Cubalaya Thread For Sharing Pics and Discussing Our Birds

[flyingmonkeypoop]

What really is the difference between slate and black in the Cubalaya leg color? I prefer the black legs in the blacks, but the standard says they need to be slate. My question really is what's the difference? Is it possible to have slate and black combined or is all one color? The reason I'm asking is because I have some blacks coming up that have very black looking legs so I need to know the difference between the two if there is any.

No more cubalayas for me but I can try to help here. The difference between slate and black is the same as the difference between green and black. Like in our phoenix bantams, we added a new line last year and got some green legged chicks. All parents have slate legs and white skin while the green legged chicks are yellow skinned. In the solid blacks, there is a dermal thing with the legs that messes with it too, just like the dusky yellow on black leghorns.
But now that I thought about it, all ameraucanas are supposed to have slate legs but they all have what looks black to me. I am sure it is possible but I have never seen a solid black white skinned bird with slate legs. White crested black polish have slate legs but they don't really count because solid black polish have black legs.

 

[cubakid]

Slate legs carry the dermal inhibitor gene that makes one layer black(inside) and the outside white, giving the slate appearance. Slate and blue legs are the same, my birds have black legs, with white pads, although most the males are almost white legged with some black mixed into it. You have to introduce dermal inhibitor in order to get the slate legs.

 

[troyer]

Cubakid, will it work to introduce the slateblue leg from my whites or will it have to come from somewhere else. Currently I don't have any blacks with slate legs, unless it's in the younger ones still growing up. I have a good number of pullets with very black legs, but none slate. The blues tend to have lighter legs as if the blue gene also dilutes leg color.

 

[Felix1]

No response? Man this feels like high school all over again.

 

[wood&feathers]

Sorry Felix, we have been pretty slow here lately. Light earlobes is a perennial struggle for all of us. They are supposed to be red, but many of mine have a little white.

I don't know the answer to your Sand Hill color question. I am struggling to get a good lobster tail in my birds and right now everything else is secondary.

 

[cubalaya]

felix, I think you are describing a smutty wheaton. I like keeping a few along with the gold wheatons(wild type) and cinnamon wheatons.

 

[ameliastuetzel]

Hi everyone. I have a small flock of white Cubalayas that are 6.5 weeks old. How do you determine the sex of cubalayas at this age and is that even possible? I notice the comb is bigger in some of them and some just seem to have a more gentle hen-type face. Also some are larger than others. Any info would be appreciated since I am trying to sell some soon. I have too many.

 

[Felix1]

Thanks for the responses. Is a smutty wheaten bird "show able?"

 

[troyer]

Thanks for the responses. Is a smutty wheaten bird "show able?"

No it's not. Too much black where it's supposed to be clean wheaten.

 

[troyer]

A decent pullet...


...and some grades, these pullets are 1/4th Ganoi and 3/4th Cubalaya, the white cockerel is straight Cubalaya.




...these cockerels are 1/4th Ganoi and 3/4th Cubalaya, when agitated their tails are usually just slightly below horizontal.