# Black Orpington Cross genetics



## Joanne (Jun 24, 2020)

Hello all! I am getting a young Blue Plymouth Rock pullet and am wondering what I'll get if I cross her with my Black Orpington roo? The Blue Rock is itself a hybrid between an Andalusian rooster and a Barred Rock hen. Anyone want to give it a go?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Not a Silkie so I have no clue. What are you looking for the possible colors the peeps might be? The physical characteristics? 

With the pullet being a hybrid there is no telling what color genetics are hidden that might come out with the breeding.


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## Joanne (Jun 24, 2020)

My understanding is that blue is basically diluted black. And my rooster is possibly a black/lavender split. So some possibilities are black or blue. I'm not sure how a lavender gene would interact with a blue gene. Then there is the barred pattern coming from the Barred Rock. I don't know how that gene works other than it can be sex linked. As a hybrid the blue rocks won't breed true. It would be nice to get a line of blue or blue barred chickens with some of the nice Orpington qualities.


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## Joanne (Jun 24, 2020)

Hmm, maybe an auto-sexing line of chickens with blue roosters and blue barred hens. With Orpington size and temperament.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

In Silkies if you breed blue to blue, you get blue. That's a solid color blue, no markings as in the breeds you're talking about. If you breed a blue Silkie to a Black silkie you get a mix of blues and blacks. 50% blue/50% black. 

The blue isn't really a diluted black because the genomes are different for both colors.


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## Joanne (Jun 24, 2020)

In non-Silkies it is a bit different. 1 black gene + 1 blue gene = blue. A blue chicken can be a self blue (homozygous for blue) or just blue (heterozygous). And it just gets more complicated from there.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

And that's why I said because they're not Silkies I probably shouldn't comment. Silkie color genetics are different. 

The same is true of blue Silkies as far as the blue genes. (no pun intended there)

Getting a true black Silkie is hard anymore because of people mixing blues and blacks.


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