What is the correct label for the color of my chickens? Blue, Isabel, Porcelain?

I'm confused because it appears like this is such a complicated issue when it really shouldn't be that hard to discern! I was "advised by someone not too long ago, who said they have two birds in their backyard that look like mine that my birds are "self-blue" and then I have to go through the explanation of telling them why they're NOT that color label... I don't know whether to laugh or cry
Personally I stick with a blanket description/label and I refer to them as "porcelain"... am I doing the right thing? They are OEGB's... any expert advice, comments, opinion would be welcome and here are a few pic's of my birds...

While I have no expert comment or advice, they are beautiful. Thanks for the nice pictures

Thanks Clay 34 Wisconsin used to be my old stomping ground by the way Between two different forums over 100 people have looked at my question since yesterday and you've been the only one kind enough to say "I don't know".

Until someone comes along and proves to me why I can't call them "porcelain" - I will keep calling them that... they're definitely not "self-blue" and if I took my birds to a show and showed them in that category I'd be laughed right off the showroom floor... "sorry ma'am, you've been disqualified!"

Self blue for exhibition purposes means they have the lavender gene but are a solid color. You can easily see that yours are not a solid color. Porcelain birds are of a mille fleur pattern with the lavender of which your birds are not that. Your birds appear to be what many call Isabelle which is the light brown plumage with lavender. There are a huge number of varieties of OEGBs and they have been around forever. You may want to go to their web site so see what they officially call them.

rainbowrooster said:

Self blue for exhibition purposes means they have the lavender gene but are a solid color. You can easily see that yours are not a solid color. Porcelain birds are of a mille fleur pattern with the lavender of which your birds are not that. Your birds appear to be what many call Isabelle which is the light brown plumage with lavender. There are a huge number of varieties of OEGBs and they have been around forever. You may want to go to their web site so see what they officially call them.

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Now the term Isabelle I know about... and yes I will agree with you there that my birds are that color... However, I'm sad to say when I mention the word Isabelle to how can I say this and not sound mean because I started out as one? The beginner & amateur chicken keeper who won't do try to do any research on chickens - people look at me crossed-eyed so I just give it a blanket label - porcelain... Can I not call them "porcelain silver duckwings"? because they are silver duckwing OEGB LOL ... on a serious note though who are you referring to when you say "go to their website"? Can you recommend a good website? I'm looking at the the Old English Game Bantam Club of America website right now and have zero hits in their search engine for Isabel, Isabelle, Isabella, AND porcelain... there's "fawn" but none of the others. I can't go to any hatchery website because there is none that supply these birds... I've found bits and pieces of information all over but nothing solid in one spot so it's like having to connect the pieces to put together a more defined picture. I got my start on this color of birds as a total fluke, my main rooster Muffin was born in my backyard, no other chickens in my flock looked like him - I believe he came out like he did because of the lavender doses from a lemon porcelain roo and a silver duckwing hen... and then I later ended up with a hen who came from Muffin and another silver duckwing hen... and now the flock is growing! The APA does not recognize OEGB in the porcelain and Isabelle color category - does that mean I can call them what I want? LOL

They look to be Self Blue/Lavender, with color leakage & fretting (the darker gray "ticking" throughout their plumage). Fretting is a common feather problem in a lot of Lav birds, as is leakage.

They could be Duckwing crosses, that would explain the color leakage. But not Silver Duckwing crosses, because if they were then the color leaking would be silvery, not the yellow hues that you see in your males.

As a gene, Lavender dilutes Black to Lavender, and Red/Buff to the pale yellow seen in your birds.

Long story short, they're Self Blue, or Lavender, with color faults.

hehehe LOL... I'm over on another forum and the word is "Isabella"
While self-blue is a lavender gene these birds were never crossed with any self-blue.
What you describe as "leaking" or the mottling is an attribute of Isabella.


http://www.leghorn.nl/artikelen/Isabel patrijs-UK.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabelline_(colour)

I know what Isabel/Isabella is... genetically it is BBR (or sometimes Partridge, depending on the breed) with a Lav dilution.

Your birds do look like they could be BBR diluted by Lavender, I don't know if I would call them Isabel/Isabella though...

Imagine all of the black feathers on this BBR roo as Lav instead, & the red/gold feathers as the yellow/straw color seen in your males.



Your birds are not mottled. Like I said before, the black ticking you see in the feathers is called fretting, & is a feather problem in Lavs.

carrieb62 said:

I'm breeding self-blue ??? I don't think so!!!

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What?