Quote:
If you pair the Lavenders with some English Black birds, their type will improve immensely within one generation.
You could keep two pens, one strictly American with Black and Lav birds, the other say an English Black roo over American Lav hens. It would be fun to track the progress between the two pens and see which birds produced better offspring.
Jeremy,
By english , do you mean "imported orps"? all orps are classified as english, even US version..and even australian orps (australorps), also classified as english..and that is a bit of a sore spot with australian breeders.,.So Im thinking you mean the imported birds??...There is a vidio on utube I will get for you guys in england of the black orps out ina feild..they are indeed as big as the turkeys running with them..My neighbor thought the chicks I have from jody were black heritage turkeys..I said my goodness no, those are chickens LOL! They are massive already.. They are being condiditoned for show right now and have made my choice as to who is going...I will post a few pics a little later
Somone gave me a hen a few years ago that they called a "giant australorp"" I knew she was a blk orp..but she was pretty nice huge and must be what you are talking about american version and when crossed into show flock produced what I think is a stunning pullet ..crossed her with rooster from east coast champion australorps..she worked out really well for australorp improvement project...she was from superior poultry when they were in full swing....the pullet from that cross looks like she could pass as australian version..she kept the reqired tighter feather of the roo, and not as big as the hen yet much tail improvement and bigger neck feathers ect...I think a lot of the american blk orps look like show australorps,perhaps over weight limit , I have a freind who shows what look like blk orps as australorps and she gets a little mad when the smaller birds beat her..I said you have too much fluff for that class..australorps are required to keep a tighter feather..englands version of australorps are a bit bigger and fluffier than either US or australian versions.
aveca, sorry I almost missed this post. When I said English Blacks, I was referring to an imported Black bird. I should have been a bit more specific.
If you pair the Lavenders with some English Black birds, their type will improve immensely within one generation.

You could keep two pens, one strictly American with Black and Lav birds, the other say an English Black roo over American Lav hens. It would be fun to track the progress between the two pens and see which birds produced better offspring.
Jeremy,
By english , do you mean "imported orps"? all orps are classified as english, even US version..and even australian orps (australorps), also classified as english..and that is a bit of a sore spot with australian breeders.,.So Im thinking you mean the imported birds??...There is a vidio on utube I will get for you guys in england of the black orps out ina feild..they are indeed as big as the turkeys running with them..My neighbor thought the chicks I have from jody were black heritage turkeys..I said my goodness no, those are chickens LOL! They are massive already.. They are being condiditoned for show right now and have made my choice as to who is going...I will post a few pics a little later
Somone gave me a hen a few years ago that they called a "giant australorp"" I knew she was a blk orp..but she was pretty nice huge and must be what you are talking about american version and when crossed into show flock produced what I think is a stunning pullet ..crossed her with rooster from east coast champion australorps..she worked out really well for australorp improvement project...she was from superior poultry when they were in full swing....the pullet from that cross looks like she could pass as australian version..she kept the reqired tighter feather of the roo, and not as big as the hen yet much tail improvement and bigger neck feathers ect...I think a lot of the american blk orps look like show australorps,perhaps over weight limit , I have a freind who shows what look like blk orps as australorps and she gets a little mad when the smaller birds beat her..I said you have too much fluff for that class..australorps are required to keep a tighter feather..englands version of australorps are a bit bigger and fluffier than either US or australian versions.
aveca, sorry I almost missed this post. When I said English Blacks, I was referring to an imported Black bird. I should have been a bit more specific.