The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[HighStreetCoop]

I am so not set up to breed at this point, but I really enjoy and appreciate the genetics discussions. It's an endlessly fascinating topic, and something fun to mull around.

 

[rockinpaints]

We have some additional information on Lavender genetics here for your reading enjoyment

(we do not currently have chicks or eggs available, sorry)
or if links don't work you can cut and paste http://thefancychick.com/LavenderOrpington.html

 

[Faraday40]

For the lav. Orps you need to breed in a black every 2nd.generation or so.

I have heard this before. Does anyone have a pic of what would happen if one did not add a black? Are they unhealthy? Poor color?
Just wondering.

 

[Shaffer]

Blacks are only introduced to improve type and feather quality. Most lavenders are not the quality of blacks otherwise there would be no need to use blacks. So it is recommended that you improve them instead of breeding inferior birds together.

 

[rockinpaints]

I have heard this before. Does anyone have a pic of what would happen if one did not add a black? Are they unhealthy? Poor color?
Just wondering.

If you scroll down to the bottom of this page http://thefancychick.com/LavenderOrpington.html there is a lavender rooster that I imported from England with a severe case of the retarded feather growth. I have never seen an American Lavender this bad (or even close to this).
If I am not mistaking (if I am could someone please correct this) our lavenders here in the USA were created from a couple different breeds years ago (HinkJC- who did a wonderful job) which I think helped their feather quality. And have since been bred back to Blacks many times.

The quality of the black you breed to is of course very important. It wouldn't be just a matter of breeding to a "black" . You would want to pick the very best that you could find to improve the quality of the Lavenders. Hope this information helps

 

[rockinpaints]

I let the Silver Partridge project kids out in the barn to play last night and thought I would share some new pics.

 

[megalomaniac]

Is the second pic an isabel partridge? That should be interesting for those that like lavender ground colored birds.

Yesterday was a bad day for the chickens at my house... they all played outside all day in the cold steady rain (38 degrees). When I got home last night, they were all SOAKING wet, but were acting like they had the times of their lives. Runs were muddy with standing water, eggs in the nesting boxes were dirty as all get out. Everybody got a double helping of cracked corn right before bedtime, and I was a tad nervous about the wet combined with overnight lows right at freezing. But everybody was all fluffed right back out looking beautiful this morning before work. They really are pretty tough birds.

 

[rockinpaints]

Is the second pic an isabel partridge? That should be interesting for those that like lavender ground colored birds.

Yesterday was a bad day for the chickens at my house... they all played outside all day in the cold steady rain (38 degrees). When I got home last night, they were all SOAKING wet, but were acting like they had the times of their lives. Runs were muddy with standing water, eggs in the nesting boxes were dirty as all get out. Everybody got a double helping of cracked corn right before bedtime, and I was a tad nervous about the wet combined with overnight lows right at freezing. But everybody was all fluffed right back out looking beautiful this morning before work. They really are pretty tough birds.

Hi John, Actually she is a blue base. The birds in my avatar were used in one phase of the project (Blue Partridge). I am posting a couple pics of the difference side by side, The pic on the left is the same pullet as above and the other is an Isabel Partridge. The blue and lavender base colors are easily mistaken. The Silver Partridge are a work in progress but coming along very nicely. Sill have a few leg feathers and some gold in the feathers but am hoping with continued breeding I can breed the gold out.

Above notice the lack of black on the Isabel Partridge, the Lavender dilutes that out.

Below is Isabel Cuckoo



These are a few of the different shades in the Silver Partridge as well as the
Blue in the top picture.

 

[Dueling Rooster]

I have heard this before.  Does anyone have a pic of what would happen if one did not add a black?  Are they unhealthy? Poor color?
Just wondering.

My understanding was coloring.

 

[Dueling Rooster]

I was wondering if my American lo would loose value if I bred them with an English lo or if they would retain value? My ALOs are pretty big with hens around 8# and I heard that the english are a little bigger.