Funky Orpingtons? (pics)

[BrattishTaz]

I just got a pair of orpingtons for my daughter. I was told the coloring is unusual. The birds are 6-8 weeks of age and have snowy white feathers with grey fluff under them. There are also grey circles around their eyes and they have grey (almost blue) legs. Their eyes are dark. The seller said they hatched with white fuzz instead of yellow.

They are a product of a black orpington roo and what was supposed to be a splash orp hen (the hen never showed coloring other than white). Is this normal?


Click to enlarge

 

[LC orps]

yea they are getting the color from the hen ............................tghe leg color is normal too all my orps have the same dark blue legs.................................

 

[AinaWGSD]

Splash can be so pale and washed out that they look at a glance like white birds. But black over splash should have produced nothing but blue chicks. Something doesn't quite add up. Maybe the rooster was actually a very dark blue?

 

[tgrlily]

My guess would be the hen was actually white. I have some White Silkie & Ameraucana chicks that hatch out with greyish or smokey colored down. They feather in brilliant white.

Are white Orps dominant or recessive?

 

[BrattishTaz]

Quote:
I think there is a recessive white and a dominant white. I still have a lot to learn about the genetics of poultry.

 

[BrattishTaz]

Do you think the grey around the eyes and the grey fluff will eventually turn white?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have some hatchery white Orpingtons that are 5 weeks old now, and they still are getting rid of their gray fluff coloration- the feathers are all coming in white. Soon their heads will be white, too.

The legs of Orpingtons I thought were supposed to be white. (Mine are white.) Is it different with the splash and black?

 

[BamaChicken]

Black Orp have black legs. the blue and splash have slate colored. White orps and buff have white legs

 

[hinkjc]

I would say the mom was a white orp. When you cross a black and white orp the leg color does tend to stay a darker pigment, almost slatey color. White orps should have white legs. The gray down is common on white birds because they do hide other colors, but they typically feather in completely white.

 

[tinychicky]

pretty orps