Lavender orpington with yellow legs and beak

[druzana]

Hi, I hatched 10 lavs from eggs I purchased online. All chicks were light grey with dark legs and beaks except one. He was mostly yellow, white legs and beak, with grey spot on head and back. Person I purchased from said he is a white mutant? and will carry the lavender gene. He is now 4 months, pretty bird but a darker grey than my lavs and still very light yellow legs and beak. Does anyone know if it's true he would carry the lav gene or should I cut him from my flock?

 

[speckledhen]

Hi, I hatched 10 lavs from eggs I purchased online. All chicks were light grey with dark legs and beaks except one. He was mostly yellow, white legs and beak, with grey spot on head and back. Person I purchased from said he is a white mutant? and will carry the lavender gene. He is now 4 months, pretty bird but a darker grey than my lavs and still very light yellow legs and beak. Does anyone know if it's true he would carry the lav gene or should I cut him from my flock?

Well, if you want to breed Orpingtons, you don't want a bird with yellow skin/legs in the gene pool. Orpingtons have white skin and it's hard to get rid of yellow skin. The problem is that the others may carry the gene and not show it. I had that issue with BBS Orps from Sandhill Preservation. The parents had proper slate legs and white skin, but on occasion, a yellow legged chick would pop out of a hatch.


As far as the "white mutant" statement, never heard that one before. Obviously, it didn't end up white.

 

[Michael OShay]

Well, if you want to breed Orpingtons, you don't want a bird with yellow skin/legs in the gene pool. Orpingtons have white skin and it's hard to get rid of yellow skin. The problem is that the others may carry the gene and not show it. I had that issue with BBS Orps from Sandhill Preservation. The parents had proper slate legs and white skin, but on occasion, a yellow legged chick would pop out of a hatch.


As far as the "white mutant" statement, never heard that one before. Obviously, it didn't end up white.

X2 on Speckled hen. If your aim is to breed pure Lavender Orpingtons, you need to remove this "mutant" from the flock so he won't breed those undesired characteristics into the next generation.

 

[BantamLover21]

X2 on Speckled hen. If your aim is to breed pure Lavender Orpingtons, you need to remove this "mutant" from the flock so he won't breed those undesired characteristics into the next generation.

x3

 

[Wyandottes7]

Well, if you want to breed Orpingtons, you don't want a bird with yellow skin/legs in the gene pool. Orpingtons have white skin and it's hard to get rid of yellow skin. The problem is that the others may carry the gene and not show it. I had that issue with BBS Orps from Sandhill Preservation. The parents had proper slate legs and white skin, but on occasion, a yellow legged chick would pop out of a hatch.


As far as the "white mutant" statement, never heard that one before. Obviously, it didn't end up white.

X3 on this advice.

 

[druzana]

Thanks for all reply's. I was afraid I might have to get rid of him, he is a really nice bird.

 

[donrae]

Getting rid of him or not is a personal management decision, but I agree he isn't breeding stock for pure bred birds. Breed the best to the best, and he's not the best.

 

[speckledhen]

Getting rid of him or not is a personal management decision, but I agree he isn't breeding stock for pure bred birds. Breed the best to the best, and he's not the best.

I agree with Rachel here. You could certainly keep him as a free range flock rooster with some layers if you really like him, but to breed from him to propagate Lavender Orpingtons is not what you'd want to do.