Black Orpington Speckled Sussex Cross

[inquisitivebird]

I have hatched out 10 chicks from a Black Orpington rooster and a Speckled Sussex hen. I have a project I'd like to do with them. I expected to get all black chicks, but I have hatched 8 black chicks and two chipmunk chicks. See photo below:

Can anyone explain this to me? Isn't black dominant and shouldn't it cover anything in the Sussex gene pool? The chicken calculator says they will all be black.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Do you have pictures of the orpington rooster? Either the parentage is incorrect or the orpington is a mixed color rather than black.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

I have hatched out 10 chicks from a Black Orpington rooster and a Speckled Sussex hen. I have a project I'd like to do with them. I expected to get all black chicks, but I have hatched 8 black chicks and two chipmunk chicks. See photo below:

View attachment 3326160

Can anyone explain this to me? Isn't black dominant and shouldn't it cover anything in the Sussex gene pool? The chicken calculator says they will all be black.

Hi there. What do your chicks look like now? I'm very curious. My next hatch I'm hoping to include eggs from my red orp roo x SS hen (she was molting last hatch so I didn't get any from her). Curious what they'll turn out like. I must admit none of my other mixed chicks look like what I expected or what the calculator said.

 

[inquisitivebird]

Hi there. What do your chicks look like now? I'm very curious. My next hatch I'm hoping to include eggs from my red orp roo x SS hen (she was molting last hatch so I didn't get any from her). Curious what they'll turn out like. I must admit none of my other mixed chicks look like what I expected or what the calculator said.

Sure, mine all turned out black, some had break through mottling with a few white tipped feathers:

and about 1 out of 4 turned out like this:

But most were just black, ignore the blue rooster:

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

and about 1 out of 4 turned out like this:

View attachment 3385918

This one is really unique looking with those slate colored legs! Thanks for sharing!

 

[inquisitivebird]

This one is really unique looking with those slate colored legs! Thanks for sharing!

Yeah, I thought so. Neither parent has legs kike that. She is my son's favourite. My son is 7. I think he named her fire lilly or something like that.

 

[SMD2023]

I apologize for replying to an old thread. @inquisitivebird Do you have pictures of the parents? Does the SS hen have a pea comb?

 

[inquisitivebird]

I apologize for replying to an old thread. @inquisitivebird Do you have pictures of the parents? Does the SS hen have a pea comb?

No, the speckled Sussex had a straight comb. Shes unfortunately no longer alive. I don't have a photo of her. Why do you ask that?

 

[SMD2023]

No, the speckled Sussex had a straight comb. Shes unfortunately no longer alive. I don't have a photo of her. Why do you ask that?

Thank you. Just wondering about the combs on the chicks since the parents were Sussex and Orpington. I have what I thought was a Speckled Sussex hen who has a comb like your chicks, but now I suspect she is a mixed breed.

 

[ColtHandorf]

ignore the blue rooster

Look at how handsome he is!