Orpington Color Genetics

[LilyD]

Okay so I have 7 babies that hatched out that are out of two separate breeding pens one was marked as Lone Oaks Crele the other one was English Crele

Lone Oak Crele Roo

Roo and Hens

English Crele Roo

English Crele Hen

These are the babies I got from both batches of eggs.

My questions is based off the parents what can I expect to need to work on or towards to get a better Crele Orp through breeding? Anything I should avoid? I got the eggs shipped from the breeder who owns the parent birds.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I'm no expert on the Barred/Cuckoo/Crele Orpingtons or their genes. @The Moonshiner and @nicalandia will probably be more help here. But the 1st rooster appears to be Buff or Lemon Cuckoo/Barred not Crele. This also seems evident by the differences in chicks hatched from both groups, although If I remember correctly my Crele Penedsencas were sex-able as day-old chicks. So there should be some variation.

In fact, looking again, I don't think any of the Lone Oak birds are Crele...

 

[LilyD]

I'm no expert on the Barred/Cuckoo/Crele Orpingtons or their genes. @The Moonshiner and @nicalandia will probably be more help here. But the 1st rooster appears to be Buff or Lemon Cuckoo/Barred not Crele. This also seems evident by the differences in chicks hatched from both groups, although If I remember correctly my Crele Penedsencas were sex-able as day-old chicks. So there should be some variation.

In fact, looking again, I don't think any of the Lone Oak birds are Crele...

That's kind of what I was thinking it's a bit of a stretch but they are still double barred I believe all the babies are showing up barred out of that pen according to the owner. The English Creles I'm not sure on but they were separated for breeding so I have the option to keep the English but not the lemon/red cuckoos. My thought is that I will definitely need to invest in some good quality Partridge hens to add to the ones I have to get the Partridge coloring more pronounced. The barring looks pretty good but the neck feathers look washed out and I think should be redder? Totally not the expert just going off what i have to start with and trying to decide how to make it better.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Let them chime in and see. It's possible that lack of color in the hackles is coming from a dilution through some gene. I'm not sure. They are gorgeous though.

 

[Amer]

An actual crele would be barring on a duckwing (or in Orpingtons, partridge) base. Unfortunately, of these birds, all appear to be diluted, and only one seems to have a partridge base.
It seems that in English Orpington, the term "crele" is used rather loosely, describing anything with some color and barring. The colors are often bred together, causing this phenomenon.
I am unfamiliar with the term "English Crele" but I suppose you could market them as that.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I believe English refers to the type (Import and not APA SOP) rather than the color.

 

[Amer]

I believe English refers to the type (Import and not APA SOP) rather than the color.

That is what I thought as well, but the OP calls them English crele, which makes me wonder if it is a diluted version of the crele variety.

 

[LilyD]

That is what I thought as well, but the OP calls them English crele, which makes me wonder if it is a diluted version of the crele variety.

That's what the breeder marketed the hatching eggs as. They had one pen they called Lone Oak Crele which are the lemony cuckoo color birds and the other pen had English Crele with the Rooster that does look kind of partridge but with very diluted colors.

If I have to start all the way back at the beginning with new birds next year that's okay we can do that too just wasn't sure if there was a way to salvage and breed the ones I have currently (babies of the adults I posted above) to other birds either better colored Crele or Partridge birds to get back to more the color that is associated with a Crele Orpington.

 

[Amer]

That's what the breeder marketed the hatching eggs as. They had one pen they called Lone Oak Crele which are the lemony cuckoo color birds and the other pen had English Crele with the Rooster that does look kind of partridge but with very diluted colors.

If I have to start all the way back at the beginning with new birds next year that's okay we can do that too just wasn't sure if there was a way to salvage and breed the ones I have currently (babies of the adults I posted above) to other birds either better colored Crele or Partridge birds to get back to more the color that is associated with a Crele Orpington.

Starting new is the only I could see it working immediately.

 

[LilyD]

Starting new is the only I could see it working immediately.

Okay definitely we are looking at these birds from Carolina Rare Chick for our start next year

https://www.carolinararechicks.net/crele-orpington

What do you think of these birds?