Black australorps with white feathers

[DUccleDude]

Ive been breeding black Australorps for 2 years for show (which have won awards). I am having a problem with white feathers. One on the girls that was hatched last february has molted and she has alot of solid white feathers and some partials. The others have white ticking at the tips of the wing. They come from a very good line and the person I got the birds from is having the same problem. We get our feed at the same location as the person we got the birds from. Dont know if its the feed or something else. Any input would be great.

 

[paddock36]

I have some black Australorps and they have a couple of white feathers too. It's only on their wings and seems to be the longest feather but you only see a tip of white. I just thought that was how it was supposed to be.

 

[aveca]

Hi . No it is not a feed problem...Im working on an austrlorps project right now.all the breeding birds are blue ribbon or BOB., then breeding back out into origional foundation stock(nother breed). I dont have any white feathers . Sometimes an injury can damage the feather folicle and feather will come out white, Sometimes accidental inbreeding too much ,might buy from somone outside that are related and you dont know it. Have you ever seen a herd of piebald and white deer? they get into pockets and cant outbreed this happens. or at some point a white bird was introduced way back and genetics being what they are crop up.
have to wonder maybe somone was working on a lavender back a bit. and probably because the blacks out of it were pretty exceptional they kept breeding them.

It is a serious fault and DQ but...seems to me if they are real good birds you might be able to correct it and it would be worth it.

Can you take some pictures of the birds. A freind of mine had some super nice hens that had folicle damage from a favorite hole in the fence they liked to stick thier heads throu to be nosey , The damage was permanent. They dont produce any white cause it isnt hereditary. they just have white feathers around head and neck. If they are great in every way , just dont show them, work on improving that problem while keeping thier very good traits.it will crop up now and again. but those cannot be shown, This breed in america is seriously lacking the great ones. So they tend to inbreed the real good ones. Just a lack of top stock causes it.

Love to see your birds.

 

[aveca]

Quote:
Are they real young? under 5 mos? thats very common, if so, they will loose those. and they dont come back. White tips more than what is it? 1/4 in is a fault, more than that is a DQ.

Once I get everything settled with them, If you want some fresh stock that has solid black feather background for yours, I would sure get you some eggs. Some but not all will get white tips as hatchlings but loose them by 4 or 5 mos. Most have none. and nice big round eyes. And that is what I like the best about the breed. They have that very kind eye. My rooster has a near ideal eye. big round and very dark. His fault would be not the nicest feathering desired in tail, But that can be worked out.

Also, is that a cayuga duck in your flock? LOVE those. Doesnt look like you live too far from me.

 

[Phoenixxx]

I was putting my young aussies out in the yard just now. I noticed on one of them, in addition to the brilliant greens there are a few body feathers with dark copper tips. According to a thread I found in australia (via google) this happens with black birds. Have any of you seen it and, in your experience, have the birds been crossed with others or is it just a freak gene popping up?