This May Have an Obvious Answer, But...

[Southern28Chick]

Cynthia,
You know I was just playing with you, right? I'm sorry if you (or anyone else) thought I was being a smart a$$...because I WASN'T.

 

[speckledhen]

Didn't think that at all, Trisha! Not for a second.

 

[Southern28Chick]

Quote:
Ok I just don't want anymore drama. You've always helped me with my questions, I have nothing but respect for you.

 

[speckledhen]

Kiddo, I am not a fan of drama myself. If you notice, I usually stay out of it.

 

[Southern28Chick]

Quote:
I have noticed! I need to follow your example.

 

[firechicken]

Hey speckeled, I was reading through "the mating and breeding of poultry" and it said that crossing breeds is sometimes used to strengthen a certain quality, like color, and then those offspring are bred back to they're original breed and eventually will become "pure" again.

So I would think that yes you would definitely get a blue or splash or black bird.

At least that is how I understand it.
Don't quote me on it though, its not the most reader friendly book in the world.
It is written in a very no nonsense straight facts that kinda all run together and get blurry in the mind kind of way.

lol

 

[mdbucks]

Quote:
I have noticed! I need to follow your example.

ME TOO

 

[thndrdancr]

You know, I wondered if in future you might cross the two, but didnt want to be obnoxious and ask for eggs like that if you wanted to keep the breeds separate. That I understand totally.

But you really have piqued my interest!

 

[Arklady]

There's drama on this forum??

Where???

LOL

Arklady

 

[hinkjc]

Hey Cynthia, I have crossed Buff Orps and EEs in the past. Not entirely the same, but I can answer some questions on combs and body structure a bit. The color for yours will continue with the normal blue cycle since they all are what is considerred the Andalusian blue color.

I thought the chicks more resembled the orpington body structure. I even had what looked like a pure buff orp, but with green legs (a little cockerel). He had a straight comb and gorgeous buff plumage and then you looked down and saw those funny green legs (they weren't evident initially - started out white and turned green over several weeks). It was hilarious. Also got pea combed birds with white legs. So it seemed to me that anything goes with the comb and leg color, altho my assumption would have been peacomb dominant. That really didn't happen. A lot has to do with what the two birds matched up carry within their own gene structure to determine what the potential outcomes are.

You could use a selection process to breed the offspring back in and recreate more stock of one of the breeds, although that gets complicated and takes years to turn around sometimes. If you've got time to play, it can certainly be done.

I never kept any to see what color eggs, but I would guess they would be green or brown. Depending on if your hen carries a brown egg gene, cuz we know the orpington rooster does. If the two brown eggs genes meet up, you get brown eggs in offspring. If your hen has both blue egg genes and matched with a rooster with brown egg, you get green.

There are lots of genes that get manipulated when doing a cross, so it can be a lot of fun or a lot of work.

Jody