Splash Orp roo with red feathers??!!

[DutchChic]

Okay...bit of info before I give you the pics. I have a group of B/B/S Orps...breeder shall remain nameless because that is not what this thread is about. In this group, I have 2 splash roos, and 1 splash pullet. Gorgeous birds, too. Everyone on the place seems to be molting, and on the darker roo, something new has sprung up. At the top of his wings, what I'd call his shoulders, he has RED feathers coming in. It started with one little spot that I thought was blood, and when I checked him to see if he was hurt, I discovered the spot was actually a tiny red feather. Well...over a couple of weeks, one feather has turned into several and on both sides. It has become very obvious when you just glance at him, now. Neither of the other two splashes from this group have ANY red feathers coming in at all. This is my first year with the B/B/S's, so has anyone ever seen this? I know that the birds are from B/B/S stock. I'm wondering if this will pass on to offspring? What would happen if I put this roo over buff hens? I know Miss Prissy is working with red Orps, and if I remember correctly...that was a product of a blue/buff crossing. This roo has a very light blue background instead of white. I'll post a pic of him next to the pullet so you can see how much darker he is. Oh, and the red is much darker in person....like the color of a nice red, RIR. When you are above him, looking down, it is very prevalent. And if it makes any difference, these are from a June hatch.

This is the pullet standing behind him. She is lighter.

This is him again, with my blue rooster standing behind him.

And this is my blue pullet. The blue pullet and rooster are from a different breeder, and not really relevant to this thread...I just wanted to show them off...

 

[SterlingAcres]

I'm not sure, but even with the red, he's still very handsome. I know someone else can answer this for you.

 

[DutchChic]

Thanks! The pictures really don't show just how pretty these birds are....I took them in the fading evening light. It will be interesting to see just how much red comes in, and if it stays through subsequent molts.

 

[hinkjc]

It is a bleedthrough of a hidden (well, not so hidden) gene, which is more common on blacks when there is BBR in the bloodline, but I guess could creep up in a BBS breeding program. Yes, it will pass on to the offspring. I would not use him for an orp program. There are too many good BBS to risk entering this into your gene pool. Hens can be carriers too and never show the color. It shows up on males tho.

Jody

 

[DutchChic]

Quote:
Okay...so would the rest of the group possibly be carriers, as well? Or only the rooster that is visually showing the red? I have several black and a couple very dark blue roos from the same group without any signs of red. Not to mention the splash pullet...ARGH!

 

[hinkjc]

I'd say the odds of every single one being a carrier are not there. I would select a male without it. If the male carries the gene, they will typically display it. As for hens, they don't display it and you usually find out by seeing this on a male offspring that one may be a carrier.

I reread your post about maybe using him for a "project" bird. That's a possibility, but I don't know what the outcome would be matched up to buff. Maybe someone else can advise on that.

Edited - you might want to reach out to the seller to look their birds over closely for signs of this. If the roo is the carrier, the entire hatch would be affected if they are all from 1 roo. If it's a hen, then less likely they are all affected by the trait.

Jody

 

[DutchChic]

Okay...panic is easing off....lol. I can pull him from the B/B/S group, but I won't totally get rid of him. I can see using him as a project bird...experimentation is fun in the chicken world. And I'm curious to see just how much red he ends up with. That group was rooster heavy, and he's the only one displaying so maybe the two pullets will be free of the issue.
Jeesh...thought I had what I needed for my B/B/S project but I think I'll be looking for more eggs next spring.

 

[DutchChic]

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Well, I'm sure there are quite a few folks that got chicks from the seller and it will be interesting to see if anyone else has seen this crop up.

 

[hinkjc]

You could always breed for more red and make a blue wheaton orp. lol I bet those would be beautiful. With imagination and the right genes, anything is possible. Have fun with it. If you like him, why not.

Jody

 

[DutchChic]

Quote:
I think ANY color in the Orps is beautiful....