What are the trending breeds in your area right now?

[SurferchickinSB]

Blue is my favorite variety, but I don't understand why people love lavender so much. Have they any idea about the shredded feathers that will probably plague my flock for generations to come? The health problems often involved?

I agree. I own both, and actually like EE better. But why don't people just call the birds Easter Eggers?

What type of health problems are Lavender Orpington‘s prone to?

 

[chickendreams24]

Yeah my white hen occasionally likes to mud bath instead of dust bathe but she cleans herself afterwards. I did have to help her when she got cockleburrs stuck in her crest though. Lol

 

[chickendreams24]

Also if you have lavender anything breeding them with black split to lavender keeps them from having weak feathers that shred.

I'm not familiar with other health problems they can have.

Just like any breeding stock periodically new blood must be added to maintain vigor.

 

[Amer]

What type of health problems are Lavender Orpington‘s prone to?

(I would link this, but not everybody would have access to this forum. I guess there aren't health problems, but the feathers...)

Yeah my white hen occasionally likes to mud bath instead of dust bathe but she cleans herself afterwards. I did have to help her when she got cockleburrs stuck in her crest though. Lol

 

[HuffleClaw]

Mixed breeds. Mixed breeds. And oh, some more mixed breeds.

 

[Amer]

Also if you have lavender anything breeding them with black split to lavender keeps them from having weak feathers that shred.

I'm not familiar with other health problems they can have.

Just like any breeding stock periodically new blood must be added to maintain vigor.

This is true. I do have one hen with soft feathers. All the chicks from the splits have that disgusting feathering though. That came from the original porcelain roo. I think it's because the chicks are cockerels though. I believe the hens have less shredded feathering.
EDITS: these are d'Anvers by the way.

 

[chickendreams24]

(I would link this, but not everybody would have access to this forum. I guess there aren't health problems, but the feathers...)
View attachment 1761075 View attachment 1761076

Thank you for sharing that. I've never see anything like that but I'll keep an eye out for it. We have some mixed breeds that carry/show lavender and I'm working on an Isabella columbian English Orpington project and have never seen anything like those feathers in any bird. We've had hundreds of chickens.

Now my project is relatively new but that's just strange. Looks like a bird that had been dust bathing in pine needles.

Are you sure it didn't just dust bathe in pine needles? LoL jk jk.

I would think that's a fluke or from some serious inbreeding though. No offense to you or whoever owns those birds but I would immediately bring in new stock maybe twice and cull every bird maybe 1-2 generations later that showed that trait.

This is true. I do have one hen with soft feathers. All the chicks from the splits have that disgusting feathering though. That came from the original porcelain roo. I think it's because the chicks are cockerels though. I believe the hens have less shredded feathering.
EDITS: these are d'Anvers by the way.

I haven't had D'Anvers only had one porcelain D'uccle but had Orpingtons EE and a self blue oegb that were all lavender and none had any trouble.

You may want to breed some black hens in and then take their daughters back to the rooster. But if his feathers are really bad your best bet might be replacing him.

Now I'm not a breeding or genetics expert. I try and I'm learning but I'm not without mistakes.
From my experience shredded weak feathers are not normal and I would say it would take I'm guessing likely 2 or more generations bred lavender to lavender to ruin the feather quality.

The black is not I my good for feather quality but also genetic diversity especially as from my experience many breeds are easier and cheaper to find in black than lavender.

 

[Amer]

Thank you for sharing that. I've never see anything like that but I'll keep an eye out for it. We have some mixed breeds that carry/show lavender and I'm working on an Isabella columbian English Orpington project and have never seen anything like those feathers in any bird. We've had hundreds of chickens.

Now my project is relatively new but that's just strange. Looks like a bird that had been dust bathing in pine needles.

Are you sure it didn't just dust bathe in pine needles? LoL jk jk.

I would think that's a fluke or from some serious inbreeding though. No offense to you or whoever owns those birds but I would immediately bring in new stock maybe twice and cull every bird maybe 1-2 generations later that showed that trait.



I haven't had D'Anvers only had one porcelain D'uccle but had Orpingtons EE and a self blue oegb that were all lavender and none had any trouble.

You may want to breed some black hens in and then take their daughters back to the rooster. But if his feathers are really bad your best bet might be replacing him.

Now I'm not a breeding or genetics expert. I try and I'm learning but I'm not without mistakes.
From my experience shredded weak feathers are not normal and I would say it would take I'm guessing likely 2 or more generations bred lavender to lavender to ruin the feather quality.

The black is not I my good for feather quality but also genetic diversity especially as from my experience many breeds are easier and cheaper to find in black than lavender.

Yeah. That's an extreme case. But proof that we don't know what's all behind the lavender gene.
I'm breeding him to his black half sisters so that's probably the problem.
I wish I could just get rid of the lavenders. I don't like them. But some people in my family somehow can't be separated with them.

 

[danceswithronin]

Why don't you care for silkies? Just curious because I currently have 6!!!

I had four up until a few weeks ago and the only reason I rehomed them was to make more room, and because I will have several extra large standard fowl this year so I was afraid the size discrepancy would be dangerous for them. But they were really lovely birds, I'll probably hatch out some more. Mine were buff and white but I would love some partridge and blue splash silkies.

 

[PNW_Peepers]

Here in the PNW of Oregon, this year everyone wants:
Easter Eggers
Showgirls
& Brahmas
Last year Lavender or Self Blue was really popular in any breed they could get. After seeing the ragged feathers I think almost everyone jumped off that bandwagon in a hurry.