Lavender Orpington project ....

[hinkjc]

It's not tied to breed since they are project birds, but to proper selection and culling. As with any breeding program, if orpington is the goal, the birds should be grown out and properly selected for positive traits for the orpington breed. If folks just continue to cross project birds, the conformation will not be improved upon and they will never match a specific breed. Anyone seriously working with them as orps should be breeding them back to excellent black orps to continue improvement for conformation and type and properly selecting ongoing breeders.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Jody,
I have a couple of the earlier generation birds and then the new ones. WOW! You have really really made progress! I put them side by side, and it is very evident! Thank you for all your hard work, and for sharing with us!

 

[Newyorkrita]

Quote:
They're

*I don't need Lavender Orpingtons ... I DON'T NEED LAVENDER ORPINGTONS .... .... .... i need lavender orpingtons

*

Ditto, and chanting with you. LOL

So I was really, really looking at the chicks today as I was ready to feed them their mealworm treats. They are all about the same size but the difference in the feathers of one little lavender and the others is quite amazing. She has a long tail and lots of wing feathers showing. Some of the others have no tail at all yet. Most have hardly anything starting there. So I am thinking she.

I was also looking closely at combs and wattles. She has the very smallest comb, very pale and no wattles starting at all. They are 3 weeks Saturday.

 

[hinkjc]

Thanks so much kathy! It is nice to know there are folks out there who are interested in progressing the project forward. I wish you much success with yours.

newyorkrita - don't be surprised to have some slow feathering females in there. The lav project is not sexable by plumage growth, as they were not bred for that. Keeping my fingers crossed for more girls for you.

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

Quote:
I'm not sure that this answers your question but I know in the beginning the Lavender color was introduced useing Lavender Ameraucanas. Pretty sure I'm right but someone correct me if I am wrong. This is what I have been told.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I only have 2 roosters and 2 hens at the moment. They are about 4 months old. One rooster is quite a bit bigger than the other.
My hens:

The larger rooster "#51". We just call them by their band number, no fancy names.

 

[hinkjc]

For anyone who followed our project, it is clear they were not developed from lav ameraucana. The bird is pictured in my avatar is straight combed and much bulkier/larger than any ameraucana I have ever seen. The bird was not a breed, but as I've said before - a combination of genes to begin the project.

 

[Newyorkrita]

Quote:
I just like to look and see if I can figgure anything out as far as pullets goes. Since I am not going to breed (no roosters allowed) and only looking for some pretty hens I am not even that much concerned with how well they adhere to the Orps standard. All will be pretty to me and thats what counts. And I will not be setting the breed back if they don't turn out to be really great quaity. So I like to ammuse myself by seeing if I have any early guesses and whether they turn out later to be acurate or not. I sure do hope I have more than one pullet but time will tell.

They are all nice and fiesty

The chicks already do the run and fly at each other chest butts. I figgure they are sorting out dominence in the little flock of six. What I don't know is if that would be common behavior for all batches of chicks or it is means that they are roosters. This is only my second hatch and my first is only two week older batch of three (not Orphs). I never saw my older ones do that at all.

 

[Newyorkrita]

Quote:
I have never seen a Lavender Ameraucana. Is the color on the Orps and Americaunas the same?

 

[wilds of pa]

yes lavender is lavender, whether on ameraucana, araucana, orpington etc..