Orp experts & coloring/breeding...

[DawnSuiter]

I must say in advance, if there is a breeders book to Orps I would like to buy it if you can recommend it...

What will I get if I mate the following?
Blacks with buffs?
White with Buff
white with black

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
You will get an orpington. (not trying to be a smarty pants.) I am not expert but this is what I gleaned from a lot of reading. Maybe someone else will chime in and teach us both something. LOL

Generally the black x whites will be 50% blacks and 50% whites. You won't get a spotted or 2 color chicken unless there is some hidden recessive genes that pop out unpredictably and based on the white dominant or white recessive. Then those chicks will have a recessive gene wildcard that could pop out down the road in their offspring.

The buffs and black you can get something sort of like my big red - he is a cross of a buff and a blue - he is also a non-standard color. The buff is a tricky color to begin with. I have seen several color variations from a buff blue cross and suspect similar from the buff x black. But then again you could get some blacks and some off colored buffs.

My big Red is almost 16 weeks old. If you can tell by my husband's hand he is a big boy already.

 

[ella]

Here's my Buff Orp x Black Giant hen. I would think you could get something similar with Buff x Black Orp.

She is a BIG girl! She out weighs my EE roosters but is very sweet and calm.

 

[DawnSuiter]

it looks like both of you are well on your way to getting something close to the gold lace orps I've seen only in pictures.

does anyone know how they came to be? the gold lace I mean?