. One of the chicks was solid yellow, the breeder said there is no way there could be any other breed in those eggs. I incubated the eggs for 14 days in my incubator and then one of my hens started brooding. I moved the eggs under her on the 14 day. The chicks are now 3 days old and I noticed the hen was pecking the solid yellow chick. It was being chased away. I brought it to the house and but it under my chick warmer. Just curious the thoughts about this, is the hen rejecting the chick because it is solid yellow unlike the 7 other chocolate chicks. Wonder if it is an albino, eyes are not red but has light feet and beak. My first clue that something was wrong was the chick was on the ground and not up in the coop under the hen, when I picked it up and put it up in the coop the hen started pecking it. I don't want to raise it by itself but I know the hen will kill it if I leave it with her.

Would you be willing to raise it with a friend until it is bigger, and then slowly introduce the 2 to the rest of the flock? Is there someone you know that would enjoy raising it? If I could, I would adopt it. High hopes for you.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Bring in another chick to raise them together.

 

[edi]

Ok, thanks, I will try that, hope it won't start pecking it too.

 

[edi]

Lucy has a friend, meet Ethel or could be Ricky and Fred or Ricky and Lucy LOL!!! Time will tell a lot!!!

 

[Galeann]

Lucy has a friend, meet Ethel or could be Ricky and Fred or Ricky and Lucy LOL!!! Time will tell a lot!!!

Aw. Cute fuzzies. I once had 2 black labs that were sisters. Their names were Ethel and Lucy. They were typical wonderfully sweet labradors. They went everywhere and did everything together on our property. I'm sorry to invade your thread with my memory. I hope I haven't offended you.

 

[Old McRonald]

I have silver laced orpingtons and 2 years ago I had 1 chick out of 7 hatch out yellow, if I remember correctly it is a recessive gene called the Columbian gene that will randomly appear. The breeder I got the eggs from hatched out hundreds without a single yellow chick. Last year I hatched 40+ and not a single yellow one, did have a couple that had brownish down but feathered out normal. I wonder if more than 1 color of orpingtons carries this gene? The yellow chick feathered out to be a completely white rooster who tasted perfectly fine!