Different chicks, I'm confused

[Itsraining]

Ok, the chicks I have this year are all from my hens. Here's my confusion, I have 2 Orpingtons 1 Cochin and 2 barnyard mix hens that contributed eggs. In my mind I feel like the chicks from each hen should be the same as each other. So Orpington chicks all look the same and I know which is the Cochin chick. Which leaves my 2 barnyard mixes who produced 3 different colours of babies. How does this work?

 

[kirstenchickenlady]

What breed was the rooster?

 

[Doc7]

Ok, the chicks I have this year are all from my hens. Here's my confusion, I have 2 Orpingtons 1 Cochin and 2 barnyard mix hens that contributed eggs. In my mind I feel like the chicks from each hen should be the same as each other. So Orpington chicks all look the same and I know which is the Cochin chick. Which leaves my 2 barnyard mixes who produced 3 different colours of babies. How does this work?

As a barnyard mix, they have a variety of genes (Rather than uniform pairs) and each egg will get a different combination. Just like children from same parents can look extremely different.

 

[Itsraining]

That much makes sense for the most part but why not the lavender Buff ones then?

 

[keesmom]

Can you post pictures of the birds involved? It would make an explanation easier. I'm not sure what lavender buff ones you are referring to. Are your Orpingtons mixed color?

 

[Doc7]

That much makes sense for the most part but why not the lavender Buff ones then?

what is a Lavender Buff? Lavender is one color - buff is another.

 

[Itsraining]

My Orpington hens are buff the rooster is Lavender, sorry I didn't make that clear. I'll soon figure out pictures I'm new here lol. Also trying to make a chart to make the whole breed/chick/batch make more sense.

 

[Peppercorngal]

I don't know, but unless you are deep into genetics and have the brains of a molecular biologist, you may not be able to figure it out. At least that is the way it is for me. I have many breeds of brown egg layers, and two roosters. I found out in my very first incubation that my White Jersey Giant, Harvey, will only give me Black chicks! Go figure. Now I have another rooster. Fowler is a Ameraucana/Wellsummer Mix, and he is giving me yellow chicks. Even with the easter eggers this remains true. Anything else about these mutts I don't understand. The rooster's genes play heavily into the chicks appearance. Don't ask me, I'm a genetic idiot!

 

[Itsraining]

I don't know, but unless you are deep into genetics and have the brains of a molecular biologist, you may not be able to figure it out. At least that is the way it is for me. I have many breeds of brown egg layers, and two roosters. I found out in my very first incubation that my White Jersey Giant, Harvey, will only give me Black chicks! Go figure. Now I have another rooster. Fowler is a Ameraucana/Wellsummer Mix, and he is giving me yellow chicks. Even with the easter eggers this remains true. Anything else about these mutts I don't understand. The rooster's genes play heavily into the chicks appearance. Don't ask me, I'm a genetic idiot!

Me too, I didn't really think it was a complex thing! But the more I started reading about it the more I realized it's WAY over my head. Lol

 

[Itsraining]

Can you post pictures of the birds involved? It would make an explanation easier. I'm not sure what lavender buff ones you are referring to. Are your Orpingtons mixed color?

Can you post pictures of the birds involved? It would make an explanation easier. I'm not sure what lavender buff ones you are referring to. Are your Orpingtons mixed color?