Black Jersey Giant Rooster and same breed broody hen but mixed eggs from several hens - all chicks look identical

[AmityDon]

I have a broody Black Jersey Giant (BJG) hen a Black Jersey Giant rooster, as well as Americana, Starlight Green Eggers, and Clinamen Queen Hens. I successfully convinced the broody hen to move to a separate straw bale nest area outside of the hen house nest boxes where I could fence her off separately. The eggs that I moved with her to the new nest area were from different hens, as evidenced by the various colored eggs. She successfully hatched 7 chicks. All of the 3 week old chicks look almost identical, mainly black with light colored breast feathers and a very limited amount of non black feathers here and there. Some are certainly BJG X BJG and some are mixed breed. The question is - how can they be so identical in coloring when the eggs are from at least 3, maybe 4 breeds of hen? I would have expected some to be solid black like the hen and rooster and other variations between the chicks based on the differing breeds of hens. Does anyone have an explanation or theory on this?

Really looking forward to seeing the size and coloring of these birds when mature.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens. This is a great place to explore and hang out. One may dominant to the others they are still all barnyard mixes.

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

 

[chrissynemetz]

Hello, and welcome to BYC! It's very nice to meet you!

 

[Debbie292d]

Hiya, and welcome to BYC! We're glad you're here!

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

Daddy is dominant black. All the chicks have a dominant black gene from him and that is what is being expressed. Only the egg from the black JG hen will produce a pure black chick, if she hatched one of her own. The others will not be pure.

 

[N F C]

Hi, thanks for joining us! If you have other questions about genetics, you can post over on this forum: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/exhibition-genetics-breeding-to-the-sop.16188/

 

[janiedoe]

Good morning, welcome to BYC!

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

I have a broody Black Jersey Giant (BJG) hen a Black Jersey Giant rooster, as well as Americana, Starlight Green Eggers, and Clinamen Queen Hens. I successfully convinced the broody hen to move to a separate straw bale nest area outside of the hen house nest boxes where I could fence her off separately. The eggs that I moved with her to the new nest area were from different hens, as evidenced by the various colored eggs. She successfully hatched 7 chicks. All of the 3 week old chicks look almost identical, mainly black with light colored breast feathers and a very limited amount of non black feathers here and there. Some are certainly BJG X BJG and some are mixed breed. The question is - how can they be so identical in coloring when the eggs are from at least 3, maybe 4 breeds of hen? I would have expected some to be solid black like the hen and rooster and other variations between the chicks based on the differing breeds of hens. Does anyone have an explanation or theory on this?

Really looking forward to seeing the size and coloring of these birds when mature.

black is a dominant gene over most other colors, if I recall. all my black hybrids have started out looking the same, but typically get some kind of red leakage as they grow. one of the few non black mixes I've hatched was a white chick with a black head marking who was a cross between a Plymouth Barred Rock and a Bluebell. I believe she is ghost barred.

 

[janiedoe]

Black chickens are very beautiful, with their blue and green sheen, but if you want color in your flock, you could add a splash hen to get blue chicks.