Splash Orphington x Blue Plymouth Rock question

[LittleSplashHens]

Hi all! I'm currently working on establishing my breeding flock of Splash Orphingtons. I had a successful hatch of mixed blue/black/splash, keeping only the splash ones. I have Easter eggers in the flock as well, so I can easily tell which eggs are for eating and which are for hatching.

It seemed like a solid plan, until my very well meaning hubby brought me five Blue Plymouth Rock chicks. I adore them and want to keep them, however my setup is designed to keep them all together. I read that BPR's lay brown eggs just like the orphingtons.

My question is, will the splash/BPR crosses possibly hatch out splash? If not, I can still manage my flock by selling or giving away straight run mutt chicks. I know that BPR'S are sex linked- not sure if that makes a difference when breeding true for color.

Can anyone clarify for me? Thank you!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I just sold 2 very mutty chickens yesterday for 5 a piece. You may as well try to sell them. People still want egg layers even if they're not always purebred

 

[Ridgerunner]

will the splash/BPR crosses possibly hatch out splash?

About half will. The way the B/B/S genetics work, if you get two Blue genes at that gene pair you get Splash. If you get one Blue and one not-Blue you get Blue. If you get zero Blue you get Black. This gene only modifies a feather that would normally be black so the default is black.

Your Splash rooster has two Blue genes so he will give all his offspring one copy. But the Blue hens have one Blue and one not-Blue. She will give about half her offspring the not-Blue gene and those chicks will be Blue. But the other half will get the Blue gene so those chicks will be Splash.

Both breeds are single combed so I don't see any help from that direction.

 

[ladybrasa]

I don’t really know so take my comment worth a grain of salt, but what I’ve been reading lately is that sex-link (hybrid) chickens don’t breed true. So any offspring from the Blue Rocks (or their half of the contribution anyway) could be a potluck of characteristics going back to the blue rock’s parents (which I think are blue Andalusian roo with a barred rock hen?). Any hybrid vigor characteristics such as increased egg production will not be transmitted (that said probably any hen from the cross would produce plenty enough eggs for a family). Please someone correct me if I’m wrong.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

You're pretty right. Sexlinks don't breed true, even a male and female if the same variety