Cross Lavender orpington with a Mottled lavender orpington

[wildcricket]

Hello
I am new to this group and new to the world of breeding chickens. I am very interested in the Orpington breeds. Is there a resource for realizing what your crosses might produce? I am trying to keep my rooster population down. I am thinking of breeding, lavender, black, mottled, and sliver laced. Can a black Orpington rooster cross with all these breeds to obtain the breeds? or do I need one of each rooster?
Hope this question makes sense.

Thank you

maryjo

 

[ColtHandorf]

I am trying to keep my rooster population down.

If you don't want a lot of roosters then don't breed or only work with one variety.

I am thinking of breeding, lavender, black, mottled, and sliver laced.

Can a black Orpington rooster cross with all these breeds to obtain the breeds? or do I need one of each rooster?

Short answer, no. Silver-laced should only be bred to Silver-laced or you'll lose the pattern. Some of us are working with Silver-laced Lavender, Blue, Chocolate, etc, but that's after multiple generations of back-crossing to Silver-laced birds.

If you want a variety of birds to look at, I'd recommend Blue, Black, and Splash as all those colors can be run together. Technically, although I don't advise it, you could add Chocolate and Lavender to that pen. Blue, Chocolate, and Lavender are all genes that dilute the color black. However, you wouldn't have a clue what you were hatching and after the first generation of younger birds got added back into the flock, you'd have no idea who was split for what.

Mottled can be added to the above base patterns but if both birds don't carry the Mottle gene, then the chicks won't have it either. Mottled, Splash, and Lavender all require two copies of the gene to express. Blue only requires one gene. Chocolate only requires one in females and two in males as it is sex-linked.

 

[Newchickontheblock3]

If you don't want a lot of roosters then don't breed or only work with one variety.


Short answer, no. Silver-laced should only be bred to Silver-laced or you'll lose the pattern. Some of us are working with Silver-laced Lavender, Blue, Chocolate, etc, but that's after multiple generations of back-crossing to Silver-laced birds.

If you want a variety of birds to look at, I'd recommend Blue, Black, and Splash as all those colors can be run together. Technically, although I don't advise it, you could add Chocolate and Lavender to that pen. Blue, Chocolate, and Lavender are all genes that dilute the color black. However, you wouldn't have a clue what you were hatching and after the first generation of younger birds got added back into the flock, you'd have no idea who was split for what.

Mottled can be added to the above base patterns but if both birds don't carry the Mottle gene, then the chicks won't have it either. Mottled, Splash, and Lavender all require two copies of the gene to express. Blue only requires one gene. Chocolate only requires one in females and two in males as it is sex-linked.

So if I had a blue mottled crossed with Lavender or a black spangled cross with Lavender?

 

[ColtHandorf]

So if I had a blue mottled crossed with Lavender or a black spangled cross with Lavender?

Repeat the question; I'm not following. Are you saying you want to breed a Blue Mottled bird to a Lavender bird? And a Black Spangled bird to a Lavender bird?