Strange Body Type in Project Orpingtons

[NatJ]

@NatJ, @RoostersAreAwesome, what are your thoughts? I believe it's an ancestral thing happening.

Are you sure it's the body type, and not the feathers? Because I've had some chickens that looked quite different when alive, and very similar when butchered-- soft and loose feathers can make a major difference to the appearance of the chicken.

Other than that, I don't have any useful ideas. I'm actually quite bad at recognizing body type, so I'm not really noticing anything odd in the ones you photographed.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Are you sure it's the body type, and not the feathers? Because I've had some chickens that looked quite different when alive, and very similar when butchered-- soft and loose feathers can make a major difference to the appearance of the chicken.

Other than that, I don't have any useful ideas. I'm actually quite bad at recognizing body type, so I'm not really noticing anything odd in the ones you photographed.

Yep, it's the body type. Feathering maybe alittle tight on Goober, & his daughter too, but it's something I can address while breeding.

Dino has the deep chest like an Orpington is supposed to have, Goober has a more narrow chest.

Orpingtons are supposed to have loose feathers. My Buff Orpington, Mystery Boy, Dino, & Buff Orpington/Barred Rock mix have loose feathers.

Dino

Goober

I examine my Orpingtons body structures once fully mature. I also check regularly as they grow.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I can update on body type with my next round of project birds next spring.


I'm still curious if anyone working with their project birds had some funky stuff pop up.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I may add Heritage Rock to the project Orps alittle sooner, like next spring, but that depends. I'll be only using the pullets produced out of the Heritage Plymouth Barred Rock X Buff Orpington mixes, & only the ones with white skin, if I get any. Reason for only females, is I have too many boys in that coop at the moment. 3 Roosters are enough, but will be adding the Mystery Boy, for some test breeding before deciding to cull.

At least doing this will give me Square, deep chested, wide, loose feathers, better tail shape/angle, large head, better Barring, & comb correction.

Heritage Plymouth Barred Rock cockerel, he'll be breeding the Orpington hens.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I can update on body type with my next round of project birds next spring.


I'm still curious if anyone working with their project birds had some funky stuff pop up.

Maybe once a year or so I get something unexpected.
Since I just use one breed and breed patterns it's always an unexpected addition to a color/pattern.
With mixing breeds and cart before the horse projects it would be a real common occurrence I'd think.

 

[ColtHandorf]

One Pure Buff Orpington was produced from the Back crossing.

Technically that bird would not be a pure Buff Orpington. It's impossible. Even if both parents carried Buff Orpington genes.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Technically that bird would not be a pure Buff Orpington. It's impossible. Even if both parents carried Buff Orpington genes.

Technically I'm not sure it's even buff. Looks like it has both mahogany genes but only one dilute gene.
That combo makes them a little dark for buff and too light for red.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Technically I'm not sure it's even buff.

Agreed.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Technically that bird would not be a pure Buff Orpington. It's impossible. Even if both parents carried Buff Orpington genes.

Not sure what you mean, I'm bringing back the Orpington into the genepool to restore purity, & that's what I'm doing in my Giant Silkie Project.
Here's the Buff Chick as a 3 day old.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Hmmm, let's see if I can explain this more clearly then...

You crossed a bird that is half Orpington to a bird that is also half Orpington. I'm unsure if you bred that bird back to a half Orpington parent or not, although it doesn't really matter. The parents carried genes that are not Orpington. And so does this bird. Regardless of the fact that she has white skin (not too difficult to accomplish as white is dominant to yellow) but most likely still carries the yellow gene she is not Buff. Nor is she an Orpington. Therefore she is not a pure Buff Orpington. Does that make sense?