Sex-Linked Chocolate Orpington Fertile Eggs - Standard Size!

[shoregirl68]

One of our black Australorps, aptly named Moody, went broody for the 3rd time. She is 3 yrs and our flock sadly was down-sized by a sudden, unexplained death in March and a dog attack in April.

Anyhoo, instead of breaking her AGAIN, we decided to get her some fertile eggs once we determined she was fully committed. We decided to purchase sex-linked, standard sized Chocolate Orpingtons, so that we could determine hens from roos right off the bat.

Moody has been on the eggs since 5/24 and so far so good, candled last week and all 10 are definitely cooking up nicely.

I can't find any pix online of the standard size Chocolate Orp chicks.

Per My Pet Chicken, "hens will be chocolate, while roosters will be black/split". Sounds simple enough, but is it really? What is black/split???

Anyone hatch out standard size Chocolate Orps and can tell me if it is easy to differentiate the hens from the roos? Pix of chicks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[The Moonshiner]

Ive hatched several from my own birds.
They are very easy to sex at hatch.
Pullets are chocolate colored and cockerels are black.
The chocolate color is sex linked. Meaning a hen only has one slot for the gene. If she has the chocolate gene she will be chocolate color if she doesnt have the gene she wont be.
Roosters have two slots for the gene. They can have no chocolate gene and not be chocolate. They can have one copy and wont be chocolate colored but will carry the one copy unseen. If they get two copies they will be chocolate.
In your case a chocolate rooster was bred to a black hen. The rooster will pass one chocolate gene to all offspring. The hen will pass black to the cockerel chicks. Therefor all pullets will be chocolate and all cockerels will be black split for chocolate. They will have one black gene and one chocolate gene. Thats all split means is that they are carrying the chocolate gene but it isnt showing.

 

[shoregirl68]

Ive hatched several from my own birds.
They are very easy to sex at hatch.
Pullets are chocolate colored and cockerels are black.
The chocolate color is sex linked. Meaning a hen only has one slot for the gene. If she has the chocolate gene she will be chocolate color if she doesnt have the gene she wont be.
Roosters have two slots for the gene. They can have no chocolate gene and not be chocolate. They can have one copy and wont be chocolate colored but will carry the one copy unseen. If they get two copies they will be chocolate.
In your case a chocolate rooster was bred to a black hen. The rooster will pass one chocolate gene to all offspring. The hen will pass black to the cockerel chicks. Therefor all pullets will be chocolate and all cockerels will be black split for chocolate. They will have one black gene and one chocolate gene. Thats all split means is that they are carrying the chocolate gene but it isnt showing.

Thanks so much. We didn't think this through. When you hatch yours do you separate them from the flock?

Moody is stressed. We believe she thinks she's going to get kicked off the eggs. The last 2x's she went broody we broke her.

When we go into the coop she will puff her feathers out, flatten her body over the eggs, and make a quite clucking sound when we check her, but does not bite, allows us to check the eggs day or night and I watched as one of our NHRs stepped on her head in an attempt to get in the box with no retaliation on her part. After rearranging the other nesting boxes that problem is resolved.

We would prefer not to separate her, let her raise the chicks with the flock. I've read so my different approaches to this, the pros and the cons of each. We'd need to put the whole flock on starter feed, no biggie.

Our biggest concern is that either she will freak out when the eggs hatch and hurt the chicks or one of the other girls will.

Let me know your thoughts and again I appreciate your reply.

 

[Coykoi]

When my young hen went broody, I erected a pen around her nest box. That way there were no accidents with my other birds, everyone could see each other and get used to the chicks, and mama didn't get as stressed. Mom and chicks also had unlimited access to starter feed and water without having to compete with the others. After about 4 weeks I started letting them into the big run while keeping watch, and gradually allowed them more and more time out. The rooster knew to be protective of his kids and the hens started easy instruction on the pecking order. Now that the chicks are 9 weeks, the hens are more aggressive at telling the youngsters the rules but everyone gets along.

 

[shoregirl68]

Thanks Coykoi! We've been so lucky. She is such a good mother. The first 24-48 hrs (Thursday and Friday, she stayed in the coop.) She was out in a small area of our run that can be fully closed off by Saturday. Sunday she went all out and took the chicks to the large part of the run and by Tuesday she took them out for the nightly free range with the rest of the flock, which just about gave my husband a heart attack. The other hens don't bother them at all, in fact one of my NHRs stepped on a chick, who in turn chirped loudly, causing the NHR to jump in surprise.

This is and has been the most amazing experience. Watching Moody mother these chicks. She has a distinct noise for food, alerts etc. I was feeding her some left over crab insides and she made certain her babies got some. She is a better mom than some human mothers are.

The entire flock is on starter and the chicks are growing like little weeds, roos have a distinct comb growing in, all have the beginnings of wing feathers and the awkward "pre-teen" year legs are starting to emerge.

I would do this again in a heart beat. We are so proud of her and the entire flock.

Day 1

Tuesday 6/19/06 - day 5

When my young hen went broody, I erected a pen around her nest box. That way there were no accidents with my other birds, everyone could see each other and get used to the chicks, and mama didn't get as stressed. Mom and chicks also had unlimited access to starter feed and water without having to compete with the others. After about 4 weeks I started letting them into the big run while keeping watch, and gradually allowed them more and more time out. The rooster knew to be protective of his kids and the hens started easy instruction on the pecking order. Now that the chicks are 9 weeks, the hens are more aggressive at telling the youngsters the rules but everyone gets along.

 

[Coykoi]

Thanks Coykoi! We've been so lucky. She is such a good mother. The first 24-48 hrs (Thursday and Friday, she stayed in the coop.) She was out in a small area of our run that can be fully closed off by Saturday. Sunday she went all out and took the chicks to the large part of the run and by Tuesday she took them out for the nightly free range with the rest of the flock, which just about gave my husband a heart attack. The other hens don't bother them at all, in fact one of my NHRs stepped on a chick, who in turn chirped loudly, causing the NHR to jump in surprise.

This is and has been the most amazing experience. Watching Moody mother these chicks. She has a distinct noise for food, alerts etc. I was feeding her some left over crab insides and she made certain her babies got some. She is a better mom than some human mothers are.

The entire flock is on starter and the chicks are growing like little weeds, roos have a distinct comb growing in, all have the beginnings of wing feathers and the awkward "pre-teen" year legs are starting to emerge.

I would do this again in a heart beat. We are so proud of her and the entire flock.

Day 1
View attachment 1051903

Tuesday 6/19/06 - day 5
View attachment 1051904

Same thing here. My mama was only 7 months old but she behaved like an old pro. I got day old sex links and slipped them under her. She looked surprised for a moment, then settled right down with a contented look. When she took a nap with 4 little peeping babies under her I knew she would be ok.

She ended her "mommy phase" very abruptly at about 5 weeks. Besides one that we lost, everyone is doing great. That's her in my avatar.

Although I don't want to expand the flock any more at this time, I'd love to let her raise some of her own chicks next time.