Mottled Orps and Black Orp Pullet pics

[speckledhen]

Adam and I were talking about the Mottled ones way before you got yours, Julie. If you had been working on them then, I certainly would have told him about them. They are so pretty! I hope your breeding program is a huge success!

 

[herechickchick]

Julie,

I do not know of anyone with the mottled in the US. I know of an English breeder but I have had no luck contacting her. It is really frustrating when you see these stunning birds being developed in The UK and Europe and not in the US, and it takes an act of God and a small fortune to get them into this country from the European Breeders. I am very interested in the Golden Laced Orpingtons and would love to work on them, however I have no background in genetics and finding reliable sources of information is difficult. It just drives me crazy, but thank you for the info on the eggs and I will be in touch once you are up and running with them.

Thanks Adam

 

[EweSheep]

We have to START somewhere, dont we? Importing birds cost an arm and leg and with the bird flu going on, US or UK may not want to import or export birds yet until the bird flu dies down. Possible with hatching eggs but its so slim hatching them.

By all means, start with crossing your gold laced and take it from there. You will have to cull hard and heavy to get the specifications of an Orpingtons. If you kow of a breeder in UK, by all means, keep in touch with them.

 

[jimnjay]

Julie, I was playing around and googled Mottled genetics. This site recaps the attempt to development of Mottled Game Birds. I don't know if it would help because there appears to have been Spangled Game Birds to use. I wonder if Mottling could be introduced to the Orp thru a cross with the Standard Cochin. I know the buff color in Silkies was introduced that way as was the Cuckoo. It would probably be the devil to get rid of the feathered feed however.

http://www.wirelink.com/poultry/mottled.html

 

[Julie in Al]

Jaynie, thanks I read that article, very interesting. The funny thing is that they bred the Mottled to a Black Roo and gave me some day olds they hatched before I got there. They did not think I would get a mottled from the cross. I call when the chicks were about three weeks old cause it looked like a lot of white coming in on the black chicks. The toes on this one stayed very pink. He has white legs like the Mottled and like buffs have. Also same eye color. I think if I breed him back to hen and get some mottled chicks then maybe I can add black back again and hopefully still get some mottled so I can get some different lines going.
Adam he is young. He is going to be huge. He looks tall and lanky right now but he is just turning 5 months later this month. They don't really reach their full potential till about 18 months
I wish we could get some of the European colors here too. Looks like we will just have to create with the help of the Good Lord.