Jubilee (mille fleur) Orpington project update - PICs pg4

[EweSheep]

I am guessing about three more years you would get more defined patterns on your Orps....we will be watching this more closely!

 

[hinkjc]

I expect another generation or two to see more consistency in the pattern, but we already have full pattern pullets. It seems much easier to get on the girls than the boys for some reason. Although, I do think the boys plumage takes much longer to show mature coloring, so we'll have to see how some of these boys turn out. They are already changing. You just never know with mille fleur. It always surprises me how much it changes over the various age/plumage transition to maturity. I will post more pics as they mature more. We just culled out 4 more cockerels that I ruled out of the project, but have some real lookers still growing out and size feels nice on them. Nice bulky boys that went for meat.

 

[Katy]

I missed this thread till just now. I see it started when I wasn't able to be on the computer. Looking good.

 

[hinkjc]

I'm so glad you got to see some of the pics Katy. I have to get some pics of those pullets for you. When we were selecting some of the culls out yesterday, I look at them and just smile. I think of you and how much you would enjoy admiring them along with me. They're really sweet too, which makes it all the more fun to work with them. Hard to cull, but enjoyable for the keepers.

 

[Katy]

Some pictures would be great Jody. Even tho I've been forced to downsize a lot recently there will always be room for some of these when the time comes.

 

[Chickanmanfromarkansas]

Jody are you having to cross back to the Orpingtons and lose you spots and then breed them back in with the next generation?

These I think are going to be the prettiest Orpingtons.

 

[hinkjc]

Katy, you're first on my list when these are finished.

Chickanman - What I am doing is developing black mottled orps at the same time as working on my jubilees. My mottleds are actually a year ahead, so size is really great on them. Once I get a pretty good mille pattern going, I intend to cross the mottled to the mille fleur, which will produce approx 50% mottled and 50% mille offspring. This will help finalize the size and conformation on the mille fleur/jubilee colored birds. I am also doing lemon mottled, which can be put back to them as well to help if needed for the diamond jubilees.

 

[Chickanmanfromarkansas]

Wow, that is alot of projects going on at the same time. Maybe when you get them where you want them I can get some hatching eggs from you.

 

[hinkjc]

Some updated pics of the jubilee project birds. The roos are odd in that they show a lot of this tan/whitish color in the wing, but I can see newer feathers coming in that are mille fleur. I expect he'll continue to change until he gets his adult plumage. I think you can see the mille pattern in the pics. He also has it on his head and in his hackles and the lower fluff at the legs. It seems most of the boys are like this, but I do have one who looks red mottled and is showing signs of the black chevron too, so hopefully we'll see better color by spring.

and a lemon mottled with a mille girl behind her:

 

[JenEric Farms]

These are looking great!!!