Solid Chocolate donors for D'uccles?

[BeardedHenHatchery]

There's a few colors I'd really like to see in bantam D'uccles, but my first goal is solid chocolate.

Currently I have Black, Black mottled, Lavender, Lavender mottled (or silver porcelain if I understand right), Blue mottled, and a bunch of patterned birds (millie, blue millie, Silver millie, and gold neck). I know I need to have a donor for the color and that it's sexlinked the first generation, so I'm looking for some input on the following

1- What bantam breeds could I breed a D'uccle to to get the chocolate color? (and if there's not a suitable breed, could I potentially AI to a standard orpington - I have chocolate already)

2- Would it be better to get a Cockerel or a hen for this project?

3- Which color would be the best to use for this project? My research says black but I'm not sure if a recessive color wouldn't be more prudent?

This is my first time trying a color project so I'm hoping to start next spring.

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

There's Chocolate (sex linked) and Dun (works similar to bbs) and they're difficult to tell apart. I think they're both called chocolate sometimes, though?

 

[BeardedHenHatchery]

There's Chocolate (sex linked) and Dun (works similar to bbs) and they're difficult to tell apart. I think they're both called chocolate sometimes, though?

Interesting! i haven’t heard of dun (other than horses lol) what bantam breeds have that color? and is it easier to find in bantams then chocolate?

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

Interesting! i haven’t heard of dun (other than horses lol) what bantam breeds have that color? and is it easier to find in bantams then chocolate?

Ah, yeah. Dunn horses.
I'm a sucker for bays, myself. And a really pretty black paint.

I haven't had any chocolate or dun chickens, but I've wanted to get some.
I'm not sure it's terribly common in the states?
I usually only hear about it in Orpingtons (large fowl)
I've seen "bantam orpingtons", but I think they're more like 5lb?
There should be chocolate silkies. But, again, sadly difficult to find.

Sex Link Chocolate is cool because a visibly chocolate rooster x non-choc hen = all daughters chocolate, all sons split for chocolate.
(*putting aside anything that'll cover up color)

*edit to clarify - I think I usually hear of orpingtons having sex-linked chocolate, but it isn't impossible for them to be dun. Just so hard to tell
Both chocolate and dun can mix with blue, I think?

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

“Solid chocolate” is solid black with the chocolate gene

Interesting! i haven’t heard of dun (other than horses lol) what bantam breeds have that color? and is it easier to find in bantams then chocolate?

Dun can be found in polish bantams, old English game bantams (such as fawn duckwing), and seramas

Chocolate can be found in cochin bantams