Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

For Aster to look like a Splash Leghorn she would need a black parent w/a Leghorn parent. Australorps are black & have Orpington history in their breeding so that's a possibility for the beige egg?

@rural mouse is good at these challenges

Splash is 2 copies of the diluted black gene. 1 copy makes blue

splash (2 copies)

Crossed with the little orange roo in the background

makes the blue of the little lady in front (yes the offspring). She does have orange leakage around her face, but otherwise is entirely blue.

Black crossed with ANYTHING else CANNOT make splash. It doesn't have the restricted black gene that make the blue tone. Blue crossed with another blue can make blue 50% of the time by getting 1 blue gene from either parent. It makes BLACK 25% time when the offspring gets the not restricted gene from BOTH parents. It makes SPLASH 25% of the time by getting BOTH restricted genes from the parents.

@BY Bob if I recall correctly, she was supposed to be a lavender orpington? Lavender and self-blue are genetically the same while Blue-black-splash (bbs) is the SAME gene, different twist on it, so I don't think can be on the same bird (75% sure on that part).


2016 thread on this, also has links (haven't checked to see if those still work) to more info on lavender.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/difference-between-blue-and-self-blue.1105880/

Basically (I think) lavender washes the same black gene as the BBS does. However, lavender is recessive while BBS is dominate. So, in order for lavender to show, it MUST have 2 copies, otherwise the bird will be "black split to lavender" so can produce lavender offspring when crossed with another bird also lavender or split to lav. The ratio comes out to the same as the blue to blue producing splash or black. Where it differs is the other 75%. Those babies will ALL be black. 50% (of the original total) will also be split to lav, while the remains 25% will be black. Those black (like the black of BBS) will NEVER produce lavender offspring as they lack the gene entirely. The 50% that are split to lav function like the blue of BBS and carry the trait without showing it.

Based upon this, it's possible the original breeder got what THEY thought were lavender birds that were actually BBS without knowing enough to tell the difference (BBS tends to have a darker head and a hint of darker lacing on the feathers. Lavender is called self-blue due to the more uniform color and is usually lighter than BBS blue.)

Interestingly, both porcelain (mostly found in bantam breeds) and Isabella colors use LAVENDER to get the light blue tones combined with superwashed golds. BBS is too dominate (and unpredictable) to get the consistency most breeders are looking for when developing colors.

Build wise, Aster exhibits so much Mediterranean body shape, that it's pretty much a guarantee that she's got leghorn in her. The white legs make me think a leghorn roo got to an orpington hen and things progressed much like Cheetah's offspring: body build of father, egg color of mother. Blue or splash leghorn rooster went avisiting....blue orpington (lighter shade, breeder thinking was lavender instead) mother reaped the benefits and produced a daughter built just like daddy with mommy's brown egg (dominate over white eggs). Now, wandering daddy could just as easily have been a blue Andalusian (also a Mediterranean frame) with the same results.

 

[Sylvester017]

I don't believe that I will ever try again for blue layers. To much lack of success and tragedy.

I gave up years ago too when one juvenile died before reaching laying age & her sister Taffy lived only 3 yrs. Yes, the eggs are pretty, but I had no luck w/ longevity.

Blue Wheaten Ameraucana is my avatar pic. A sweet bird...we wanted both sisters to pal around but lost one early so Taffy remained aloof in a flock.
Taffy

 

[featherhead007]

Why does having chickens shatter my nerves!!

 

[rural mouse]

Are there Splash Australorps?

Blue australorps exist, so splash would have to by definition of BBS. Aster's egg was supposed to be a lavender orpington, so I think a Blue Orp is more likely.

 

[featherhead007]

I would recommend a Cochin (of course I would)

 

[Sylvester017]

They are lovely.

But I feel Astor is too sleek for an Australorp cross even. She has to have some sleek light breeds in her.

Yes, I was thinking a splash australorp & leghorn mix.

 

[rural mouse]

They are lovely.

But I feel Astor is too sleek for an Australorp cross even. She has to have some sleek light breeds in her.

Cheetah is a sleek little guy....and the majority of his offspring have taken after him in body build.

 

[Sylvester017]

4 feet! We are only 2 feet here and I think that's too deep!

There are strict fence building codes here. Snotty neighbors call authorities as soon as someone puts up a fence. I use only licensed contractors here ~ even if it's just a toilet replacement!

 

[rural mouse]

But Aster does NOT have the body type of an Orpington/Australorp, so highly unlikely that she has that heritage (certainly not 50%/1 pure bred parent). @rural mouse : Do you still have the link to the breeder @BY Bob got his eggs from? With your knowledge of genetics, that should narrow down the possible crosses, no???

She's also not fully grown yet. Give her another 6 months to see how she further develops. She may broaden out more. If her parentage includes Blue Andalusian, I'm not really sure how they differ from leghorns. Another Med build breed with blue in it is the Lakenvelder (I think). At this point, it's patently obvious that she's BBS rather than lavender, and Med build over heavier. She's also got some of the heavier mixed in (Med built are usually white eggs, heavier are usually brown).

 

[rural mouse]

Could she be a White Plymouth Rock? Do they fly well? Have to say my BR flies worth crap. But maybe the white are more streamlined…?

No. The ink smudge feathers are clear: BBS.