Anyone seen this? Strange Feathering on a blue Runner *PIC HEAVY*

[ScaredOfShadows]

This is Tux - female about 7 weeks old. She's very sweet - more skittish than my other two, but I got 3 runners from IamCuriosityCat. Tux is called a Blue Tuxedo - Tuxedo Blue runner.

whichever you call it - lol. She has this awesome lacy pattern to her back feathers, and a blue patch on her chest, and random deep dark blue or black feathers mixed in her body. I know at 7ish weeks she'll be molting 1-2 times this year and probably won't retain this coloring or pattern, but still its pretty darn neat!

What do you think? Excuse the lowsy pictures - they are cell phone quality and Tux isn't the most agreeable to staying still -she's a busy body.

Her & her buddies : The Three Stooges Tux, Sweatpea, and Squirt

This pic shows how the guineas and other chickens have multiplied - they've all learned its dinner time when the whole duck flock come up - the 3 stooges are getting smart and coming up alone - leaning he "big kids" to stay in the woods in opt to get the fresh yummy treats I sneak my sweeties.

Rest of the gang : "The Big Kids" - Magpies and Buff Orphington - they are like "Are you guys coming or what? we're burning daylight"

 

[taraann81]

Beautiful birds!

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

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Thankyou! I love 'em all. They are too funny.

 

[Blooming chicks]

I love the color! They are so pretty--all of them.

 

[FenDruadin]

Awww... great pictures. They're so pretty! The coloration of your Tux has turned out very nice--it's nice to get to see it. My two that I retained out of that batch look very similar, but with more white on the throat, and are also now in with the big kids.

The lacing in the feathers is a standard blue trait, considered desirable. The black spots, called "ink spots," are also a standard blue trait, but considered a "fault" by breed standards. Personally, I really like them and am actually breeding in their favor--I love the mottled look they give, especially along with the lacing and the white that I'm also working into the color.

She is actually pretty likely to retain her coloring after her moult. So I'm glad you like it! lol

Does she also have some white on her wings and/or body? It's hard to tell from the pictures--I would not have guessed that she would based on her duckling coloring, but I'm interested to know, as body white is also a trait I'm breeding in favor of (again, against breed standards, but a plus for the mottled look I'm going for).

I'm glad the girls are still friendly--I forget, did you end up with three girls? Wonderful!

My two from the batch are also girls--lucky batch, I guess! Three I'm raising right now have at least one boy and one girl--not sure on the third yet.

Enjoy them, and I'm curious what others say about the coloration. And thanks for the pictures!

 

[newchickmom09]

She is very pretty. I just love blues.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

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Thank you!

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Yes I LOVE the patterning - I'm glad I can expect it to stay! See I told you I knew nothing about runners - lol.

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She has no other white except a tiny patch on the underside of her butt - lol. I'd love to see your future projects on this coloring! I really enjoy the coloring - and it seems to pop so prettily. She has a couple flight feathers that are that inky color as well - i didn't notice till this AM when she was exercising her wings like the "big kids".

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She has no other white except a tiny patch on the underside of her butt - lol. She has gotten friendlier - but as I said she still is much more shy than Sweetpea and Squirt. BUT they ALL eat out of my hand, the black two let me pet them and give them chest scratches and are unperturbed by the attention. And yes I do seem to have 3 girls - Squirt may or may not be though - that booger confuses me - last one to quack and it seems a tad stockier in the chest and neck than the other two - but it may just wind up being a stockier girl than the other two - no curly tail and it quacks nicely like the other two - so for the moment Squirt is dubbed a girl. I was hoping for 2 girls and a boy but oh well. lol I can always relieve someone of a drake next year for them. Everyone around here LOVES them - my older neighbor whom has a few dozen chickens, turkey, and is 'technically' the owner of Tiffany the muscovy - calls them "the penguins" cause of their upright waddling - lol.

No problem on the pictures, I told you I wanted to let you see! They are just stunning - and I love them to death. They now come in and poke their heads in the kitchen door if I'm late on bringing out food - especially evening treats. Last night it was peas and watermelon - and boy do they LOVE that stuff.

This was when those pics were taken - last night at treat time - right about 7:30pm.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

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I do too - I never had a blue colored duck except a muscovy once - and these are my first runners, they're a learning experience and my favorite ducks especially since they are the only handalable ones I have - so they are true treat. The blue is definately beautiful with the lacing and inky spots.

 

[CityChicker]

Very pretty! Looks like a normal Blue Runner to me. The dark and white spots are normal, as is the lacing. The color can vary a lot between birds. I love the color!

 

[SunAngel]

Awww I want a blue Runner now!

My Blue Swedish ducks turn out like that, with the darker spots in various places. I really like them better than just solid blue and tend to keep the ducklings with the oddest or most spots. I am a Splash/Mottled junky and the spots make them seem more Splash or Mottled.

Here is my girl Skye that I hatched out last Spring. She has similar coloring to your Runner.