OHio ~ Come on Buckeyes, let me know your out there!

[minihorse927]

I am just excited over these chocolates. I can't hardly wait to get home from work so I can sort them out and take more pictures of all the cuteness. I hatched 1 pure black and 1 pure blue plus 4 choc orps(one egg left) and 5 choc AM's(one egg left here also). I lost one pure black AM egg and one choco AM egg at lockdown. One fully formed and yolk absorbed just failed to pip internally and the other was a day 19/20 death. I can not complain with what I hatched from those eggs and there was even a broken egg in the box when I received it so I know the PO was rough on them. 5 of 9 choc orps went to lockdown, 3 of 3 BBS AM's went to lockdown, and 7 of 11(?, I honestly think I had 11 that went in at first but can not remember) choc AM's to lockdown. Pretty good hatch I think. Hoping the other 2 eggs hatch out while I am at work.

 

[minihorse927]

the ameraucanas should be dark legged and the orps should be almost white legged - that doesnt mean the breeding was done properly, but it might help.

They came from someone reputable so now it's just weeding out the possibilities. I really think I know which one it is but at hatch their legs mostly look the same. Wait, do orps have white pads or yellow on the bottom of their feet? I can't remember.

That might be my ticket to telling them apart.

 

[loveourbirds]

on the buffs and the lemon cuckoos (the only orps im familliar with) they have all white legs with white pads.. i think all orps are supposed to have white legs, but double check me on this.

 

[minihorse927]

on the buffs and the lemon cuckoos (the only orps im familliar with) they have all white legs with white pads.. i think all orps are supposed to have white legs, but double check me on this.

I am going to check my older choc orps because I know their legs changed as they aged and they lost the darker coloring they had there as chicks. I am thinking you are right on leg color on the orps. Darn about white, the AM's are suppose to be white on the bottom too. Guess I will just leave the mystery chick(s) unmarked until they get some age. The one that had the different shape/size head had a little different coloration on it's face than the choc orps I hatched earlier and the ones I know from this batch were the orps for sure. I really only have 2 chicks I can't tell apart. The 3 choc orps were still wet this morning and only one completely dry orp and the mystery dry AM. I will take some pics tomorrow probably if I can't figure it out and see if you might be able to help.

ETA: chocolate orpington breed description states pale legs. I am 99% sure mine are white or almost white. The AM's should have the slate legs so hopefully if it comes to it in a few weeks I can tell between the two.

 

[loveourbirds]

when i mix a pen like that accidently, i let them grow out and if i have any question of what they are as adults, i eat the roosters and sell the hens as "unknown layers"... if i cant tell the breed, then i assume the type and color is to far off to work with.

 

[minihorse927]

when i mix a pen like that accidently, i let them grow out and if i have any question of what they are as adults, i eat the roosters and sell the hens as "unknown layers"... if i cant tell the breed, then i assume the type and color is to far off to work with.

Good way to look at it. I figure I'm going to have some of these chocolate AM that grow out at aren't good for the project. The best looking chick is single combed but has some super fluffy cheeks and beard. The others have either a small beard and muffs out no beard at all. I figure grow them out and go from there.

 

[Stevens21]

if she is looking for a young female i have a little girl named skittles she is very cute.i will ask my husband if he is willing to part with her.he might not though.but i know he will be willing to sell rubys mom cuz we have four full grown females right now.

She is looking for a young one if possible

 

[big medicine]

when i mix a pen like that accidently, i let them grow out and if i have any question of what they are as adults, i eat the roosters and sell the hens as "unknown layers"... if i cant tell the breed, then i assume the type and color is to far off to work with.

Well said.

What I have witnessed in some of the Brahma color/pattern projects is too often people get shortsighted and put so much emphasis on color and or pattern, at the expense of type, often resulting in a pretty bird of generic type. Far and away the most important thing with breeding birds, be they an accepted variety or developing a project color, is to develope an eye for proper type, and breed toward it. Given the choice between a perfectly colored/patterened bird of so so type, and a so so marked bird of perfect type, I would lean toward the bird of proper type. This is what often distinguishes a breeder from a reproducer. It is much easier to fine tune the color on a proper Brahma canvas than to try to make that pretty generic looking bird look like a Brahma after the fact.

 

[minihorse927]

They've all dried and they are all sorted. The one has a tiny little beard and muffs so easily distinguished. 4 chocolate orps, 5 chocolate AM's(one is black split) and one pure blue AM and one pure black AM. Not a bad hatch.

 

[loveourbirds]

i just read it somewhere, "its best to build a house before you paint it." it can take 5 breedings to get decent type on hatchery birds. you can get good color in 2 or 3 generations usually.

in show, type means more than color. but wrong colors or type can get you disqualified.

never trust someone's advice on show birds either. if you dont know what your buying, dont pay show bird prices. i see so many people spend $20 and up for a silver duckwing OEGB and it have white in the breast feathers. white feathers in the breast of a silver duckwing male is a disqualification.