The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[onthespot]

I have a small handfull of eggs in my incubator right now. I am outcrossing for mottle, to my javas. They have very heavy, very even mottling, and are large, fluffy girls for their breed, but not compared to English Orps. The only reall battle I am expecting with this cross is to get rid of yellow legs, from there on I can just keep on crossing back for type and size.

I'm using this rooster, direct hatch from BamaChicken. He is 75% English.

Over these java hens. I'm getting a splash 100% English blood cockerel sent in about a few days, so when he grows out, I could use him to improve type and add blue at the same time to this project. Looking forward to see how they turn out. Good thing is, if they under perform, they all taste like chicken. lol. I pulled out the less mottled hens and have placed them already. The only ones I am using are the four heavy mottled ones.

 

[MjChickens]

Onthespot----Those are some nice looking birds.

 

[tazcat70]

I don't know the terms harlequin or chimera. Can you explain it?

Onthespot, that sounds like a great outcrossing.

 

[onthespot]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimera_(genetics)

I have a Fischer lovebird that is a chimera, a mix of blue, and dilute green with a dark factor. Best I can tell breeding wise, his gonads are all green dilute dark factor. He only produces green babies when crossed on blues. Half of them are dark factored. Ain't he COOL???!!! I wish he could make more babies like himself, but he can't. I suspect that hen is the same, depending on which DNA is present in her egg making equipment will decide how she produces.

 

[tazcat70]

What a lovely lovebird!

Ok so basically they are like twins that combined to make one form. In the case of the Orp a blue bird and a black mottled bird. So the egg could be from either the blue bird genes or the mottled birds genes.

Do I have it correct?

 

[onthespot]

Yes. If a hen has two ovaries, one could be black mottled, and one could be blue, or both could be all black mottled, or both could be blue. Sorta like when you ball up two colors of play dough... just depends which part of the ball has ovaries in it, what genes she will pass on.

 

[tazcat70]

Wow that is crazy! Too bad she can't make others like herself, color wise. Breeding wise it sounds like a nightmare.

 

[tazcat70]

Ok I am finally on the computer and not my phone, so I can post some pics of my (the last eggs from my flock) 9 week old orps.

About a month ago I thought they were all boys, and now I am thinking they are all girls.

Tell me what you think. I am sorry about the picture quality I was taking the pics with my cell phone.

If the jury is out I can take my camera out and take pics once it stops raining.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Quote:
Looking like pullets to me at 9 weeks!

 

[tazcat70]

Woo Hoo!!! So excited!!!