So if I order blue orphingtons from a hatchery, assuming I can't find any in my area with better stock. Any of the black and splash ones I receive will still carry the genes to produce blue offspring as long as I'm not breeding BlackXBlack or SplashXSplash? I was just unsure of how that trait was passed on. You would think if they were selling blue orphingtons they would just breed black to splash, rather than just selling them in all 3 colors and saying well you get what you get. I only wanted to get about 5 or 6 hens and 1 rooster to allow myself a little variety to go along with my black australorps and silkies.
Everyone I have ever heard pronounce the breed has said Orphington, so you'll have to excuse me for just reading over it and never noticing the difference. I imagine I will continue to say it that way, as arguing with old timers about how to pronounce chicken names will do little to aid the sales of my small farm.
If black chicks do not carry any blue genes, why does everyone recommend black X splash to get blue? If the answer is obvious forgive me, but I will admit I know very little about genetics. Most of what I have learned about chicken genetics, was just enough to figure out how to breed sex links for other people.
Because you will get blue every time. All the chicks will inherit a blue gene from the splash parent. The black is just the background that the one gene will dilute.
very pretty!
I think this little guy is neat colored.
