Wheaten and Blue wheaten Marans Discussion Thread - Page 206

I think the rationale for keeping them separate is if you are trying to breed for correct color in both blue wheaten and standard wheaten.  The best way to get a bunch of blue wheatens is to use a standard wheaten x splash wheaten to get all blue wheaten offspring.  The problem with this is there is no way to cull for proper feather color in the splash wheaten adult, whether it is a hen or a rooster.  I do think that you can look for the correct amount of black in the wings and tail of a standard wheaten hen to help correct white in wing feathers for roosters.  The genes that melanize will affect the genders differently, but they will have an affect nonetheless.  A hen with more black in her wingtips and tail will be much less likely to throw roos with white in wing and tail.

So if you are using splash wheaten birds, it can potentially mess you up if you have proper standard wheatens with no white.  Crossing splash w. with wheaten, you could potentially create very nice blue wheaten hens with good conformation and then use them in your standard wheaten breeding program, not knowing that they are carrying genes that will put white feathers on your next generation of standard and blue wheatens.

But if you're just going for good blues, then I don't see why you can't cross blue wheaten with standard.  But I think this is where the "keep them separate" mentality comes from.  The fact that the blue hens could bring something into your standard flock and mess up your standards wheatens.

Hey Randy, got any pics of your 5 roosters?  I've got two that are maturing, I'm pretty sure I know which one is better, I'll try to post pics soon.  Haven't seen many good wheaten roo pics up lately.  Both of mine have darker saddle than I'd like, but they have less tan in the chest and bum than their father.  Both have better combs and tailset than their father.  The in-laws are visiting.  Dad's helping rebuild the barn that burnt down in November.  Yea!  No more survival camp for the chickens.  I have had a mink or weasel or something take 10 chickens in the last week.  Actually didn't take most of them, just killed them.  Every night I have to make sure everyone is in the tiny coop and locked up and now I let my Vizsla roam around the chicken yard at night.  Should have the roof on the new barn by next week.  Of course a bit bigger and better than the old barn! 

Thanks for the advice and explanation of your rationale.  I agree splash x wheaten gets the most blue wheaten.  With the ameracaunas the splash wheaten simply lacked the blue or black in the tail feathers and were the base buff color all over.  Is it different with the marans?  Are the splash going to look like blue splash? 

No, you're right, they will be buff and white, like the ameraucanas.  But you can't check them for white in the wings or tail like you can with a good dark blue or standard wheaten.  That is, splash wheaten is supposed to be white in the wings and tail but if they carry genes that will produce white in the wings and tail of your blues, that's possibly why folks don't use standard wheatens from a blue wheaten breeding program to produce more standard wheatens.

Yes, splash is just homozygous blue. (both genes) You can get white Wheatens but only if a parent is a White Wheaten, you can get solid whites from a recessive white carrying pair too though.

Never heard of such in Marans but I'm not in full updates on the Marans news lately.