Lavender Orpingtons - is there an easier way to tell gender?

[ColtHandorf]

If you have the room, I'd separate the Lavenders from the rest ... Keeping them from "mixing".

Just to clarify, this information is incorrect. I would suggest putting the Mottled birds together and the solid birds together with opposite colored roosters covering the hens as I suggested. If you pair Black x Black or Black Mottled x Black Mottled you won't get Lavenders and the percentage of splits goes down significantly.

 

[Nikkimik161]

How old are they? Looks like lots of boys.

There are quite a bit of males, from what I can tell. The woman I bought from said that about half are males.

Just to clarify, this information is incorrect. I would suggest putting the Mottled birds together and the solid birds together with opposite colored roosters covering the hens as I suggested. If you pair Black x Black or Black Mottled x Black Mottled you won't get Lavenders and the percentage of splits goes down significantly.

Thank you for that information! I did not know that. If I do decide to breed them I will remember this.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Thank you for that information! I did not know that. If I do decide to breed them I will remember this.

No problem! Here are a few links to pages that you might like to read over:

https://poultrykeeper.com/poultry-breeding/the-lavender-gene/

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/67/22/d0/6722d0cdbd0f3c75f53fbf12035735dc.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/lavender-orpington-genetics-question.186133/

They look like nice quality birds so if you have the space, breeding them would be my choice. I am currently working with Silver-laced and Lavender Orpingtons. I'm trying to hunt down some quality Black and Blue Orpingtons to play around with Blue and Lavender Silver-laced Orpingtons.

 

[Nikkimik161]

No problem! Here are a few links to pages that you might like to read over:

https://poultrykeeper.com/poultry-breeding/the-lavender-gene/

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/67/22/d0/6722d0cdbd0f3c75f53fbf12035735dc.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/lavender-orpington-genetics-question.186133/

They look like nice quality birds so if you have the space, breeding them would be my choice. I am currently working with Silver-laced and Lavender Orpingtons. I'm trying to hunt down some quality Black and Blue Orpingtons to play around with Blue and Lavender Silver-laced Orpingtons.

I’d be interested in seeing those!!

 

[ColtHandorf]

Well here are my Silver-laced Orpingtons.

 

[2 many chickens]

The boys will have those saddle feathers going on and their waddles and combs will be a bit bigger and red

Here's my boy for example and a crappy shot of one of my girls

 

[2 many chickens]

Irrelevant but I love orps.
They have the best personality and are beautiful

 

[Nikkimik161]

The boys will have those saddle feathers going on and their waddles and combs will be a bit bigger and red

Here's my boy for example and a crappy shot of one of my girls
View attachment 1849748 View attachment 1849750

I keep looking for the saddle feathers but maybe they are just too young yet to come in. Their comb and wattles are bigger and red which is why I think they are cockerel, but that’s the only sign I could tell right now. I’ve just read that they could be more difficult to sex then other breeds and didn’t know if there was a tell tale way of knowing right now lmao

 

[Nikkimik161]

Well here are my Silver-laced Orpingtons. View attachment 1849712 View attachment 1849713 View attachment 1849714 View attachment 1849715 View attachment 1849716 View attachment 1849717 View attachment 1849719 View attachment 1849720

They are beautiful

 

[cstephens1987]

I keep looking for the saddle feathers but maybe they are just too young yet to come in. Their comb and wattles are bigger and red which is why I think they are cockerel, but that’s the only sign I could tell right now. I’ve just read that they could be more difficult to sex then other breeds and didn’t know if there was a tell tale way of knowing right now lmao

Generally it takes 3-4 months at least before you start to see them. 4-5 before they start looking good. It's also harder to see on lavenders because they're self and tend to be a bit frazzled looking in the rump as it is