Which Orpington rooster to keep? Cuckoo

[kbow]

I have a flock of beautiful english orpingtons and am trying to figure out which rooster would be most beneficial to my flock for quality offspring. I have Isabel, Lavender Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo, golden lace, and silver lace. This question is regarding the cuckoos. If i breed black cuckoo make over lavender cuckoo hens will it make a sex link or can i keep any one rooster to breed over my isabels and lavender cuckoos? Do isabels breed true? Im asking because i dont want too many roosters fighting but would like to keep them pure as my flock will be maintain from their offspring. Can i put a cuckoo or lavender cuckoo rooster over isabel or do i need the isabel rooster? Im so lost and cannot find anything online about the cuckoo crossing by color or cuckoo over isabels. Please help!

 

[JaeG]

I have no idea about most of your questions but I do know for a sex linked cross using the barring gene, the barring must come from the hen, not the rooster. Your birds sound beautiful!

 

[kbow]

I have no idea about most of your questions but I do know for a sex linked cross using the barring gene, the barring must come from the hen, not the rooster. Your birds sound beautiful!

 

[kbow]

They are beautiful birds but as with any there are always extra roosters a couple are already beginning to squabble so theyll have to go but i dont know who it should be. I want to make sure i keep the one i will need to carry on the breeds. I wonder what happens when you cross a lavender cuckoo and isabel? Do isabels even breed true?

 

[JaeG]

I know that the Isabel colour is lavender diluting partridge so adding more lavender may dilute the colour too much. You may need to set up breeding pens to keep your different colours separated as roosters aren't fussy about what colours they breed with!

 

[kbow]

Luckily i do have breeding pens to separate them eventually. My isabels are the isabel cuckoos so im curious if i could cross my lavender cuckoos and isabel cuckoos or if like you said itd dilute it or make mutt looking chickens lol they are stunning to look at. Im just trying to figure out which boys have to go before theyre fighting terribly because once poultry leaves the property it cant be brought back. Im very picky with my biosecurity due to disease in the area!