The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[jeremy]

Well, what are you breeding for?

American SOP Lavender Orpingtons or a more English type bird?

Using that rooster for breeding will only produce birds that (somewhat) adhere to the American SOP, even if you were to breed splits back to him that you produced from an English breeding he will do very little for type... that is if you're shooting for an English looking Lavender bird.

Just my opinion but I'd stew him. You'll get Lav males that are much, much better in type and feather quality (your Lav roo appears to have some serious fretting going on) by breeding your F1 x F1 splits together.

 

[aveca]

Lots A cluckin, Jeremy is right..whenever you are breeding orpingtons , choose the deepest chest and body width ..even in SOP the birds are to be meaty birds..If you select hens with nice frame like pullet in 4rth pic down , put her with that nice black cockeral..you will be SO happy that you did..the colors will come in a few generations.some will show up right away...you want a nice tail when viewed from behind and from the side it must be a nice fan weather Emglish or american..TYPE is so important to any orp breeding program..,you will be suprised how nice the babies come out by the following year..you will probably have to make quite a few to start..the blk cockeral will correct the tail and make it wide ..and deepen the chest..I think it has been said many times..build the house and then you paint it..I think you will make some amazing birds..

make it a goal to create a lavander bird that looks like the shape in Jeremys avatar...more feathers , or tighter feather, the frame should be big and deep.

 

[galanie]

Agree with all the above. Don't fret about the color, it's there. Fret over the build. By breeding the black you'll get build which is what that boy is severely lacking in. Meantime, the colors will be there, just not in the fore until you breed the splits.

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

Well, what are you breeding for?

American SOP Lavender Orpingtons or a more English type bird?

Using that rooster for breeding will only produce birds that (somewhat) adhere to the American SOP, even if you were to breed splits back to him that you produced from an English breeding he will do very little for type... that is if you're shooting for an English looking Lavender bird.

Just my opinion but I'd stew him. You'll get Lav males that are much, much better in type and feather quality (your Lav roo appears to have some serious fretting going on) by breeding your F1 x F1 splits together

Yeah, I am going for a better type towards the English type. I also have a few black English girls sisters of the black English boy.

Once I breed the F1 splits together and get some lavenders out of them should I breed those lavenders back to the black English boy? and keep doing that for a few generations? I also have a few Black English girls sisters to the English boy.

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

Lots A cluckin, Jeremy is right..whenever you are breeding orpingtons , choose the deepest chest and body width ..even in SOP the birds are to be meaty birds..If you select hens with nice frame like pullet in 4rth pic down , put her with that nice black cockeral..you will be SO happy that you did..the colors will come in a few generations.some will show up right away...you want a nice tail when viewed from behind and from the side it must be a nice fan weather Emglish or american..TYPE is so important to any orp breeding program..,you will be suprised how nice the babies come out by the following year..you will probably have to make quite a few to start..the blk cockeral will correct the tail and make it wide ..and deepen the chest..I think it has been said many times..build the house and then you paint it..I think you will make some amazing birds..

make it a goal to create a lavander bird that looks like the shape in Jeremys avatar...more feathers , or tighter feather, the frame should be big and deep.

Thanks so much...this is my first year having lavender orpingtons and I am happy with them as I only paid 9 per chick and they do have pretty good color which is what I was most worried about I knew they wouldn't have good type but I was willing to work to that...this is great advise I am going to copy and paste it into a document on my computer so I won't loose it

thanks again!

 

[thedragonlady]

Cull that Lav rooster and put your Black English boy over your Lavender hens, you'll have to work with Lav splits for awhile but you'll have much better looking birds in a few generations.

Great minds think alike Jeremy ! X 2 !

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

Agree with all the above. Don't fret about the color, it's there. Fret over the build. By breeding the black you'll get build which is what that boy is severely lacking in. Meantime, the colors will be there, just not in the fore until you breed the splits.

Thank you! I agree too

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

Thanks to Jeremy, galanie and aveca, I really needed to hear what you guys said it put my on the right path to start breeding the lavenders.

That is the first real constructive criticism I have had as to what I should do with my orpingtons and I apreciate that, especially from such experienced breeders
with beautiful birds like yours.

I will take all of your advise and put it into my breeding program!

My worst frear with using the Black English boy is that after we cross the F1 splits together and get some lavenders out of them those lavenders may carry red/gold leakage?

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Well, what are you breeding for?

American SOP Lavender Orpingtons or a more English type bird?

Using that rooster for breeding will only produce birds that (somewhat) adhere to the American SOP, even if you were to breed splits back to him that you produced from an English breeding he will do very little for type... that is if you're shooting for an English looking Lavender bird.

Just my opinion but I'd stew him. You'll get Lav males that are much, much better in type and feather quality (your Lav roo appears to have some serious fretting going on) by breeding your F1 x F1 splits together.

Jeremy, when you say 'fretting' are you referring to the condition of the end of the feathers?

I am asking because I have produced some blues that have feathers that are possibly 'fretted'? they look almost…frayed? I do not believe it is from feed as none of the others in the same pen have this going on. I do not believe it is from pecking or abuse from a cockerel as all of the feathers all over the bird look this way. I kind of believe it is genetic as I had a hen last season with this issue, I did hatch some of her eggs because I thought she had a great tail set. I hatched 2 blue pullets without the 'fretting' and 1 with. So here's a picture, not a very good one, but I think it shows what I'm referring to.

 

[aveca]

Not saying they have it...And Im sure you take every precaution , but Lice can fray feathers that way..they are host specific and only eat feathers.....they are voracious feather eaters.. Yours does not look like lice , looks like a molt wanting to happen or lacking protien or something?

I beleive fretting is spotty like black spots black ticking..breeding black over lav should improve yellowing or brown leakage depending on the line..Jeremy knows more about it..