Do I want to learn about genetics? Yes. Is it very intimidating and scary? Yes.

[MysteryChicken]

So if you're trying to figure out what you'll get if you breed 2 of your birds that you purchased as day old chicks from TSC, you break down their genes as to what's visible? Then if something pops up in the offspring that you weren't expecting, depending on what pops up with which gender, do you change the parents genetic code, if it's a code that is gender evident?

Does that even make sense? I have changed the wording multiple times and can't quite figure out the words to express what I'm trying to ask Believe it or not, English is my first and only fluent language

I learned that the Hoover's Hatchery strain of Buff Orpingtons carry partridge genes by breeding them. They're being used for my Wheaten Crele Orpington project.

 

[MysteryChicken]

My Project birds.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I'm gonna be using Heritage Plymouth Barred Rocks this time for better barring. I'll be crossing my Heritage Rock cockerel to my Buff Orpingtons so I get all Barred birds. I'm gonna throw in some Welsummer to bring out some more of the partridge genes, to add the black breasts on the males. I'll keep the red Crele variety too, but I also need the BB Red.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I remember seeing a post about your project birds! They're so beautiful! I am curious to see what you'll have once you breed in a Heritage BR! I LOVE BR's so much! I've always thought my BR Rooster was handsome but since his first adult molt has recently finished up, oh my goodness, he's so incredibly handsome. One of my BR hens has finished molting and one is still molting. I don't see much difference in them, except for the one that's still in molt seems to have a couple of solid black patches. My BR Hens are Hatchery stock though.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

What about the Self Blue/Lavender birds that have the nice feathers and others have the more raggedy feathers? Is this genetic or more of an individual thing? My only Self Blue is an OEGB pullet. Her feathers aren't horrible but they're not nice and smooth either. A wonderful member on here (BYC) told me that it's something with the Lavender color (or is it all Blue colors). So is this something that's worked into the genetic code (is that what you call it, "genetic code"?) or is this just something that varies bird to bird?

My other Blue birds (not Self Blue) don't seem to have a feather quality variation.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I remember seeing a post about your project birds! They're so beautiful! I am curious to see what you'll have once you breed in a Heritage BR! I LOVE BR's so much! I've always thought my BR Rooster was handsome but since his first adult molt has recently finished up, oh my goodness, he's so incredibly handsome. One of my BR hens has finished molting and one is still molting. I don't see much difference in them, except for the one that's still in molt seems to have a couple of solid black patches. My BR Hens are Hatchery stock though.

Thanks.

Are your boys from a hatchery too?

 

[HeatherKellyB]

One more, if someone says they have a "Blue OEGB", do you automatically consider this bird as Blue, NOT Self Blue/Lavender? Do most people know the difference and use the terms blue, self blue, and lavender correctly?

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Thanks.

Are your boys from a hatchery too?

I'm not sure. His parents were at a local farm. That farm gave fertile eggs from different breeds to my daughters teacher to incubate whenever she was a 2nd grader. I purchased the last 3 chicks that hatched in her class and ended up with 3 cockerels 1 BR and 2 CCL/BCM crosses (this was the farms project breed "Moss Eggers")

 

[Amer]

If you planned on breeding them again? ^^^

Or do you just use what's visual in the chick, for their future offspring?

I guess I'm confused on how to figure out the code for a bird whenever it has a gene that's recessive(? Is that the word used for a gene that's carried but not always expressed or obvious?)

Recessive is what is carried, yes.
Lavender is recessive.
Lav+Lav+ means the bird is not lavender. Lav+lav means the bird is not lavender but it carries the gene. lavlav means the bird is lavender.

What about the Self Blue/Lavender birds that have the nice feathers and others have the more raggedy feathers? Is this genetic or more of an individual thing? My only Self Blue is an OEGB pullet. Her feathers aren't horrible but they're not nice and smooth either. A wonderful member on here (BYC) told me that it's something with the Lavender color (or is it all Blue colors). So is this something that's worked into the genetic code (is that what you call it, "genetic code"?) or is this just something that varies bird to bird?

My other Blue birds (not Self Blue) don't seem to have a feather quality variation.

Yes there is a gene (wing-patch) that causes poor feather quality and is linked to lavender.

One more, if someone says they have a "Blue OEGB", do you automatically consider this bird as Blue, NOT Self Blue/Lavender? Do most people know the difference and use the terms blue, self blue, and lavender correctly?

I assume it is blue. People do not always know the difference, but blue is blue. Self-blue is a horrible term that only confuses people.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I'm not sure. His parents were at a local farm. That farm gave fertile eggs from different breeds to my daughters teacher to incubate whenever she was a 2nd grader. I purchased the last 3 chicks that hatched in her class and ended up with 3 cockerels 1 BR and 2 CCL/BCM crosses (this was the farms project breed "Moss Eggers")

Does yours have this kind of barring?