New Arrivals!

[3KillerBs]

These little cuties were hatched by a friend on April 10. I wasn't supposed to get them until my new coop was ready but she needs to list her house and thus to reduce the chicken population so she asked me to take them early -- along with a long-term loaner coop to put them in.

She overwhelmed me with equipment so the coop is still on the trailer at least until the 15yo is home from school to help unload, but I made the little ones comfortable in the dog crate/broody breaker -- taking it off it's pallet and adding extra siding for rain and anti-peck protection.

I'd thought they were the product of a Lavender Orpington rooster over SLW hens, but she had a Blue-Laced Red Wyandotte rooster that she hadn't mentioned when talking about her Lavender rooster and she had separated the breeds for a month.

But with what little I know about chicken genetics I didn't think BLRW over SLW should produce black chicks with no striping. ????? The hens look normal with nice lacing. The rooster has been sold so I didn't see him -- maybe he had some weird genetics going on?

Here they are. I haven't banded them yet so I can't tell individuals apart. I'm sure they're too young to make any kind of reliable determination of sex (unless BLW over SLW is a sex-link?).

P.S. They've been off heat for a week.

 

[cherrynberry]

just by looking, they dont look like they have laces, or are a product of crossing a GLW or BLW, they look sort of like an australorp honestly

 

[3KillerBs]

No Australorps in the flock. Buff Orpington and SLW hens and the two roosters mentioned above. I saw the hens and they're lovely SLWs.

 

[Henriettta]

Perhaps these would be considered split?

 

[cherrynberry]

No Australorps in the flock. Buff Orpington and SLW hens and the two roosters mentioned above. I saw the hens and they're lovely SLWs.

odd, I think they are more of an orphington cross than a red blue laced wyandotte cross SLW

 

[3KillerBs]

odd, I think they are more of an orphington cross than a red blue laced wyandotte cross SLW

That's what I thought would produce black chicks.

I'll try to get her to send me photos of the roosters.

 

[cherrynberry]

odd, I think they are more of an orphington cross than a red blue laced wyandotte cross SLW

I meant red laced blue wyandotte, honestly, I am not too sure how green legs got in the mix

 

[FuzzyCritters]

I'd thought they were the product of a Lavender Orpington rooster over SLW hens

They are! None of the other breed combos would produce solid black chicks.

 

[cherrynberry]

I know @Overo Mare is great at genetics, breeds, and such

 

[FuzzyCritters]

I meant red laced blue wyandotte, honestly, I am not too sure how green legs got in the mix

Those are slate legs, which are normal for solid black chickens.