I think i hatched dalmations😂

[Porpie Pie]

I can't wait to see what these chicks turn into. I've got 3 yellow ones. 1 came from what I was told was a blue orpington hen and was either fertilized by a black orpie roo or my old english bantam. The other 2 where brown eggs so either red sex link hens, buff orpie hen or my jersey giant hen. The bigger they get the more spots they get.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you, killer.
I didn't understand that, and I appreciate the correction. I don't want to pass on incorrect information.

That's the one piece of chicken genetics I really understand -- since I'm working on breeding blues.

 

[3KillerBs]

So even though your rooster is black in color, he is technically bbs, and can pass the blue color to offsprings.

That's not correct. Black is the absence of any Blue genes. Blue means 1 copy, splash means 2 copies.

 

[janiedoe]

Does your black orpington carry the blue feathering gene? Is he bbs- blue, black, splash?
They look splash to me, so if he does, I'd say they are from him and the splash orpington hen. That would make them pure BBS orpington.
In any case, they are really cute.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I feel like the genetics of blue, black, and splash are the foundation of most people's understanding of genetics. I'm pretty sure that was one of the first genes I had a really strong understanding of as well, if not the first. Recently I've picked up Genetics of the Fowl by F.B. Hutt and in the section about blue, it talks about the size, shape, and distribution of the individual pigment granules that cause the color differences between blue and black, and that has my head spinning on it all over again!

 

[Porpie Pie]

Does your black orpington carry the blue feathering gene? Is he bbs- blue, black, splash?
They look splash to me, so if he does, I'd say they are from him and the splash orpington hen. That would make them pure BBS orpington.
In any case, they are really cute.

I'm not sure. I bought a lavendar and 2 black orpingtons from someone as chicks. ( they all turned out to be roosters so I traded the lavendar roo for the blue hen and something got my other black one they all turned out to be roosters) but here's a pic of Pollux the rooster and Evelyn the hen.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Yellow with spots like that is usually the result of having one copy of dominant white on a black background. My guess would be those are from your RSLs, as they often have one copy of dominant white as well and should pass it on to roughly half of their offspring. The chicks should be mostly white with black flecks and probably some red leakage as adults.

Cute babies!

 

[janiedoe]

Thank you, killer.
I didn't understand that, and I appreciate the correction. I don't want to pass on incorrect information.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

The white one looks just like my two Splash chickens did as chicks!
Mine aren't not Orpingtons though.

 

[3KillerBs]

You have some great looking blues! I hope you'll keep breeding langshan too. Hardly anyone seems to have them anymore. it's such a shame. They don't especially lay well, but they are friendly, and hardy.

Thank you.

I'm not intending to keep on with the Langshans. Ludwig is a splendid rooster (well, technically he's a cockerel for 2 more days), but I'm unimpressed by the hens. Not only is Sesame a poor layer (though her egg is lovely), the poor girl is the only serious bare-back in the flock.

Recently I've picked up Genetics of the Fowl by F.B. Hutt and in the section about blue, it talks about the size, shape, and distribution of the individual pigment granules that cause the color differences between blue and black, and that has my head spinning on it all over again!

That sounds fascinating -- though really complex.