Congratulations on your splash Orps! I thought I got a splash chick from under a broody gold penciled Brahma this spring, but alas, it grew up to be a super slow-to-feather Colombian which is indistinguishable from my Light Brahmas (prolly split to buff Colombian because I can't think of any other cross I had available at the time).
I'm not sure when chickrookie and I are going to make our handing off of Wun Wun possible, but I'm open to taking in another big boy. I've always been a sucker for the crele color on Bielies, and their big dark eggs and fluffy personalities are hardly a turn-off for me.
Let me know if you'd like to hold one for you, and whether you have an age preference. I have 2 months down to less than a week old and they're getting culled Wednesday otherwise. They are handsome roos. Hopper is camera shy but I'll look for a photo. He has proper tail carriage (obtuse angle). Mostly Omega Hills line. His sons look good, too. Hopper is also my quietest roo. Mostly he doesn't bother because some Orp is always crowing!
At least I'm confident about my splash babies! The girls were all with one blue roo, and I've been hatching eggs out of one black and one blue hen from Fancy Chick lines. I can tell their eggs apart and my two splash came from the blue x blue breeding, as expected, and I can see a few blue feathers on a wing of one chick already. I should have had more splash, including last year, but it just didn't happen! Still, when they first hatched, I was like "what on earth are THESE?!?!?"
My current hatch, since it's just from two hens, is on a rolling basis. On average I get 1-2 chicks a day. I actually am finding this enjoyable. As they hit about a week old, I move them into my mid size brooder box to make room for new littles. I only have a handful more of these eggs to go.
Then my genetic test eggs start. My other blue roo is out of a black/lavender split roo (the avatar photo, Cogburn). I put Junior in with my best lavender hen and have 7 dated eggs. If I get no lavs, I will be thrilled. Otherwise I will get about half lavs but have to cull or rehome Junior, who is a blue version of daddy. I am hoping his dark eyes are telling me he doesn't carry lav. Sometimes intermediate eye color is a clue that a black is split to lav, but some splits have dark eyes.
