The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[rockinpaints]

We got up again this morning to a winter wonderland. Luckily we do not use the portable chicken tractors in the winter.
Sure is pretty though

 

[HighStreetCoop]

We got up again this morning to a winter wonderland. Luckily we do not use the portable chicken tractors in the winter.
Sure is pretty though

Gorgeous! I sure hope we get enough snow this year that I can my dog up for a romp. He LOVES the snow.

 

[malndobe]

Pretty rooster. I am not sure about the color. Sometimes it is necessary to know what genes the parents carried to determine what color he actually is. It looks like a few genes at work there. I have never had a blue bleach out to redish overtones in the hackles though, so I would say it kind of looks like he might have a red gene in there somewhere. He looks like a cross between American and English but definitely has English in there. Thanks for sharing the pics.

Interesting, he didn't develop the red tones until just recently so I assumed it was sun bleaching. He's about 1.5 years old now and his hackle and saddle feathers were "black" (super dark blue?) until recently. But he might have another color in there, he was just sold to me as a blue Orpington as a chick, but having gotten other birds from the same source who ended up not as they should have, I know sometimes there is "cross contamination", so he could have a buff parent. It's also possible he had a buff Orp parent on purpose, who knows.

 

[Eggette]

Oh my goodness! The chickens on this thread are all so beautiful!

 

[jeremy]

I purchased this guy as a chick just over a year ago. I thought he was blue, but I'm curious about some dark and white spots I've seen on the feathers. He's got black, or super dark blue, spots on the feathers on his chest, wing, and a few tail feathers are two tone. Plus some white on the wing feathers and a few spots in the tail. No solid colored white or black feathers, just spots of color. The reddish tone is sun-bleaching. Is he actually a really dark splash, or do blues get splash type markings?
As an aside, I don't know if he's considered English or American type, he's the flock master of an egg layer flock with a number of different breeds and mixes, not part of an Orpington breeding project.

Sun bleaching doesn't cause red feathers.

Blue is a complex color, which many people don't typically consider. It's difficult to breed correctly patterned, & colored Blue birds. It's not as simple as other "solid" colored birds, Blacks, Whites, etc. There are several genes that can effect the phenotype of a Blue bird, pattern genes which give definition to lacing, melanizers that deepen color, etc. The spots you're seeing are a color fault in Blues, & should be bred against, IMO. He's definitely Blue, just with some color irregularities.

 

[malndobe]

The spots you're seeing are a color fault in Blues, & should be bred against, IMO. He's definitely Blue, just with some color irregularities.

Thanks, I currently don't have any other Orpingtons, at least not purebreds, most of my flock is mixed from breeder birds I had last year (predators killed most of the flock, I incubated every egg I'd gathered but didn't have breeding pens set up) and hatchery birds I bought in the fall, so any eggs I hatch would just be more mixes. I was just curious if he was blue or splash so I'd have an idea what color(s) he might throw with the birds I do have.

 

[RginaC]

Finally took some pics of my new favorites...although the gold laced are still right up there!! These are officially the ONLY chickens I have allowed into my backyard. But, they are so pretty to look at. My lovely girls were finally fertile and then promptly decided to go BROODY on me. Thanks ladies. Do you know how LONG I have been waiting for chicks???!! they lay like champs for 2 months, but Mr. Man wasn't able to do the deed. He finally is good to go ... and broody. Gotta love these english orps! It's Ok I can be patient when they look this good! Thanks Louise for such amazing creatures!!

Love them!!! You should be proud!! I Will have a few SL when I get the opportunity! I'm a newbie - but have fell in love with the SL orpington and GL orpington .... someday.... can't wait!!

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Love them!!! You should be proud!! I Will have a few SL when I get the opportunity! I'm a newbie - but have fell in love with the SL orpington and GL orpington .... someday.... can't wait!!

I did, too. I got BBS as a stepping stone. Replacements will be mottled or silver laced (or silver partridge if we ever get those!).

 

[boykin2010]

Several (including myself) are working on Silver Partridge and/or Double Silver Lace currently. They are pretty birds

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Several (including myself) are working on Silver Partridge and/or Double Silver Lace currently. They are pretty birds

I should just give up on the idea that my yard needs to accommodate my dog or a garden of any kind and get ALL THE CHICKENS NOW!