Is this a defect? Please advise about my Blue Orpingtons!

[pips&peeps]

Quote:
It would tell you if the bird is extended black or carrying partridge/brown.

 

[DawnSuiter]

how many would I have to hatch to know for sure?

and would I know for sure if it were ER or eb in the offspring... or would there just be another question at that point?
I think ER & eb look similar in the chick down.... right?

 

[Goose and Fig]

If you were carrying partridge in an Orp.........

I'd run with it! I think it's just the sun.

 

[lildinkem]

Just a stab, could it be caused by the food? I read that grain based food yellows the White birds.

 

[DawnSuiter]

hey bill. do you see what I see though, some folks aren't even seeing the problem? and is it possible for the food or the sun to just mess up this feather and that feather, but not all the feathers?

it could be yellowing.. from corn... why not, right?

I guess I'm just making mountains maybe....
it's just that these girls & boy really, have always had "weird" feathers... here is an older picture... you can see along the front the SUPER shiny SILVER/CYAN/BLUE feathering... they still have some of those... bizarre.... so when I saw how much distortion there was compared to before.. it does make sense for it to be diet or sun I guess... just as much as genetics though no?

but is the funky feathering a defect??? Will it count against them in a show? Is this something they will pass onto their offspring? etc...

 

[Goose and Fig]

I doubt it's genetic at all. It happens in likely all blue birds that get a lot of time in the sun. It's just how the color is. My LF cochins have the exact same thing- it may just be a few feathers, or it can be big swaths of it. If you want to show, I would limit the show birds UV exposure. They can still be outside- but maybe with some of that sun screening to cover a run or something.

 

[lildinkem]

Dawn
I wouldn't worry about it. I have some of Jean Ribbeck's Ameraucana Blues, Some Blehm Blues they have that same thing. And I got a Blue Orp girl or two who has it. Now, notice that you don't have it in your males. At least that is what I noticed.
Try feeding them a meat protein based food. I did stop the yellowing on my Birchen male when I changed. He gets some free ranging in. But winter limits the proteins he takes in.

 

[DawnSuiter]

Quote:
OMG... you have ameraucanas

....how could I NOT HAVE SEEN THAT BEFORE??? bill do you have your NPIP certification???

 

[lildinkem]

Quote:
OMG... you have ameraucanas

....how could I NOT HAVE SEEN THAT BEFORE??? bill do you have your NPIP certification???

I am gettin my NPIP from Andy LaRue. $60 for a 100 birds that should cover me. I just talked to him via Email 2 days ago. I should have it done by the end of the month.
Yeah, I have a very small flock of Blues. 3 pullets 3 cockerels. of these Blue Ameraucanas. This is a very slow project. I have alot more going on with my Black Orpingtons. I plan on taking the boy I got from Julie and put him on all my number one pens girls. Each girls to herself is entirely different from any other in that pen. All those girls were hatched out by their respective breeders. I should have 6 completely new and different lines at the end of the summer. On top of what I have presaently.
And my Buff Orp project is just as ambicious. I seen that the two Buffs that won at Stockton CA this weekend are from the same breeder who I just got my two new cockerels from. One cockerel is pure Ewert and the other is 85%. I need those for my best Doug girls. So, I have small and tite pens for my breeding program. Usually 2 girls to each boy. And only my best.

 

[DawnSuiter]

I just want like 4 or 5 blue egg layers for variety in my egg shack... they are so hard to find. those lay blue eggs right?