Brassiness in white males

[Goodhumor_Poultry]

Hi. Hoping to hear from some genetics minded folks regarding brassy leakage on a white cock bird and how one would go about breeding the leakage out.

I have white Araucanas. This male started developing yellow leakage on his back and wing bows at about 6 months of age and the color certainly hasn't molted out. The females are unaffected by any leakage. From what I understand, they just hide it better than males do.

To perhaps save some time test breeding, I sent feather samples to be DNA tested and the results came back as homozygous recessive white.

In any common breed, I would cull the affected male and start over. Since good Araucanas are so hard to find and since this male has what I want conformation-wise, I'd like to at least try to clean up the brassiness if possible before I get in too deep using him over white hens.

I have heard that the silver gene, along with blue, and cuckoo all help to make good whites, but I'm still not exactly sure on the best crosses to make progress here.
If this male is used over pure white hens, will all his male offspring show the same brassiness?
Genetics makes my head spin so go easy on me. Thank you!

 

[MysteryChicken]

Reminds me of Autosomal Red I see in my dominant white Silkies.

I'm just unsure if Autosomal Red, would peer through recessive white, the same way. Still learning about this particular gene.

 

[Goodhumor_Poultry]

Reminds me of Autosomal Red I see in my dominant white Silkies.

I'm just unsure if Autosomal Red, would peer through recessive white, the same way. Still learning about this particular gene.

Good point—I’ll do some reading on autosomal red. I’ve been suggested it could be the mahogany gene as well. I’m thinking it’ll take multiple generations of test crosses to clean it up, if it ever happens. Just need some direction to go in!

 

[MysteryChicken]

Good point—I’ll do some reading on autosomal red. I’ve been suggested it could be the mahogany gene as well. I’m thinking it’ll take multiple generations of test crosses to clean it up, if it ever happens. Just need some direction to go in!

You're welcome.

This was a hen of mine. I'm just sharing for comparison. She was splotched with it.

 

[Goodhumor_Poultry]

You're welcome.

This was a hen of mine. I'm just sharing for comparison. She was splotched with it.View attachment 3704792View attachment 3704799View attachment 3704804

Oh interesting, that does look really similar. I haven’t yet had any hens that show it—but I fear it’s still under the white genetically so I want to clean it up on the cock I kept before getting too far down the road. Thanks for sharing those pics!

 

[MysteryChicken]

Oh interesting, that does look really similar. I haven’t yet had any hens that show it—but I fear it’s still under the white genetically so I want to clean it up on the cock I kept before getting too far down the road. Thanks for sharing those pics!

You're welcome.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Was he out in the sun a lot or kept in a sunny pen? Recessive white males who are gold based (instead of silver based) or have the mahogany gene are prone to sun bleaching that can look like this from my understanding.

 

[Goodhumor_Poultry]

Was he out in the sun a lot or kept in a sunny pen? Recessive white males who are gold based (instead of silver based) or have the mahogany gene are prone to sun bleaching that can look like this from my understanding.

Interesting. I didn't know the brassiness could be this vivid from sun exposure. He was out in a run this summer with access to sun but has been inside his winter coop now for about a month. I'll see if he molts it out. Thanks for your reply