actually, the melanizing gene can be from a number of sources, but columbians with nice dark markings will probably carry it. a bird carrying Ml will show much darker hackle markings, and in ee+ type birds at least, will have some dark tips to the feathers. not a cochin, but a good example of what i'm trying to explain...
this is a red dorking girl carrying Ml
and another dorking girl who carries 2 different melanizing genes, Cha and Ml. the Cha gives her a black head and Ml makes a more definite black tip to her breast feathers. the other dark tips aren't as visible, since her feathers are overall darker because of Cha. (she's also silver based, rather than red like the above girl).
don't worry about Cha though, i don't think it exists in cochins, while it does stem in dorkings from the colored lines. (the second girl is what i'm working on to establish my 'dark' dorking line).
This is my EE. She is from gold duckwing phoenix (Mcmurray bird) over a wheaton Ameraucana hen. She looks very much like the hen in the bottom but gold based and much lighter in the face.She has the same patterns and the pink /orange breast Her whole body is this brown pattern like your silver based one. She hasn't laid an egg for ever but Icannot seem to get rid of herI thought someone might be interested for color comparisons?. I will try for a body shot later.
Last edited:
