Feather pattern? Looks like pencilling?

[Sixandahalfacres]

Hey all! I have a lavender Orpington who came from cuckoo Isabel Orpington hatching eggs I purchased. She has no signs of the cuckoo gene, and I thought cuckoo can’t be hidden in pullets.

I crossed her with a lavender Ameraucana for fun and her chicks turned out to be sex linked! The lavender chipmunk chicks were all pullets and the solid lavender chicks were cockerels. The pullets have this interesting feather pattern but I can’t quite figure out what it is… pencilling? Lacing? Just a muddled mess? (The pic is a pullet from the original Orp)

Next year I’ll try get a good quality lavender Orpington rooster and see if she’ll throw this feathering in purebred Orps.

 

[3KillerBs]

Hey all! I have a lavender Orpington who came from cuckoo Isabel Orpington hatching eggs I purchased. She has no signs of the cuckoo gene, and I thought cuckoo can’t be hidden in pullets.

I crossed her with a lavender Ameraucana for fun and her chicks turned out to be sex linked! The lavender chipmunk chicks were all pullets and the solid lavender chicks were cockerels. The pullets have this interesting feather pattern but I can’t quite figure out what it is… pencilling? Lacing? Just a muddled mess? (The pic is a pullet from the original Orp)

Next year I’ll try get a good quality lavender Orpington rooster and see if she’ll throw this feathering in purebred Orps.

View attachment 3263314

It looks like a ghost form of cuckoo to me. I could be wrong.

 

[Sixandahalfacres]

It looks like a ghost form of cuckoo to me. I could be wrong.

I have never heard of that! I’ll have to do some research! Thanks for your reply

 

[3KillerBs]

I have never heard of that! I’ll have to do some research! Thanks for your reply

I don't know if there is an official term for it, but I've seen white-on-white barring called ghost barring and this looks similar to what I saw on the white bird in the photo except pale lavender.