How does Partridge Orpington mix?

[K0k0shka]

I'm not very familiar with chicken genetics, so, out of curiosity, do you guys know what half Red Partridge Orpingtons look like, when the rooster is the Red Partridge Orpington? Does the partridge pattern carry through? I have to rehome the family's favorite chicken because he turned out to be a boy, but we would love to have some of his babies, for sentimental reasons. He'll be living with a friend at her farm, and she can give me eggs. She has a mixed flock (Brahmas, EEs, Barnevelder, BR, etc.) I'm not allowed to have roosters where I live, so I'm hoping to incubate the eggs and then cull early, before the males start crowing. So I was wondering if my boy's partridge genes would come through in his offspring to make sexing easier at a younger age (since the males and females start looking different pretty early). I want to keep a daughter or two of his. If anybody can chime in, that would be appreciated!

 

[K0k0shka]

Any thoughts?

 

[The Moonshiner]

Partridge isn't a very dominate pattern. It all depends what youre breeding him too and what genes they carry.
If you just want something easy to sex young breed him to the BRs. They'll be sex links and at hatch. Males will have headspots while females won't.

 

[K0k0shka]

Partridge isn't a very dominate pattern. It all depends what youre breeding him too and what genes they carry.
If you just want something easy to sex young breed him to the BRs. They'll be sex links and at hatch. Males will have headspots while females won't.

That’s good to know, thanks! I’ll see if my friend can tell the BR eggs from the others and give me some.

 

[Windrider]

I've been following your hatching adventure from the start and it has inspired me. One of my favorite threads on this site!

Anyway, I am no expert on chicken genetics, so I have nothing to add about that. But from reading your thread, I think the best bet would be that if your friend has an Orpington of any color, get eggs or chicks from that hen and your boy. It seems to me that what is the most important to your family is that Orpington cuddliness, and it wouldn't matter so much what color his daughters are.

I am surprised he isn't crowing yet (late bloomer?). I wonder if it is at all possible that your girls will start laying before he starts crowing (well, probably not, since the girls coming to POL will likely inspire him to crow). But maybe, just maybe, some of those first eggs will be fertile? Can you borrow the incubator again?

You also mentioned getting some more partridge Orpington eggs from Papa's and doing another small hatch. It would be his cousins rather than offspring, but I think that is another good option if you really want partridges.

 

[K0k0shka]

I've been following your hatching adventure from the start and it has inspired me. One of my favorite threads on this site!

Aw, thank you! I'm glad I have inspired you.

Anyway, I am no expert on chicken genetics, so I have nothing to add about that. But from reading your thread, I think the best bet would be that if your friend has an Orpington of any color, get eggs or chicks from that hen and your boy. It seems to me that what is the most important to your family is that Orpington cuddliness, and it wouldn't matter so much what color his daughters are.

You are so right. The Orpington cuddliness is definitely high priority. The color has always been secondary. I only wanted daughters from him not because of his color, but because of his fun personality. He has always stood out from the rest, ever since he hatched, and I was hoping that maybe some of that would come through in his babies. I'll ask my friend if she has any Orpingtons (and if she can tell their eggs apart).

I am surprised he isn't crowing yet (late bloomer?). I wonder if it is at all possible that your girls will start laying before he starts crowing (well, probably not, since the girls coming to POL will likely inspire him to crow). But maybe, just maybe, some of those first eggs will be fertile? Can you borrow the incubator again?

You know, that was part of my original plan, before my neighbors suddenly turned on me and decided the chickens are not okay. I was thinking that I'd keep one favorite rooster, put a crow collar on him, and keep him long enough to have some 100% in-the-family babies. Now after the neighbors started this war, a mature rooster is out of the question, collar or not, but if things work out just right... If the girls start laying and he starts mounting before crowing, I'm definitely going to keep some eggs and borrow the incubator again! I feel like the chances are low, which would make these babies extra extra special, so I'll have to try hatching them! The chicks are all 20 weeks old now, and the girls aren't looking close to POL yet. Combs are pale and pink, nobody's squatting, and I can't fit two fingers between their pelvic bones yet. I'm glad he's a late bloomer, because I want to be able to enjoy him as long as possible. He has always been the runt of the brood (though you wouldn't be able to tell by his personality!) He's still smaller than the female Orps, both visually and by weight, and looks less developed than the other male Orps did a month ago when I butchered them. I'm hoping that the lack of other males nearby will buy us more time, and he won't feel the need to crow soon.

You also mentioned getting some more partridge Orpington eggs from Papa's and doing another small hatch. It would be his cousins rather than offspring, but I think that is another good option if you really want partridges.

Yeah, I've thought about that, too. Though I'm not impressed by Papa's partridges, to be honest. They had the lowest hatch rate - 1 out of 6, and he said they were a project breed, so I wonder if he just hasn't worked out the kinks yet. They're not even listed on the website, he just told me about his projects and asked if I wanted to give them a try. With shipping and everything, they aren't cheap, only to have most of them fail... (by comparison, the Lemon Orpington eggs I ordered from him had a 100% hatch rate - every single egg he sent me hatched!) So I'm still on the fence about that option, but haven't given up on it quite yet. I might try to hatch eggs from my boy first (whether from my hens if the stars align, or from my friend's), give Papa another year or two to work on his stock, and then try his partridges again.

 

[MaryAlice]

I've been following your hatching adventure from the start and it has inspired me. One of my favorite threads on this site!

Anyway, I am no expert on chicken genetics, so I have nothing to add about that. But from reading your thread, I think the best bet would be that if your friend has an Orpington of any color, get eggs or chicks from that hen and your boy. It seems to me that what is the most important to your family is that Orpington cuddliness, and it wouldn't matter so much what color his daughters are.

I am surprised he isn't crowing yet (late bloomer?). I wonder if it is at all possible that your girls will start laying before he starts crowing (well, probably not, since the girls coming to POL will likely inspire him to crow). But maybe, just maybe, some of those first eggs will be fertile? Can you borrow the incubator again?

You also mentioned getting some more partridge Orpington eggs from Papa's and doing another small hatch. It would be his cousins rather than offspring, but I think that is another good option if you really want partridges.

I am trying too rehome a partridge orpington male from a pa pas egg he is a gorgeous bird I have several really beautiful rare color oops from pa pas but got 7 males to 3 females but the quality is so good I recommend keep trying until you get the girls rather than mixed breeds as you may not get orpington I so love mine im going to stay with them good luck males is a problem here.may move

 

[K0k0shka]

I am trying too rehome a partridge orpington male from a pa pas egg he is a gorgeous bird I have several really beautiful rare color oops from pa pas but got 7 males to 3 females but the quality is so good I recommend keep trying until you get the girls rather than mixed breeds as you may not get orpington I so love mine im going to stay with them good luck males is a problem here.may move

My boy died suddenly so no hope for hatching his babies, but I will definitely order more eggs from Papa's this spring and hope I get a girl or two. I agree, his birds are gorgeous and their personalities are great, so I'm definitely going back for more!