Blue Ameraucana crossed with ??? created this...

[Lady of McCamley]

@Lady of McCamley, your knowledge of genetics blows my mind!

Kind words, thank you, but I am only just beginning to learn.
@junebuggena knows a lot more about feather pattern genetics.

I've gotten egg color down (that's pretty easy actually), and basic comb formation good (a little more complicated), but I've only got the basics on feather color as there is so much to understand on feather patterns...base color, secondary color, then patterns and dominance vs. incomplete dominance vs. recessive.

And leg color...the theory I've read doesn't hold to my experiences, so that is something I've not yet got my head around....but I'll keep trying as I need to clean up my Barnevelder home brews

But thank you for the kind words...I try to share what I have learned thus far, hopefully accurately

LofMc

 

[Crooked Chicken]

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This pullet is 16 weeks old and I have another that looks like her. Dad is a Blue Ameraucana, but what is mom? They both hatched out of a normal brown egg and the options are Barred Rock, Speckled Sussex, Red Sex link or Buff Orpington. I initially thought Barred Rock, but I have had a couple of cockerels come out looking just like a normal barred rock but with the muffs and beard. I'm just curious what brought out that penciling...is that the right term for the pattern? Legs are slate like dad, so no help there. With the exception of the Speckled Sussex, the rest of my brown egg layers are all hatchery stock. Obviously this is purely out of curiosity...I just love this coloration and was surprised when these two showed up.

I love the patterning. Reminds me of some beautiful woven fabrics I've seen.

 

[junebuggena]

Can you post a photo that shows the whole bird, including legs? The Barred Rock was definitely not the mother, but it's not quite so simple to rule out the others. A red sexlink might have the potential to produce a bird like that, and Buffs can carry all sorts of pattern genetics.

 

[BarredRockMom]

Holy smokes. That is one SERIOUSLY gorgeous hen!!! I see the most interesting feather patterns on this site so thank you for sharing! Does she have a name yet?

 

[BarredRockMom]

She looks like a designers take on a herringbone patterned coat! Very striking!

 

[TeeMom]

Can you post a photo that shows the whole bird, including legs? The Barred Rock was definitely not the mother, but it's not quite so simple to rule out the others. A red sexlink might have the potential to produce a bird like that, and Buffs can carry all sorts of pattern genetics.

Yes...I'll get some more pics of her later today. I don't have any more on my phone at the moment.

Holy smokes. That is one SERIOUSLY gorgeous hen!!! I see the most interesting feather patterns on this site so thank you for sharing! Does she have a name yet?

Thank you! I think so too...which was why I was asking which was the most likely momma. I just think they're beautiful! I think one of my most current hatches has another one in it is well. I'll have to post a pic of the coloration as a chick too.

 

[TeeMom]

Here are a couple pictures I just took that show their full bodies @junebuggena...let me know if you need any other views. These were broody raised so they're quite wild, but we currently have them penned to try and tame them down a bit.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

My vote is still Speckled Sussex with the Blue EE.

While Red and Buff can cover a lot of patterns, since you used established hatchery lines of RSL and BO, I personally have not experienced a lot of hidden patterns popping up with those.

Its when you get breeder hybrids that things can be a generation or two back that crop up. (I had one Blue Copper Marans with Birchen possiblities).

Which points a finger at your Blue EE...which definitely contributed...but to my eye, that is a SS pattern in "negative" probably controlled by the diluted black of the Blue EE.

But feather genetics are pretty complicated when you get all the patterns and diluters and inhibitors, working. It literally becomes a crap shoot when hybrids are used. No two siblings can look alike.

Very, very pretty birds. I'd definitely try to get some more of those.
LofMc

 

[junebuggena]

Blue only affects black, and since they definitely have undiluted black, they have no Blue gene. The gene that causes the white flecks on the Speckled Sussex is recessive. It does look like the Speckled Sussex partridge-based pattern but with silver base color, but red sexlinks can carry the genes for that pattern too, the Columbian gene just inhibits it. If a Speckled Sussex was the mother, I'd expect to see some evidence of the Mahogany gene, but there isn't a hint of it.
Now I'm really curious to see the father...

 

[TeeMom]

Blue only affects black, and since they definitely have undiluted black, they have no Blue gene. The gene that causes the white flecks on the Speckled Sussex is recessive. It does look like the Speckled Sussex partridge-based pattern but with silver base color, but red sexlinks can carry the genes for that pattern too, the Columbian gene just inhibits it. If a Speckled Sussex was the mother, I'd expect to see some evidence of the Mahogany gene, but there isn't a hint of it.
Now I'm really curious to see the father...

I'll get a pic of him too...