I want a columbian mini Orpington for mothers day, how do I get it

nunlef

In the Brooder
8 Years
Jun 23, 2011
85
10
43
Northern Virginia
I realize it may be mothers day 2015, but I am willing to wait for perfection. I have been reviewing the genetics calculator and every post I can find, but I guess I just wasn't cut out for creating the formula on my own (I make pretty good coffee, though ;) )

I originally wanted a bantam Orpington with a lavender body and a columbian pattern, but I guess that's not possible.

I don't really want a true bantam, I would just like a nice family chicken that isn't too big. I like the size of my marans, but I have a lot of preschool aged relatives that come over, and anything bigger than my smallest BCM tends to be intimidating.

I can only use birds that are super docile, again, even the marans can be a little bossy. That is why I'm saying Orpington, I also really like their proportions. They have a nice square body and tend toward gentleness.

So, I no longer care what it takes, I want my perfect chicken. Please, somebody help me get a good start. I can buy up to 10 chickens immediately, but would have to wait a few months before adding more. I currently have FBCM, columbian rocks, and buff orpingtons. I have lavender orpingtons in the incubator right now.

If you help me, I'll even give you a dozen eggs in a few years ;)
 
i would buy a Lav orpington bantam male and a columbian rock LF female

mate them to get 100% split, that gives lav gene but they look like columbian rocks


then breed Lav Orp bantan with the smallest hen you have from F1

that should give you 25% lav hackle orps

if you was to breed your F1 together you would get 25% coranation sussexs

but then this ratio is only accurate when you hatch extreamly large amount of eggs
 
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That sounds like a great plan. Thanks! Unfortunately, I don't think bantam lavender orpingtons exist here. I googled until my fingers were sore, and I can't seem to find them on a US website. I have a reasonable budget for this project, but I'm not sure about importing - I hear that's in the 10k range, and I'm not sure I'm THAT great of a mother :)

Also, I thought that color patterns came from the rooster, is that only certain types of patterns?

Thanks,
Heather
 
i mentioned bantam due to you asking about size

crossing a FL with a bantam should give you a size of chicken in between

you could always try the other way round and swap the orp for LF and Columbian to bantam

the colour, patern, size, eggs, body shape is all down to dominaint genes

and you can use the punnet square for that

as for lav hakles i understand there is a breeding guide you can follow

again as i said you would need to hatch out loads to get the ratios mentioned



Quote:
hope fully there you can get the hackles and the orp
 
You are going to have to find a male columbian bantam to mate with the lav orpington females. Once you have found the male ( and the larger the better) you can get started. Post again when you have found the male.

Tim
 
(I make pretty good coffee, though
wink.png
)


oh and one more thing

can i get mine milky please
wink.png
 
I don't know what bantam Orps are out there and what are rare and not rare, but the quickest way to do it if possible is Buff Orp x Black/Blue/Splash bantam Orp, or even a Chocolate Orp will do, and work from there, quickest way is F1 x F1 or you can also go F1 x Black, and back to the Buff again.

Point is, Columbian already is/can be Wheaten with Columbian restrictor gene. Buffs already have that, just, with many other genes too. Adding a solid extended black (or also blue, splash, or chocolate) will break up the genes in Buff and allow you to, down the road of either 1 more or 2-3 more generations, pick out the one with only the Columbian gene and pure Wheaten, nothing else. Also, BBS birds in most if not all cases carry the silver gene, which is essential in getting you a "Light" or silver Columbian instead of a Buff Columbian. Now, I don't have full experience working with Wheaten-based Columbians, not even sure they will look as nice as Partridge based, but, it's a start.

Or you can always add Partridge Orps into the scenario but it will be a longer road, especially considering I think there's, what, 2-5 people in the US with such? Or none? Can't remember if they've already been imported yet or not.
 
oh and one more thing

can i get mine milky please ;)


sorry, here in the wilds of northern Virginia, we drink it black ( that joke really only works if you live around here, NoVa is laced with tech ridden industry and former millionaires who think they are farmers because they planted a few tomatoes, I would fit right I if I had ever been rich ;) )


I don't know what bantam Orps are out there and what are rare and not rare, but the quickest way to do it if possible is Buff Orp x Black/Blue/Splash bantam Orp, or even a Chocolate Orp will do, and work from there, quickest way is F1 x F1 or you can also go F1 x Black, and back to the Buff again.

Point is, Columbian already is/can be Wheaten with Columbian restrictor gene. Buffs already have that, just, with many other genes too. Adding a solid extended black (or also blue, splash, or chocolate) will break up the genes in Buff and allow you to, down the road of either 1 more or 2-3 more generations, pick out the one with only the Columbian gene and pure Wheaten, nothing else. Also, BBS birds in most if not all cases carry the silver gene, which is essential in getting you a "Light" or silver Columbian instead of a Buff Columbian. Now, I don't have full experience working with Wheaten-based Columbians, not even sure they will look as nice as Partridge based, but, it's a start.

Or you can always add Partridge Orps into the scenario but it will be a longer road, especially considering I think there's, what, 2-5 people in the US with such? Or none? Can't remember if they've already been imported yet or not.


Would you put a standard orp over a bantam hen? Without being too crude, Wouldn't that cause some issues for the girl? The orpington is a pretty hefty bird.
Also, would a lavender male over buff female work the same way? I already have those- they just need to mature first.
And I did find 2 people here that have bantam lavenders, I pm'd them this morning, so hopefully I can get this going by summer.

Thanks so much, I even considered going in with someone to import, but I'm a die hard DIYer, and this project will keep me out of trouble ;)
 
You are going to have to find a male columbian bantam to mate with the lav orpington females. Once you have found the male ( and the larger the better) you can get started. Post again when you have found male



Thanks,
That's what I thought, too, but columbian orps don't exist, so I think I would need to use a bantam Wyandotte. I hear their temperament is frequently not the greatest. I would rather take more time than create a generation of birds that I couldn't potentially keep. Although I would be selling of anything that didn't fit in with my profile, I am prepared... Oh wait, I just realized you can eat chickens ;). Hmmm, I have been using that argument for not breeding my dog for so long, I forgot chickens would never really go to waste ;)
I guess option 2 is finding some bantam columbian wyandottes and see where that road takes me. Ideal does have a sale on bantams right now ;). My husband is going to LOVE this turn of events.
 

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