Lavender Orpingtons

[Pat]

Hi,

Do any of you raise or have any experience with Lavender Orpingtons?  I am starting a line of them and would be interested in discussion about their genetics.

Thanks,

Pat

herita...@aol.com

[Dennis]

I've never heard of "Lavender" orpingtons before.  Are they the same as Blue Orpingtons?  That is, half black, half white.

Dennis.

[Pat]

No, Lavenders are a variety of their own.  In some circles they are called "self blues"  but this is a misnomer and unfortunate to have started labeling Lavenders as such.  Blue and Lavender are different genetically. Lavenders are selfs only in regard to reproducing lavenders of their own color, that is, lavender bred to lavender produces lavender. 

Pat

herita...@aol.com

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[Dennis]

I saw a self blue araucana a while back and it was a true blue like the breast of a peacock.  I've never seen another chicken as blue as that one since.  I've seen a bunch of the half n half blues, but to me they look more like gray than blue.

So with the lavender orpingtons, are they an actual shade of blue/lavender or are they gray too?

Dennis.

[Pat]

My understanding is that blues are not selfs.  In other words, if you breed blue to blue, you get black, blue (50%) and splash.  The APA has misnamed Lavenders as "self-blues".  The Lavender color does have a small range from silver to violet, but there is no mistaking that they are Lavender.  At least if bred only within a line of Lavenders.  The ones I have look almost metallic, that is in the sun you cannot mistake that they are Lavender, almost ghostlike.

The blues have a huge range from almost white with a little black "confetti" here and there, to almost blue-black. 

You can see pictures of Lavenders on Backyard Poultry or just Google Lavender Orpingtons. 

Some of the confusion comes in when Lavender Orpington color is compared to Lavender turkeys and other breeds.  Yes, there is some scientific similarity and phenotype resemblance sometimes, but often not helpful.

Pat

herita...@aol.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Dennis <n4m...@gmail.com>
To: dom_bird <dom_...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Feb 4, 2016 3:17 pm
Subject: Re: [DOM_BIRD] Lavender Orpingtons

[Dennis]

I don't know how that guy got such a deep blue araucana, but I hope you can get the lavender color as deep in your breeding.  I have never been a fan of the half-n-half blues.  They might as well be called greens.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Dennis.