Correct colorings and a bunch of questions...

[Gerbil]

The time has come to pick and choose who goes to freezer camp, gets a new home or stays here. We have several roosters from our last few hatches and I am trying to pick the best one.
They all have wonderful temperaments and I have never seen chickens so big! These came from a breeder, we have only ever had hatchery Orps before!

This is one of our Orpington (I believe he is a blue) cockerels and as you can see, he's turning chocolate! It is so pretty, the picture gives it more of a red-ish tint, I'll see if I can get another.
Is this normal in the breed? Is it just red color bleed? He is gorgeous, a little goofy looking since his body grew faster than everything else, but still one of the prettiest birds I've ever seen.


This is a Lavender Orpington cockerel and for some reason he is barred?? Hundreds of little dark stripes running through his feathers. No texture difference and they are everywhere, from his head to his tail. Is this something or just a strange fluke?

Thank you in advance, I believe I put this in the right place.
I will post more pics or info if needed.

 

[sjarvis00]

Quote:
The Black "barring" and ticking is common when black has been used in the breeding. You can breed through it just be selective in future generations. watch feather width and quality closely for some reason Lav. has a tendency to affect these two things in all breeds and that is one reason black is often used in the self blue breedings.

 

[Illia]

The chocolate effect on the Blue Orp is just sun bleaching. In males of any blue breed it can happen very easily and very quickly.

The tickling on the Lavender I believe is actually not from breeding to black, but breeding too much to Lavender, I think the tickling is a loss in feather quality. Breeding to Black now and then improves such. I could be wrong though, but I've heard a lot about Lavender feather quality going down when breeding Lav x Lav.

 

[sjarvis00]

Quote:
from experience with Lav. you can get rid of the ticking in Lav x Lav it will re-appear after the cross with black. The problem is in the Lav x Lav you will loose feather quality over time it just happens, it is a very difficult color to work with due to the other problems it brings with it. For some reason a lot of the problems are solved in Pearle which I don't really understand why that is since it is just Lav with Mottling.

 

[Gerbil]

Thank you both, I was worried a bit with the blue boy since it looks like he'll be the one we'll be keeping.