The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[McCoyPoultry]

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I am with you on that issue. I want to keep myself focused. Plus I don't want to get overwhelmed by "chicken math!" Which is the reason the Isabelle/Crele come first, the silver laced choc will come second. Once that gets rolling I will maybe toss the "Blue" Gene into that mix. Needless to say, I will have beautiful chickens. I am only keeping 2 flocks. I do like blue, choc and mauve, so the 2nd flock will hopefully be a happy mix eventually of all 3. With the dilute gene being the way it is, there will always be a mix in that flock. The beauty of my 1st project, is being able to keep a mixed flock of Crele and Isabelle, since they are basically the same except the Isabelle carry the lavender gene. Only thing about the Crele roosters that I may sell or pass on is being sure to mention that they are split for lavender. Just in case they might not want Isabelle chicks popping out of the woodwork lol.

I'm still trying! Using diluted recessive genes is dicey. My blue roo just up and died so I am in the process of growing out a new one. I would like to make laced everything! I just love it. But too many projects at once is just too hard.

What I'm thinking of doing if I actully get this amazing rooster I have my eye on us in gonna start with the silver/chocolate. BUT! My friend has a pair of silver laced hens and no roo.... I'll loan him a roo and for the rent he can give me a week of eggs for 2 weeks with a fertile roo!! So I'll just rent my roo! Then I can start a whole flock of silver then I can start adding the chocolate genes then I'll start a muave flock then add the muave with the silver laced and start a flock with a muave too and silver hens. And a flock with a silver roo and muave hens! Let me know what talk think!!!! I may send some chicks to talk to help my line of silver/chocolate/muave!!!!! Yall can be GREAT BIG HELPS! I don't know much about the muave or chocolate genes but I have done hours apon hours of silver laced research : D

 

[McCoyPoultry]

I hate auto correct!!!

 

[Cearbhael]

I hate auto correct!!!

Boy, I hate auto correct too! I got the gist of what you were saying! I love your enthusiasm too. Your going to have fun and will love your flocks many colour variations. That dilute gene will throw curves like mauve splash but that is pretty too. I suspect the lacing genes are more stable than the dilution gene. But where would we be without blues or mauves.
Lavender is a dilution gene of a whole different make up. Much more stable, I know how it acts on black (lavender) and on gold (pale lemon) on red (cream) I don't know how it reacts with the gene that gives blue and mauve but from what I have read it is hard to tell the difference so tracking the genetics becomes a nightmare. I have never seen a picture of a blue/ lavender hen so maybe it just looks like a very light blue? I am also not sure how lavender affects chocolate. Chocolate is a modifier that obviously dilutes black but in a different way than Lavender or the "blue" dilution gene. I am sure a hen can carry the lavender and the Choc gene at the same time, but what colour do you see? Is it just your standard lavender or does the choc modify it? If so, what is the modification?
Curious Minds would like to know!

 

[kittydoc]

When you check the online chicken color calculator, lavender has no effect on blue. A blue or splash can carry lavender as a split, but their feathers will not be a different color. This is true of black split to lavender as well--the only difference I've seen is that with black split to lav, most get a lighter eye color. Sometimes it's a uniform lighter brown, other times there are distinct spots that are different shades of brown. This might happen with the eye color of blues, too. I haven't seen a splash and don't know what their normal eye color is, but if it's a light brown/yellow, one would probably see no difference at all.

 

[henless]

I finally got my English Blue Orps last week. I have 3 Blues and 5 Splash.



This is Ranger. He/she is my darkest one. I have two that are a little lighter and one that is really a pale blue, will probably be a darker splash.



They are 3 days old in these pics. They are a lot calmer than my last years chicks. They come right up to you and don't act like they are afraid of much. So far I really like them. Can't wait to see what they look like when they get older.

 

[McCoyPoultry]

Well. Instead of buying the Rooster... I bought 2 chicks! Its a pair of Silver Laced Orpingtons!!! I got a GREAT deal too! $240 for the pair of chicks the box and the shipping!! I am so excited to be breeding these lovely birds!! I will be getting my 6 week old pair in the next 2 weeks! They will prolly be here the wendsday of the first week in may!! I will post pictures AS SOON AS I GET THEM IN THE PEN!!

 

[steph5253]

Hi! I am new to raising english orps and I am so lost on these two regarding gender. I was hoping some veteram orp mommies could help

I bought hatching eggs early in the season before the breeder was offering chicks (I was so excited, three weeks in an Incubator was better than three month waitlist! She warned me that they had just started to lay for the season and I may not have great fertility. She was right, only 5 out of 12 fertile. I ended up with four beautiful healthy chicks, three black and one chocolate. The chocolate I am pretty sure is a girl because she has the smallest comb but the three blacks are not that drastically different. Only two are pictures because one would not cooperate! They are 11 weeks old tomorrow and are the slowest to develop out of all the chickens I have ever raised. They are still working on feathering out. I thought they were sickly or had a vitamin deficiency in the beginning but the breeder assured me that it is typical for the breed. These two are black and very dense though they may not look it. They don't act particlarly different from other chicks. And as you can see they are still working on feathering. Particularly the tails. Please let me know your opinions thx!

 

[Cearbhael]

S

When you check the online chicken color calculator, lavender has no effect on blue.  A blue or splash can carry lavender as a split, but their feathers will not be a different color.  This is true of black split to lavender as well--the only difference I've seen is that with black split to lav, most get a lighter eye color.  Sometimes it's a uniform lighter brown, other times there are distinct spots that are different shades of brown.  This might happen with the eye color of blues, too.  I haven't seen a splash and don't know what their normal eye color is, but if it's a light brown/yellow, one would probably see no difference at all.

Sort of what I figured which is why mixing the two makes just a mess genetics wise and makes tracking a nightmare.
Now to find out what happens when lavender and chocolate get together. Anyone have the answer to that?

 

[henless]

Hi! I am new to raising english orps and I am so lost on these two regarding gender. I was hoping some veteram orp mommies could help

What color where the parents?

 

[steph5253]

What color where the parents?

Beetle Black roo over chocolate hens I believe. When I picked up eggs she showed me offspring from this trio, both cockerels and pullets were mixed chocolate and beetle black. It may not be visible in my pics but the three blacks I have have the most vibrant iridescent feathers with green purple and Blues. I love it and hope at least one is a girlie!
I posted this on the general gender and breed forum as well and only one person replied but said pullets. Though I'm not sure how familiar she was with the breed, which is why I posted here
Thx for your help!