So confused with my lavender orpingtons and golden comets hatchlings

[ChickenBreeder70707]

Hello, we have just hatched some eggs today from our own chickens. I am confused by their appearance as the only black animals on the farm are goats and pigs!

We have two lavender orpington hens and two lavender orpington roos. They are related as I understand, my friend gave them to me. 3 of them are siblings, and the older roo is dad. They look pure and I think she said they were.

We also have golden comets we bought as grown hens for eggs, they are hens only.

Somehow the two chicks that have hatched so far are pure black with black eyes and a little bit of lighter color at the chest. I'm befuddled. I know the comets should produce a very light offspring and the lavender should produce a light offspring, so how did we end up with black orpingtons? Can two pure looking lavenders produce a black? See picture.

 

[ChickenBreeder70707]

I think I am starting to understand it. When I read lavender split I thought it meant they looked mottled! So my lavenders that look perfectly beautiful must have a black split gene in either the roos, the hens or both. Well, I hope more eggs hatch and we get some lavenders, time will tell today!

I'm in middle TN if anyone wants to buy any birds, or talk birds. I have different types of marans too that are just 3 weeks old still in brooder. Very, very feathered legs.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

Welcome to BYC and Happy New Year!

Your assessement sounds fairly accurate to me, as I know lavender and black are related (don't ask me how). Although with lavender being a dilution I would think it would not produce black... but I'm a novice.

I had the opposite problem- expected black chicks and got yellow! But I was reminded that there had been a young silver cockerel in the flock who may have matured a little bit sooner than I'd expected, lol.

I wonder if the black chicks can still carry the gene for lavender and produce lavender babies...

 

[The Moonshiner]

Lavender is a dilute of black so your lavender chickens are black if you take away the lavender. Lavender is a recessive gene so it takes two copies one from each parent for it to be expressed. Your lavenders are not split. Split would mean they were black but carried one lavender gene sight unseen. Your black chicks are coming from your comets they're not getting a lavender gene from the comets so they won't be lavender. The black that's underneath your lavender roosters is what is making the chicks black. Black will cover the comets genes but they will probably get some leakage as they mature. Comets also carry one copy of dominant White so I wouldn't be surprised if some time you had some chicks that are mostly White with black specks.

 

[paintedChix]

You have the splits backwards. They would be black. The blacks are from your buff hens. The black chicks each carry a Lavender gene & a not lavender gene.

To be Lavender, the bird must have two lavender genes. It is a recessive gene. If only one, they are usually black... (at least I've seen only blacks). YES, if your parent birds are lavender, the black chicks can produce lavender. Lavender back w/ your black chicks should yield 50% lavender & 50% splits (who will be black in color).

Are you sure your birds are Lavender? Some blues are light enough to look lavender, but genes are completely different. And yes, blue to buff often gets black, because a blue bird carries a black gene.

I have had buff hens produce white & black birds. Different breeds.

Genetics are awesome!! Colors are interesting! Attaining "perfection" in colors is often a breeders life goals, not always easy to do.

Do any of your Lavenders show the shredder gene,?

 

[paintedChix]

Lavender is a dilute of black so your lavender chickens are black if you take away the lavender. Lavender is a recessive gene so it takes two copies one from each parent for it to be expressed. Your lavenders are not split. Split would mean they were black but carried one lavender gene sight unseen. Your black chicks are coming from your comets they're not getting a lavender gene from the comets so they won't be lavender. The black that's underneath your lavender roosters is what is making the chicks black. Black will cover the comets genes but they will probably get some leakage as they mature. Comets also carry one copy of dominant White so I wouldn't be surprised if some time you had some chicks that are mostly White with black specks.

You posted before I did!!

 

[The Moonshiner]

You posted before I did!!

 

[ChickenBreeder70707]

Lavender is a dilute of black so your lavender chickens are black if you take away the lavender. Lavender is a recessive gene so it takes two copies one from each parent for it to be expressed. Your lavenders are not split. Split would mean they were black but carried one lavender gene sight unseen. Your black chicks are coming from your comets they're not getting a lavender gene from the comets so they won't be lavender. The black that's underneath your lavender roosters is what is making the chicks black. Black will cover the comets genes but they will probably get some leakage as they mature. Comets also carry one copy of dominant White so I wouldn't be surprised if some time you had some chicks that are mostly White with black specks.

Wow, your spot on, I got 3 more chicks that are white each with a black speck on their back. Will have my 11 yo read this post as well since the comets are his and this is very interesting! Thank you!