Long story short. Planned breeding project to make winterized (small combs and wattles), predator savvy, camouflaged, longevity, foraging, productive, every one different, etc. I was not trying to make a breed that looked alike because I wanted to be able to tell them all apart so that I could stop banding. Started 2009. I counted eggs before picking the hens I chose to use as breeders. I bred from hens that were 2 years old and laying through winter without heat or light, tough, free-ranging, smart hens, and good natured, alert cocks, etc., etc., etc.
Purposely selected breeds: White Chantecler (breeder), Buckeye (breeder), New Hampshire (Newcomer), Buff Wyandotte (breeder), Speckled Sussex (hatchery), Kraienkoeppe (refined, early hatchery), Golden Campine (crazy excellent winter layer, no lights & no heat--hatchery).
I called it my Parti Girls project.
First cross with the White Chantecler and I got this:
I still have him!
Of course, I retain copyright on abov photo and any others I post. 2015 Copyright Spangled.
(Notice the white tip on the black tail feather! Usually indicated mottling.)
I have had a few like him since, one was a deep mahogany in the red parts. The first pairing was a pure White Chantecler with a Speckled Sussex and a New Hampshire (That's who was in the breeding pen. 3 chickens only.) I don't know who the dam was--either a 2 year old NH or a 2 year old SS. Of course, the White Chantecler are a composite breed, which could give me the mottling through the White Leghorn. My batch of White Chanteclers had some weird stuff covered by the recessive white. I got what appears to be B(sd), which is barring with sexual dilution. So I get this odd gray barring; the black has been diluted. I am also getting buff barring since I have mixed in Pheomelanin with the NH, Buckeyes, etc., so the red is also being diluted at times. I belive that my White Chanteclers were E^R/eb or similar) and not E/E since from the first crossings I never once got a completely black bird, not once.
I also am getting what looks like mottling ... possibly hysterical because the mottling is splotchy many times.
I would like to think that I have a hetero dominant white (I/i) issue, but the genetics won't work like dominant white when I do the breedings. Usually with dominant white, the red won't bleed through, on this level anyway, and usually it's in the pyle areas. Also the percentages don't line up.
I'd like to think it's a Silver-Golden-Gold issue, but I am not sure that I can chalk all these colors up to that. Is there anyone that could rule out Silver bleed-through by asking me some questions? Or can you tell it's because Silver bleed-through just by looking at him?
Anyway, I also get some really pretty laced-looking hens that are white with gray lacing. Would Silver allow for that??? The Pg from the Campines is showing up in this situation. The pattern gene was a planned addition when I added the Golden Campines because I wanted all the chickens to look different and be camouflaged, but the gray/blue is a surprise.
I do not know how I am getting gray unless it's from the B(sd). How am I getting gray? Would I/i allow a blue lacing-style feather pattern to come through? I'm thinking it can't, so I am confused.
There is no splash involved. I never get a completely black bird nor do I ever get a completely (or mostly) blue bird. Never. The genetics are not possible for that evenuality. Besides BBS doesn't allow for red.
Anyway, if anyone around Montana or Wyoming wants to come and get some of these birds right away to continue on this project, please IM me. I am sad that I have spent so much time on this project and now have to let it go. I would love to see it continue on. I've got quite a few to choose from. I'd like to find a home for them. Yes, free, if you're serious about breeding them and maybe giving me back a few in a couple of years to get restarted if I get back into chickens.
Photo below is of same cock as above. Hatched in 2011.
Photo below is a pullet.
The following photo is probably a pullet because the cockerels are usually white until around 3 - 4 months when they develop little bits of red and black feathers.
Why are there black and blue feathers on hen below???
Splotchy at hatch. The ones like this seem to retain their splotchiness into adulthood. They are white with gold splotches on head, neck, chest, wings, with tails that are a little black and/or blue in the white -- as the previous hen.
The black/blue and gold barring.
Educated thoughts???
Purposely selected breeds: White Chantecler (breeder), Buckeye (breeder), New Hampshire (Newcomer), Buff Wyandotte (breeder), Speckled Sussex (hatchery), Kraienkoeppe (refined, early hatchery), Golden Campine (crazy excellent winter layer, no lights & no heat--hatchery).
I called it my Parti Girls project.
First cross with the White Chantecler and I got this:
I still have him!
Of course, I retain copyright on abov photo and any others I post. 2015 Copyright Spangled.
(Notice the white tip on the black tail feather! Usually indicated mottling.)
I have had a few like him since, one was a deep mahogany in the red parts. The first pairing was a pure White Chantecler with a Speckled Sussex and a New Hampshire (That's who was in the breeding pen. 3 chickens only.) I don't know who the dam was--either a 2 year old NH or a 2 year old SS. Of course, the White Chantecler are a composite breed, which could give me the mottling through the White Leghorn. My batch of White Chanteclers had some weird stuff covered by the recessive white. I got what appears to be B(sd), which is barring with sexual dilution. So I get this odd gray barring; the black has been diluted. I am also getting buff barring since I have mixed in Pheomelanin with the NH, Buckeyes, etc., so the red is also being diluted at times. I belive that my White Chanteclers were E^R/eb or similar) and not E/E since from the first crossings I never once got a completely black bird, not once.
I also am getting what looks like mottling ... possibly hysterical because the mottling is splotchy many times.
I would like to think that I have a hetero dominant white (I/i) issue, but the genetics won't work like dominant white when I do the breedings. Usually with dominant white, the red won't bleed through, on this level anyway, and usually it's in the pyle areas. Also the percentages don't line up.
I'd like to think it's a Silver-Golden-Gold issue, but I am not sure that I can chalk all these colors up to that. Is there anyone that could rule out Silver bleed-through by asking me some questions? Or can you tell it's because Silver bleed-through just by looking at him?
Anyway, I also get some really pretty laced-looking hens that are white with gray lacing. Would Silver allow for that??? The Pg from the Campines is showing up in this situation. The pattern gene was a planned addition when I added the Golden Campines because I wanted all the chickens to look different and be camouflaged, but the gray/blue is a surprise.
I do not know how I am getting gray unless it's from the B(sd). How am I getting gray? Would I/i allow a blue lacing-style feather pattern to come through? I'm thinking it can't, so I am confused.
There is no splash involved. I never get a completely black bird nor do I ever get a completely (or mostly) blue bird. Never. The genetics are not possible for that evenuality. Besides BBS doesn't allow for red.
Anyway, if anyone around Montana or Wyoming wants to come and get some of these birds right away to continue on this project, please IM me. I am sad that I have spent so much time on this project and now have to let it go. I would love to see it continue on. I've got quite a few to choose from. I'd like to find a home for them. Yes, free, if you're serious about breeding them and maybe giving me back a few in a couple of years to get restarted if I get back into chickens.
Photo below is of same cock as above. Hatched in 2011.
Photo below is a pullet.
The following photo is probably a pullet because the cockerels are usually white until around 3 - 4 months when they develop little bits of red and black feathers.
Why are there black and blue feathers on hen below???
Splotchy at hatch. The ones like this seem to retain their splotchiness into adulthood. They are white with gold splotches on head, neck, chest, wings, with tails that are a little black and/or blue in the white -- as the previous hen.
The black/blue and gold barring.
Educated thoughts???
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