What happens if you cross...

[IggiMom]

Blue Orpingtons with Buff Orpingtons? Will you get some of each? Or spotted or what?

Just wondering, they are eggs yet--talk about counting your chickens before they hatch!

Catherine

 

[Cuban Longtails]

You get blue birds showing red. There are several members here with that cross, some have even become projects.

 

[IggiMom]

Oh, so it is not necessarily a bad thing, then?

Um--what is a project? I keep seeing the 'Lester' project referred to, something about Lavendar Orpingtons, I think, and the eggs are very expensive.

A project sounds like an experiment to me, so I don't see why they would be expensive.

Catherine

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Quote:
No, it's not a bad thing. They are considered color crosses, and thus mixes but pure of breed.

A project happens when a breeder is experimenting (sometimes they're even accidental), and comes across something unique and decides to reproduce the results thus creating a new color in a breed or a new breed entirely. Some projects are the re-creating of rare breeds, trying to get birds as close as possible to the real thing and having them to breed true.

As far as expense, well that depends on the demand. Currently the lavender color in Orpingtons is rare in the US and demand is high, even for project lines. Someone who purchases eggs from Lester's line essentially has saved themselves several steps for starting or continuing their own project line. A lot of time and effort goes into establishing a new color in a breed. It's definitely not for the faint of heart or impatient individiual.

 

[Krys109uk]

Oh, so it is not necessarily a bad thing, then?

No cross is bad per se. Blue X buff would beg the question, where does one want to go with the cross? Make a pretty coloured bird, improve type or something else in mind?​

 

[davony's chicks]

Quote:
No, it's not a bad thing. They are considered color crosses, and thus mixes but pure of breed.

A project happens when a breeder is experimenting (sometimes they're even accidental), and comes across something unique and decides to reproduce the results thus creating a new color in a breed or a new breed entirely. Some projects are the re-creating of rare breeds, trying to get birds as close as possible to the real thing and having them to breed true.

As far as expense, well that depends on the demand. Currently the lavender color in Orpingtons is rare in the US and demand is high, even for project lines. Someone who purchases eggs from Lester's line essentially has saved themselves several steps for starting or continuing their own project line. A lot of time and effort goes into establishing a new color in a breed. It's definitely not for the faint of heart or impatient individiual.

I love reading information that is informative. Thank you
Wish I had the knowledge and the patience.

 

[IggiMom]

Thank you, this is all very interesting.

And I had REALLY been wondering about the project eggs.

Catherine

 

[LilPeeps]

Breeding blue x buff would produce 50% blue and 50% black, likely with all chicks having gold bleeding through: in the hackles and saddles of the males and the breasts of the females.

 

[IggiMom]

Quote:
I see.

The reason I asked is because I have some Blue and Buff eggs, of course who knows if they will hatch, they were shipped.

I am running out of places to keep breeds separate, and these will have to live
together, and I wondered what would happen if I hatched out any of their eggs.

I do not want to hatch mutts. I am fond of purebred animals, in general.

Catherine

 

[emvickrey]

I have some mutts and they are just beautiful. I have a silver laced wydonette hen and a Domonique that makes just beautiful babies. I had that same hen have a completely different looking baby with my RIR roo. This one is still fuzzy but it is colored exactly like a Chipmunk. Really cute.