October hatch "Grow-a-long"🐥

[3KillerBs]

@3KillerBs We think we have a Black Australorp, but we're not sure whether she's a Black Orpington or not. I'm leaning towards Black Orpington because of how she looks general, but I just call her a Black Australorp. If you mind, would you tell me which breed she is when I get a picture of her?

I can try, but it's extremely difficult to tell hatchery-grade Australorps and Orpingtons apart. I don't have enough experience with show-quality birds (it's remarkably hard to get images of show winners with an internet search), to be certain about anything, but it seems to me that Orpingtons are rounder and softer-looking while Australorps are, for lack of a better word, more athletic-looking.

I had a Lavender Orpington that impersonated a pale and poorly-laced Blue Australorp for the best part of a year until her shredder gene showed up. (As LOs go, her shredding wasn't too bad, actually. But she didn't fit into my flock).

Black Orpingtons are quite uncommon in the US -- I can't actually think of a hatchery that offers them -- so *most* white-skinned, all black, clean-legged chickens who come from a US hatchery are Australorps.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Just picked up these three little nuggets. They’re from November 1 but I’m going to give myself that extra day leeway and put them on this thread!
It was a three hour round-trip so we had to stop halfway home and let them have some food and water. They were quite hungry so I think they appreciated it! I asked the seller for light blue ones. Sexed from the hatchery so should be 90% chance they are female. I’ll ask you @3KillerBs to check out the combs for me when they get a few weeks older.View attachment 3314914View attachment 3314915

OMGeeze they are gorgeous! Luv the light blue coloring!!!

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

I can try, but it's extremely difficult to tell hatchery-grade Australorps and Orpingtons apart. I don't have enough experience with show-quality birds (it's remarkably hard to get images of show winners with an internet search), to be certain about anything, but it seems to me that Orpingtons are rounder and softer-looking while Australorps are, for lack of a better word, more athletic-looking.

I had a Lavender Orpington that impersonated a pale and poorly-laced Blue Australorp for the best part of a year until her shredder gene showed up. (As LOs go, her shredding wasn't too bad, actually. But she didn't fit into my flock).

Black Orpingtons are quite uncommon in the US -- I can't actually think of a hatchery that offers them -- so *most* white-skinned, all black, clean-legged chickens who come from a US hatchery are Australorps.

Thank you! From the sounds of it, she must be a Black Orpington. We didn't get her from a hatchery, we got her by "accident". I'll explain more if needed.

What is a shredder gene, though? Interested to see what that means.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you! From the sounds of it, she must be a Black Orpington. We didn't get her from a hatchery, we got her by "accident". I'll explain more if needed.

What is a shredder gene, though? Interested to see what that means.

One way to get a Black Orpington is to breed a Lavender Orpington to any other Orpington color.

The Lavender color is *almost* always associated with a gene that creates a feather quality problem called "shredding".

Here's my girl, Silver, with a very mild case:

See how her feathers are all separated and don't "zip" up nicely?

Here's a much worse case:

To reduce the problem, careful breeders of Lavender birds (not just Orpingtons, any Lavender Breed), breed back to black to create splits then breed the splits together instead of breeding Lavender to Lavender. It results in fewer Lavender birds, but they are of better quality.

 

[3KillerBs]

And some bad pictures of them sleeping in a pile in the integration pen.

Not inside their huddle box, just in a pile.

Silly birds!

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

One way to get a Black Orpington is to breed a Lavender Orpington to any other Orpington color.

The Lavender color is *almost* always associated with a gene that creates a feather quality problem called "shredding".

Here's my girl, Silver, with a very mild case:

See how her feathers are all separated and don't "zip" up nicely?

Here's a much worse case:

To reduce the problem, careful breeders of Lavender birds (not just Orpingtons, any Lavender Breed), breed back to black to create splits then breed the splits together instead of breeding Lavender to Lavender. It results in fewer Lavender birds, but they are of better quality.

This is very helpful! Is the Black gene for Orpingtons rare, then?

 

[3KillerBs]

This is very helpful! Is the Black gene for Orpingtons rare, then?

IIRC, Black Orpingtons are more popular and more common in the UK than in the US.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

IIRC, Black Orpingtons are more popular and more common in the UK than in the US.

Alright, thanks for all of the information! I will get some pictures of our possible Black Orpington when she isn't in molt, or either find old pictures of her.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I definitely have a lil frizzle in the Cochin hatch! One definitely is a boy (comb popped at 2 weeks).
Sure hoping the frizzle and black beak one are girls!!!

20221106_153148.jpg

• Gammas Bearded Babies
• Nov 6, 2022

20221106_153158.mp4

• Gammas Bearded Babies
• Nov 6, 2022

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Put the 3 little newbies in with the younger Silkies that are 13 days old today. No squabbling whatsoever and it’s like they’ve been there the whole time.