Orange Mottled Chicken!

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

Anybody?
I can't pick a rooster on my own...I just can't! I do want to help with the project but I can't be objective and I don't know enough about chicken genetics. I will just guess... and what if I pick the wrong one? I don't know what to do about the stripes, or the disappearing spots, or anything. I will just end up picking the ones I think are prettiest, in the end. That isn't necessarily the best thing.

 

[draye]

Fox for size
Easter for color.

 

[knjinnm]

What color are the legs supposed to be .... yellow, white or slate? I prefer slate colored legs.

 

[LarryPQ]

We aren't really there yet, at least to worry about silly things like combs and leg color. But you you can check Sommer's website for her "dream Aloha" specs.

alohachickens.webs.com

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

Quote:
Those are the two I'd LIKE to keep. Of the potentials they are the most personable. Easter's a bit timid, but Fox is a dear. After I took him into the house to get pics of is tail he kept following me around and cooing at me... almost like he knew what those pics could mean for him. I could just imagine him asking if there was any word yet... he wants me to keep him!

 

[alohachickens]

That is so sweet! Yours sound so friendly. Mine are friendly, but are not handled enough to be "in the house" friendly, LOL. They just get underfoot when I go out to feed them.

My babies continue to grow here, I'll have to take some more pics soon. I have a few hens that look almost identical to "Calli" but some other interesting stuff with my roosters. I wish I had more space, they are so pretty! Am limited to just two breeding pens, I don't know what I will do, because I am seeing so many nice possible roos that would be lovely to keep! There are some stunning red and whites, and one that is colored like my "Confetti" hens in white with gold and black spots, and of course the lovely orange with polka dots.

There is a HUGE chick in the brooder area that is buff (not as orange) with definate white mottling! He's almost twice the size of the other chicks! I can't wait to grow him out. Will have to get picss, but there are 30 babies in there so it's hard to get photos, they are always moving, ha ha.

 

[hencackle]

I just now found this thread. I absolutely LOVE the color and pattern.

Sure wish I more room to participate in this breeding project.

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

So how many stripes does it take to qualify as barred and be unusable? My two most spotted boys have striped hackle feathers. Otherwise I think they look good, but does this make them barred? Help! I need to know!!! I have to decide soonish.
Fox is still sucking up, and many of the others are getting friendlier too. Now that they have forgiven me for picture day, it seems everyone has realized I am (mostly) harmless. I can pet about half of them, though they try to dodge away from my hands. Only a few are still super skittish. Yeah, they always get underfoot when I try to feed them. Or change their water. Or collect eggs. Or pick up feathers... they just follow me everywhere and try to charm me into feeding them. Yesterday, they made me go through the cupboards looking for stale bread. It was just so cute the way they all ran up to see me, I had to feed the manipulative little birds. And the little monsters are SMART! They are trying to escape their pen and a number of them have almost succeeded. I wouldn't care so much, but our young dog plays lethal tag... and they only seem to try going over that side of the fence, not the side that is chicken-safe.
For whatever reason they don't like to go to bed on time. The peeps and the adults will be all tucked in and the Alohas will still be out running amok for about half an hour. Every night. Sometimes I herd them into the coop because I am impatient to escape the mosquitoes.
I have to say that they get prettier ever day. Only 2 of my girls lack noticeable white spots, and I am going to have such a tough time choosing keepers!
Anyone have input? Who would you keep of my 24?

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

At long last I have had the time, internet connection, and pictures all together at the same time to post my update!!!
Here's everyone from the beginning of August (one month after the previous pictures).
This time I improved my setup so they couldn't run off till I was satisfied with the pic. Next improvement: light on both sides of the box for better colors in pics.
I asked for input on the barring issue and found out that barring and mottling can and do coexist on a single chicken. My flock is proof of that! About half are barred, though its very subtle on most and almost all of the ones with stripes also have mottling. I am not sure how much of an issue it is, but I figure if the patterns can get along, it isn't an automatic fail. Personally, I like the striped feathers a lot where they show up (wings and saddle/hackle feathers) and some barred feathers even have white tips. These birds are so pretty!!!
So here goes in order from smallest to largest:
Hens
Sprinkles (.949 kg) She now has even more white on her

Digit (1.027 kg)

Joan (1.103 kg)

Blackbeak (1.142) Escape artist/ringleader

Puffy (1.161)

Dottie (1.177)

Flecks (1.191)Barred

Snowflake (1.207)

Goldy (1.223)Barred

Calli (1.24)Barred?

Elipses (1.533)Barred

Roosters

Xerxes (1.155)

Little Bluetail (1.238)

Stripes (1.31)Barred

Ra (1.323)Barred and possibly a teleporter...somehow escaped twice from fully enclosed run.

Nameless (1.49)Barred

Easter (1.562)Barred

Peach (1.606)

Buttercup (1.631)

Fox (1.638) Biter!

Condor (1.67) sweetheart

Cuckoo (1.678)Barred

Wings (1.678)

Big Bluetail (1.708)Barred, top of the pecking order. Shares food generously, but is a bit of a bully.

So anyone have suggestions about which 3 boys make the cut? I am keeping 2 and giving one to my new chicken partner, along with one of my speckled sussex roos.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

I know your worried about the barring but the good news is if you put an unbarred roo over barred hens all pullets will be free from barring though the roos will have it. The other way around will give half unbarred and half barred of each sex. So... if you want to keep 2 roos you could keep a large solid color unbarred one to put over the mottled and barred pullets and keep a mottled and barred roo to put over unbarred pullets. Then just select the unbarred offspring to continue with. Hope that wasn't clear as mud.

If it were possible I'd gladly take some of the mottled/barred ones off your hands as I think they are very pretty. I had ideas of something like the Aloha project down here and I like the barring with it. It's lovely to see all your pics.