Lavender Orpington and cross breeding??

[SeaAggieShelby15]

I have a beautiful Lavender Orpington rooster named Mr. Grey. I would like to cross him with some of my hens I currently have? I understand about the recessive gene in the Lavender color and how black will end up showing through on a First Gen chick. I am curious which breed if hen, if any would be a good match for a first generation and then then the first generation could make a 2nd gen with Mr. Grey and I could possibly see some Lavender show through?

I have Speckled Sussex, Salmon Favorelle, Dominique, Delaware, Easter Egger and Olive Egger (predominantly Black and Tan), and Buff Orp (which I know is a bad match).

Any advice would help, thanks!!

 

[lilmillefleur]

IMO, I imagine EE crosses looking cool.
All of them are pretty good matches tbh, since they all would throw black chicks recessive for lav and some other things.
Dominique and delawares would make sexlink chicks though, so maybe those would be best.

 

[SeaAggieShelby15]

Can you please explain what sexlink means?

 

[lilmillefleur]

Of course. A sexlink is a chicken you can tell the gender of at hatch usually because of down color or pattern. With the chicks you would get, the males would grow up to look more like Dominiques and the females would be black. At hatch, the males will have a white dot on their heads and the females will not. Dominique and Delawares would be the only breeds you have that would produce sexlinks when crossed to a non barred/cuckoo bird. (ie your orpington rooster)

 

[The Moonshiner]

Sex links are when you cross two breeds that then produce chicks that can be sexed at hatch by their pattern.
Certain genes are sex linked. Barring is one.
The Dominique is your best cross. It will produce black chicks. Male chicks will hatch with a yellowish dot on top of their heads. Pullets will not have the dots on their heads. Pullets will mature black. Males will mature barred like their mother.
Cross the pullets back to their father and you should get about half black chicks and half lavender chicks.
Personally I'd stay away from crossing to birds with a lot of buff, red, gold colors.

 

[Kiki]

Sexlink chicks are excellent if you plan on selling them.

 

[SeaAggieShelby15]

What about this pullet Easter Egger?

 

[MartinsPoultry]

We did this, this year.
Our Cockerels in main flock
English Orp - Blue x1
English Orp - Black x1
Light Brahma - x1
Silkie x1
Cochin mutt x1 in main

Our girls as followed.
Easter Egger x2
Barred Plymouth Rock x8
Australorp x4
RiR x Production Red x3
RiR x EE x1
Production Red x1
Welsummer x1
Light Brahma x1 introducing x5 more once big enough.
Silver Laced Wyandottes x4 (all four have 1 foot in dinner plate)
Brown Leg Horn x1

 

[SeaAggieShelby15]

We did this, this year.
Our Cockerels in main flock
English Orp - Blue x1
English Orp - Black x1
Light Brahma - x1
Silkie x1
Cochin mutt x1 in main

Our girls as followed.
Easter Egger x2
Barred Plymouth Rock x8
Australorp x4
RiR x Production Red x3
RiR x EE x1
Production Red x1
Welsummer x1
Light Brahma x1 introducing x5 more once big enough.
Silver Laced Wyandottes x4 (all four have 1 foot in dinner plate)
Brown Leg Horn x1

 

[SeaAggieShelby15]

Not really sure what your list means? I'm sorry.